Verbitsky was born in Leningrad (St.Petersburg) and graduated from that city's famous Conservatoire. Following hiss graduation, he studied with Yevgeny Mravinsky, the renowned Chief Conductor of the Leningrad Philharmonic (who took the closest interest in his musical development). Vladimir Verbitsky regularly conducts the major Moscow and St.Petersburg orchestras, as well as continuing his long association with the Voronezh Philharmonic, of which he has been Chief Conductor and Music Director since 1972. Under his baton the Voronezh Philharmonic has improved enormously and was given a title of Academic Orchestra for truly great music making. Vladimir Verbitsky received the honorable title People' s Artist of Russia. During the period 1982-1984 he also worked as Chief Conductor of the Slovak Philharmonic in Bratislava. As Guest Conductor on many international tours of Yevgeny Svetlanov' s USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Verbitsky conducted this mighty orchestra in France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Canada, USA, South America, Japan and Hong Kong. He was introduced to Australian and New Zealand audiences in 1986, when he achieved a remarkable personal success as Guest Conductor -on the USSR State Symphony Orchestra' s historic first Australasian tour. At the end of this tour he was invited to be Music Director of the State Orchestra of Victoria in Melbourne. Since 1987 Vladimir Verbitsky regularly conducts all of me major Australian and New Zealand orchestras. After twelve years his unique collaboration with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, from 1987-1991 as a Guest Conductor and from 1992-1997 as the orchestra's Principal Guest Conductor, in 1997 he was appointed Conductor Laureate. Vladimir Verbitsky s recent engagements have included concerts with St.Petersburg Philharmonic, the great Radio and Television Orchestra of Moscow and Svetlanov s Orchestra, concerts with the Lucerne Symphony in Switzerland, recordings in Germany with the Baden-Baden Philharmonic, a six-concert Russian Music Festival with the Auckland Philharmonic in New Zealand, series of concerts with the Florida Orchestra and the Tucson Symphony. Vladimir Verbitsky's repertoire includes more than two thousand works of world classical music as well as contemporary music. He made recordings with many orchestras: with USSR State Symphony Orchestra, St.Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, Voronezh Philharmonic, Slovak Philharmonic, Saarbrucken Radio Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, State Orchestra of Victoria, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, State Orchestra of Victoria, Queensland Orchestra, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanias Symphony Orchestra and others.