Misha Rachlevsky, music director for Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, said one of the things the orchestra does not want to do is to get comfortable.

The goal was to put together a very strong formation, and even though it is hard, we want to remain in this format and keep pushing ourselves to become an even stronger orchestra, he said. We don’t want to get to comfortable because we don’t want to lose that edge.

Rachlevsky studied at the Moscow Conservatory, the Gnesin Institute of Music and was a performer with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. He left the Soviet Union in 1973, and moved to the U.S. where, in 1984, he founded the New America Chamber Orchestra.

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In 1991 Rachlevsky was invited back to Moscow to conduct the Moscow Chamber Orchestra in a series of concerts. Later Rachlevsky was approached by Claves’, a Swiss recording company. He told them he wanted to create an orchestra of musicians from Moscow. After extensive auditions the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin was born.

In the last four years the orchestra has toured Switzerland, France, Finland, Portugal, Spain and had a major European tour. Now they are on their second tour of North America in 1995, sponsored by AT&T.

Since we are a relatively young orchestra we can’t really be judged along with other orchestras, Rachlevsky said. To ask how one orchestra is different than another is like asking what makes one football team different than another. One distinction is that we usually play music from the late classical periods, but otherwise we play very well, and if someone wants to judge us they should judge us on the age of our formation and what we have done since we have started.

Rachlevsky also said that one difference about himself, when compared to other musicians, is that he doesn’t reflect on the music when the orchestra is finished performing.

My feeling is that when it is over it is over, he said. We play towards an emotional charge during our performances, and there are moments when we reach a certain depth when we know something is happening and we control everything around us. That is what we play for, and keep reaching for. Those moments are what blends everything together for us and for the audience. Afterwards we just hope we gave something deeper to the audience other than just the entertainment the music gives.

As 1995 approaches an end, and the orchestra looks toward another year, Rachlevsky says he is proud of what they have achieved, and looks forwards to what awaits them.

I never had any doubt about this orchestra, and right now this is my first priority, he said. Music has always been something I wanted to do and something I can’t see myself without. It is I something I just know. This formation is in very good shape, and we continue to improve upon ourselves. We will have many years together.

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The Chamber Orchestra Kremlin plays at 8 p.m. at Shryock Auditorium on Nov. 4. Tickets are $14.50 and $12.50. Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information call Shryock at 453-2787.