Today, on 22 May, the Mariinsky Theatre opens the XXXIII Music Festival Stars of the White Nights with a grand celebration. Year after year the festival draws the attention of audiences from around the world who cherish musical and theatrical art. Stars of the White Nights remains one of the most prominent and anticipated cultural events of the Mariinsky Theatre – the culmination of its entire season. This year’s festival runs from 22 May to 3 August, with events scheduled across all of the theatre’s St Petersburg stages
Today, on 22 May, the Mariinsky Theatre opens the XXXIII Music Festival Stars of the White Nights with a grand celebration. Year after year the festival draws the attention of audiences from around the world who cherish musical and theatrical art. Stars of the White Nights remains one of the most prominent and anticipated cultural events of the Mariinsky Theatre – the culmination of its entire season. This year’s festival runs from 22 May to 3 August, with events scheduled across all of the theatre’s St Petersburg stages.
The operatic programme opens with one of the most anticipated premieres of recent years – Vincenzo Bellini’s bel canto masterpiece Norma, which finally receives a new full-scale stage production. The production is directed by Sergei Novikov, with Valery Gergiev as musical director. Premieres will take place on 22, 23 and 24 May, at 13:00 and 19:00, in Mariinsky II. The title role will be sung on opening night by the magnificent Albina Shagimuratova. Also performing in the leading roles are Ekaterina Lukash, Igor Morozov, Miroslav Molchanov, Varvara Solovyova and Savva Khastaev.
The ballet programme opens on the Historic Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre with one of the most celebrated orientalist ballets in the classical repertoire – La Bayadère by Ludwig Minkus. The principal roles will be danced by a stellar cast: Victoria Tereshkina, Renata Shakirova and Kimin Kim.
The first concert of the festival at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre will feature the acclaimed Stradivarius Ensemble of the Mariinsky Theatre under the baton of Lorenz Nasturica-Herschcowici, performing the Concerto in D for string orchestra (Basel Concerto), the suite from Stravinsky’s Pulcinella and Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.
May and June will also see performances of the season’s recent premieres in opera and ballet. On 27 and 28 May Mariinsky II will present Dance Scenes by Vyacheslav Samodurov to music by Stravinsky. The first evening’s programme includes Pulcinella and Concert Dances; the second – Pulcinella and Jeu de cartes.
Among the recent operatic premieres on the festival bill is Verdi’s Aida, directed by Giancarlo del Monaco, with performances on 13, 14 and 15 June. Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, staged by Konstantin Balakin and Alexei Stepanyuk, will be performed on 29 June.
The Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre will offer audiences a rich programme of operatic masterpieces. Throughout June the stage will host productions of Puccini’s La bohème, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi and Turandot, Verdi’s Falstaff and Rigoletto, Prokofiev’s War and Peace, Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta, Mozart’s Idomeneo, rè di Creta and Le nozze di Figaro, Shchedrin’s The Enchanted Wanderer and Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde.
One of the most anticipated ballet events of the festival will be a guest appearance by the Bolshoi Ballet. From 27 to 29 June the company will perform the compelling production of The Master and Margarita, set to music by Alfred Schnittke and Milko Lazar, choreographed by Edward Clug.
A highlight of the June concert calendar will be the performance by audience favourite Denis Matsuev together with the Mariinsky Orchestra under Valery Gergiev. On 2 June Mariinsky II will resound with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 and Prokofiev’s Symphonies Nos. 1 and 5.
The Stars of the White Nights festival brings together the best and the newest achievements of the season. It promises audiences landmark premieres, world-class performers, dazzling guest appearances, rare repertoire gems and timeless classics performed by exceptional casts. Full details are available on the Mariinsky Theatre’s official website.
The festival is held with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. The festival’s Artistic Director is Valery Gergiev.
The Mariinsky Theatre mourns the passing of the legendary choreographer Yuri Grigorovich, who died today at the age of 98. With his departure, an entire era in the history of ballet draws to a close. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues at this time of profound sorrow
The Mariinsky Theatre mourns the passing of the legendary choreographer Yuri Grigorovich, who died today at the age of 98. With his departure, an entire era in the history of ballet draws to a close. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues at this time of profound sorrow.
A People’s Artist of the USSR, Hero of Socialist Labour and recipient of the Lenin Prize, State Prizes of both the USSR and the Russian Federation, as well as the Order of Lenin, the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland” (1st, 2nd and 3rd Class) and many other distinctions, Yuri Grigorovich shaped the course of ballet history – first in the Soviet Union and later in Russia – with his own hands.
