The Stravinsky Hall is located on the seventh and top floor of the Mariinsky Theatre’s New Stage. For twelve years this space belonged to the theatre’s backstage area and remained off-limits to the public. Suspended above the Main Auditorium, it was originally used for orchestra rehearsals – a rare architectural solution, as such large spaces are typically reserved for workshops producing scenic elements such as backdrops, wings, and borders. This is the case in the historic Mariinsky building, where the Golovin Hall beneath the dome is used to paint textile sets.
In 2024 Valery Gergiev made the decision to open this area to audiences. The rehearsal space was transformed into an inviting yet spacious concert hall – the largest chamber venue at the Mariinsky Theatre, seating over 500 guests. During summer months visitors can step out onto the terrace and enjoy panoramic views of the city.
The first concert in the new hall took place on 24 June 2024. Each June the Mariinsky Theatre pays special tribute to the music by Igor Stravinsky, who was born on 17 June 1882 just outside St Petersburg, into the family of a Mariinsky soloist. The former rehearsal space was accordingly named in his honour. There are now two areas at the New Stage bearing the composer’s name: the Stravinsky Hall and the adjacent foyer – emphasising his importance not only to global and Russian culture but also to the Mariinsky Theatre itself. Fittingly, the inaugural concert featured works by Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky.
As the public debut of the hall came before the renovation was fully complete, its official “opening date” is considered to be 3 November 2024, when prize winners of the International Tchaikovsky Competition gave a celebratory performance. Since then the hall – affectionately dubbed the “seventh heaven” by the Mariinsky Theatre staff – has hosted an array of music across genres, styles and centuries. With the hall’s width oriented along the stage, every member of the audience, even in the last row, is close to the performers and enjoys excellent visibility. This creates a remarkable sense of intimacy and shared experience.
The word chamber derives from the idea of music made in a room. These “room concerts” were once the pride of musically enlightened households, where families and friends gathered in salon settings. Visitors to the Stravinsky Hall feel like honoured guests in one of the Mariinsky Theatre’s most beautiful, welcoming and acoustically refined “rooms”.
Here one may hear everything from Bach cantatas to premieres of works by contemporary St Petersburg composers. The hall hosts concerts from Mariinsky Theatre festivals – the Mariinsky International Piano Festival, Virtuosi of the Flute, Northern Lyre – as well as chamber performances by soloists from the Mariinsky Orchestra, recitals by the Mariinsky Academy of Young Opera Singers, daytime concerts for children, and commemorative evenings. Musicians from across Russia have already appeared on this stage. Even opera performances are held here: large-scale works are presented in concert format with piano, while smaller-scale productions may include full orchestral accompaniment and staging.
Thanks to its multifunctionality, welcoming design, eco-friendly materials, exceptional acoustics, and consistently high-quality programming, the Stravinsky Hall has become a treasured addition for all lovers of musical art.
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