"I know conductor Evgeny  Shestakov for many years. I have performed as cellist under his baton in Ohrenburg and Omsk with his Symphony Orchestra. Evgeny  Shestakov has been chief conductor and artistic director of the Omsk Academic Symphony Orchestra since 1992. He was awarded the honorific title - "Honored Art worker of Russia". The orchestra and its chief conductor have toured in Russia and Western Europe. He has recorded with his orchestra a number of compositions on CDs for well-known labels from Denmark, Spain and France.

Evgeny Shestakov is constantly improving his artistic style and mastery and during our joint concertos he has shown himself as a mature musician, artist and a highly professional conductor. I recommend him as guest-conductor to any orchestra both in Russia and throughout the world."

"On my tour in Omsk I performed and orchestra under the directorship of Evgeny Shestakov. We performed J. Brahms's Concerto for violin and orchestra. For the past 35 years I have happened to perform this concerto in many countries with the best orchestras and conductors.

I was pleasantly surprised when I heard an excellent performance of the orchestra even at the first rehearsal. Such important qualities as rhythm, style, intonation, tonal balance are at the highest professional level with the orchestra. It is all due to an excellent conducting-educational work of Maestro Evgeny Shestakov.

I have examples to compare with, and I can say for certain that professional activity of Evgeny Shestakov deserves the highest acclaim, inasmuch as in every success of any orchestra the key role is given to its conductor. His work has brought the main result: Omsk Symphony Orchestra - one of the best in Russia."

"In 2002 I performed in Omsk with an outstanding Symphony Orchestra under the directorship of its chief conductor, excellent musician Evgeny Shestakov. We performed compositions by W. Mozart and K. Sen-Sans for violin and orchestra. I was very pleased that prior to my arrival Evgeny Shestakov had carried out an immense creative work with the orchestra that at rehearsals we were discussing musical problems of higher order.

Mr. Evgeny Shestakov deserves the highest professional acclaim. He has a wonderful sense of style, tonal balance and conducts his orchestra brilliantly; and there are lucky few who succeed in doing so. I will come to Omsk again with pleasure to perform with Evgeny Shestakov."