His artistic journey began in St Petersburg, within the walls of the Kirov (now Mariinsky) Theatre. After graduating from Leningrad Choreographic School in 1946, he joined the company as a dancer, soon rising to become a soloist. From 1961 to 1964 he served as a choreographer for the Mariinsky Theatre.
It was on this very stage that Grigorovich directed his first ballets – The Stone Flower (1957) and The Legend of Love (1961). To this day both productions remain in the repertoire, continuing to move audiences and captivate full houses. For the dancers performing in these works remains a cherished privilege and a profound artistic joy.
Later, as Chief Choreographer and Artistic Director of the Ballet Company at the Bolshoi Theatre, Grigorovich created many more landmark productions and mentored several generations of extraordinary dancers. Ever forward-looking and attuned to the spirit of the times, he crafted works that now form part of the golden canon of ballet. However long ago they were created, his productions astonish with their artistic vitality and relevance.
As long as Yuri Grigorovich’s legacy lives on, so too will his memory – imperishable in the hearts of all who treasure the art of ballet.
On 22 May one of the most anticipated premieres in recent years will take place on the New Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre: Bellini’s bel canto masterpiece Norma will finally receive its long-awaited stage production. The production is directed by the renowned stage director Sergey Novikov. The grand premiere of Norma will formally open the XXXIII Music Festival Stars of the White Nights, the theatre’s most important annual event and the highlight of the season. Further performances will follow on 23 and 24 May (at 13:00 and 19:00)
On 22 May one of the most anticipated premieres in recent years will take place on the New Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre: Bellini’s bel canto masterpiece Norma will finally receive its long-awaited stage production. The production is directed by the renowned stage director Sergey Novikov. The grand premiere of Norma will formally open the XXXIII Music Festival Stars of the White Nights, the theatre’s most important annual event and the highlight of the season. Further performances will follow on 23 and 24 May (at 13:00 and 19:00).
A benchmark of bel canto, Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma is widely recognised as his most perfect work. The opera was deeply admired by Richard Wagner – despite his being a composer of an entirely different style and artistic ethos – and Bellini himself regarded Norma as his crowning achievement, famously saying that if he could save only one of his operas from a shipwreck, it would be Norma.
The world premiere of the opera took place on 26 December 1831 at La Scala in Milan, and it became a defining moment not only for Italian opera but for the history of music as a whole. That outcome was far from obvious at the time: the singers were exhausted from the demanding preparations, and the audience responded with caution to the innovations in musical language and dramatic structure. However, the opera’s success grew with each subsequent performance, and Norma soon began its triumphant journey across Europe’s great musical stages.
At the Bolshoi (Stone) Theatre, the forerunner of the Mariinsky, the opera was first performed in 1843 by the Imperial Italian Opera Company. At the Mariinsky Theatre, which today is known as the Historic Stage, Norma was first heard in 1861, just one year after the theatre’s new building opened.
Throughout the 20th century Norma disappeared from the Mariinsky stage. It was only a little over a decade ago that its revival began in the theatre’s modern history. The upcoming premiere has been preceded by a series of concert performances, showcasing one of the Mariinsky’s greatest assets – the kaleidoscope of world-class voices within its opera company.
“In the world of opera, Norma truly is a benchmark of performance – a summit that, once reached, lifts both singers and theatre to a new level of artistry: a place of interpretive freedom built on proven technical mastery,” says Sergey (Gennadievich) Novikov, the director of the long-awaited staging. His acclaimed productions of Delibes’ Lakmé, Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos and Musorgsky’s Salammbô have already won over the discerning St Petersburg public.
The production’s set and costume designer is Sergey (Sergeyevich) Novikov, the director’s namesake and collaborator on the striking Ariadne auf Naxos. Lighting design is by Ruslan Mayorov, and video design by Dmitry Ivanchenko. The musical director of the production is Valery Gergiev.
The setting of the opera – as in Felice Romani’s original libretto, based on Alexandre Soumet’s French tragedy of the same name – is Roman-occupied Gaul, in the sacred grove of the Druids. Although the story is rooted in the early years of our era, its dramatic heritage reaches back to Euripides’ Medea.
“Norma is an opera about the collapse of ideals,” says director Sergey Novikov. “The very name Norma, from Latin, means ‘standard’ or ‘model’. To grasp the dramatic stakes of the plot, you must imagine a revered figure falling from her pedestal: the saint becomes a sinner, the prophetess – a deceiver, the maiden of pure beauty – the concubine of the enemy. The opera makes it clear that the desacralisation of a leader is a true national tragedy, one that verges on existential loss. And yet, alongside this story of historical conflict, Bellini writes a hymn to sacrificial love – a love that redeems and forgives all. This is the opera’s central theme.”
