Last year Tugan Sokhiev wrote a diary for Gramophone magazine about his frantic but rewarding lifestyle as Music Director of both the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse (ONCT) and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (DSO Berlin). He said, 'As I write this, it’s hard to believe that it was only a few months ago, in September, that I gave my inaugural concert as Music Director of the DSO Berlin. I already feel so at home here – it’s fantastic to be part of the Berlin musical scene with such a wonderful orchestra, with great supporters and with programmes which we hope will attract new audiences, too. Performing in the fantastic acoustic of the Philharmonie is always a treat and my first week there was the perfect beginning to my journey with the DSO.'

Having earlier this year also taken on the role of Artistic Director at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, today Sokhiev announced that he will not be renewing his contract at the Berlin-based DSO when it expires in 2016. In his statement, Sokhiev said that the new position at the Bolshoi 'requires too much presence and attention on my part in the medium-term to allow me to stay with my orchestra and fulfil my duties in Berlin with good conscience.'

This article was amended on October 22