The roles are being prepared by a distinguished cast: Norma – Albina Shagimuratova, Maria Bayankina, Irina Churilova, Inara Kozlovskaya, Anzhelika Minasova, Ekaterina Sannikova, Yekaterina Savinkova; Adalgisa – Ekaterina Lukash, Zinaida Tsarenko, Diana Kazanlieva, Daria Ryabokon, Irina Shishkova, Daria Tereshchenko, Daria Rositskaya; Pollione – Sergei Skorokhodov, Igor Morozov, Alexander Mikhailov, Roman Shirokikh, Yaramir Nizamutdinov; Oroveso – Mikhail Petrenko, Yuri Vorobyov, Miroslav Molchanov, Maharram Huseynov, Gleb Peryazev; Clotilde – Varvara Solovyova, Mairam Sokolova; Flavio – Oleg Balashov, Savva Khastaev, Mikhail Makarov.
On 14 May the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre will present the premiere of a new production of Modest Musorgsky’s comic opera Sorochintsy Fair. Directed and choreographed by Ilya Ustyantsev, the staging features sets by Yekaterina Malinina, costumes by Maria Sedykh and lighting by Vadim Brodsky. The production is conducted by Valery Gergiev
On 14 May the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre will present the premiere of a new production of Modest Musorgsky’s comic opera Sorochintsy Fair. Directed and choreographed by Ilya Ustyantsev, the staging features sets by Yekaterina Malinina, costumes by Maria Sedykh and lighting by Vadim Brodsky. The production is conducted by Valery Gergiev.
A striking departure from the grand historical dramas that define much of Musorgsky’s legacy – Boris Godunov, Khovanshchina – Sorochintsy Fair represents one of the composer’s rare forays into lyric-comic opera. Here the tragic weight of national history gives way to the riotous spirit of Gogol’s folkloric carnival.
Musorgsky began work on the opera in 1874, drawing on Gogol’s short story of the same name from the collection Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka. The composer brought Gogol’s vibrant characters to life with musical brilliance, painting scenes of a bustling country fair and fantastical gatherings of spirits with vivid colour. He also infused the score with poetic depictions of nature and tender folk melodies. Yet, despite its promise, the opera was left unfinished at the time of his death.
Over the years, several composers attempted completions – including Rimsky-Korsakov, Lyadov, Karatygin and Cherepnin – but it was Vissarion Shebalin’s 1931–32 version, completed and orchestrated with a deep respect for Musorgsky’s idiom, that has endured. This is the version now being performed at the Mariinsky Theatre.
The opera was first heard in concert on 16 March 1911 in St Petersburg, marking the thirtieth anniversary of Musorgsky’s death. Its first staged performance followed two years later in Moscow at the Svobodny Theatre.
For this new production Ilya Ustyantsev brings both directorial vision and choreographic finesse – skills honed in numerous Mariinsky Theatre productions (The Queen of Spades, A Christmas Tale, Die Fledermaus, The Maid of Orleans, L’elisir d’amore and Adriana Lecouvreur among others). His familiarity with the Concert Hall’s unique acoustics and spatial configuration informs a production that is as musically rich as it is theatrically dynamic.
“Staging a production in this venue – with its exceptional acoustics and the close relationship between stage and audience – is both a challenge and a pleasure,” says Ustyantsev. “It offers the opportunity to stage the action not only on the main platform but across the amphitheatre and atrium, creating a fuller, more immersive experience.”
One of the opera’s most memorable passages is the Dream of the Lad scene – a poetic interlude that combines musical whimsy, lyricism and psychological nuance. Ustyantsev’s choreographic treatment of the moment highlights its surreal, introspective beauty.
The creative team has remained deeply faithful to the spirit of both Musorgsky and Gogol, drawing on the imaginative legacy of these two cultural giants. Their goal: to realise onstage the vivid palette of imagery and emotion that the composer so treasured.
“Modest Petrovich Musorgsky was, without doubt, ahead of his time,” says Ustyantsev. “Today we turn to his music with growing frequency – a testament to its profound relevance. Its richness of content, its emotional integrity, its reflection of both social and inner life, continue to resonate. In developing this production we sought to engage with Musorgsky and Gogol as creative companions. And yet our task wasn’t merely to illustrate their work – it was to explore its inner questions: What matters most to these characters? Is life about profit and gain – or about preserving the soul, and the ties that bind us?”
On 20 April the Mariinsky Ballet Company will perform for the first time at the Erik Sapaev Mari State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in Yoshkar-Ola. This landmark appearance will serve as the official opening of the All-Russian Competition for Ballet Artists and Choreographers. Audiences will be treated to an evening of celebrated one-act ballets by Michel Fokine: Chopiniana, Le Spectre de la rose, The Dying Swan and Scheherazade, performed by leading soloists of the Mariinsky Theatre
On 20 April the Mariinsky Ballet Company will perform for the first time at the Erik Sapaev Mari State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in Yoshkar-Ola. This landmark appearance will serve as the official opening of the All-Russian Competition for Ballet Artists and Choreographers. Audiences will be treated to an evening of celebrated one-act ballets by Michel Fokine: Chopiniana, Le Spectre de la rose, The Dying Swan and Scheherazade, performed by leading soloists of the Mariinsky Theatre.
Chopiniana, set to the music of Frédéric Chopin, is an homage to the Romantic era of ballet – a celebration of the ethereal dance tradition inspired by antique engravings of the first sylph, the legendary Marie Taglioni. The ballet, originally a plotless vignette choreographed by Fokine, premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre on 8 March 1908. Revived by Agrippina Vaganova in 1931, it continues to captivate St Petersburg audiences to this day. The principal roles in Yoshkar-Ola will be danced by Oxana Skorik, Timur Askerov, Camilla Mazzi and Bíborka Lendvai.
The idea for Le Spectre de la rose, choreographed to music by Carl Maria von Weber, came to Fokine after reading a Romantic poem by Théophile Gautier. Created in 1911 for the Ballets Russes, the ballet – a vision of fleeting beauty – became one of the most iconic works of the Diaghilev company.
In the upcoming performance Camilla Mazzi and Ramanbek Beishenaliev will appear in the leading roles.
The briefest of the evening’s works – lasting just four minutes – yet also its most iconic, The Dying Swan became a symbol of modern Russian ballet. Fokine called it “proof that dance should not merely please the eye but touch the soul”.
Created in collaboration with Anna Pavlova to music by Camille Saint-Saëns, the miniature united technical perfection with emotional depth, giving life to the lyrical and tragic image of the white swan. First performed on 22 December 1907 at the Mariinsky Theatre, it continues to mesmerise audiences today.
The role will be performed by Kristina Shapran.
Scheherazade premiered to sensational acclaim during the 1910 Ballets Russes season in Paris. The lush symphonic palette of Rimsky-Korsakov’s music, the rich imagery of The Arabian Nights, the vivid Orientalist designs by Léon Bakst and Fokine’s unprecedented movement vocabulary turned the ballet into an instant phenomenon and a cornerstone of modern ballet history.
At the Mariinsky Theatre today Scheherazade is presented in Andris Liepa’s 1994 reconstruction.
The leading roles in Yoshkar-Ola will be danced by Nadezhda Batoeva, Konstantin Zverev and Soslan Kulaev.
On 25, 26 (at 12:00 and 19:00) and 27 April (at 12:00 and 19:00) the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia will return to Mariinsky II with a series of guest performances. Every visit by the Moscow company is a highlight for St Petersburg audiences, and this time they will be treated to one of the Bolshoi Theatre’s recent opera premieres – Verdi’s Rigoletto, staged by the renowned Italian director Giancarlo del Monaco, who previously captivated local audiences with his production of Aida. Leading roles will be performed by star singers from both the Bolshoi and Mariinsky companies. The Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra will be conducted by Anton Grishanin
On 25, 26 (at 12:00 and 19:00) and 27 April (at 12:00 and 19:00) the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia will return to Mariinsky II with a series of guest performances. Every visit by the Moscow company is a highlight for St Petersburg audiences, and this time they will be treated to one of the Bolshoi Theatre’s recent opera premieres – Verdi’s Rigoletto, staged by the renowned Italian director Giancarlo del Monaco, who previously captivated local audiences with his production of Aida. Leading roles will be performed by star singers from both the Bolshoi and Mariinsky companies. The Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra will be conducted by Anton Grishanin.
The libretto for Rigoletto is based on Victor Hugo’s controversial play Le Roi s’amuse, which was banned by French censors. Verdi foresaw the difficulties such a plot might provoke, yet he refused to abandon it. In a letter to librettist Francesco Maria Piave he wrote: “The subject is immense, powerful; the main character is one of the greatest creations that the theatre – of any time or nation – can boast of.” Verdi saw the dramatic potential of the central figure and considered him worthy of comparison with Shakespearean heroes.
Bringing the work to the stage, however, required tremendous effort. Even before it was completed, the opera faced an outright ban. Characters had to be renamed, and the libretto was revised multiple times to satisfy both the composer and the censors.
The world premiere of Rigoletto took place on 11 March 1851 at Venice’s Teatro La Fenice and was an immediate triumph. Critics praised its bold narrative and musical innovation, and the next day audiences were already singing the Duke’s famous canzone in the streets. The work quickly spread to Bergamo, Treviso, Rome, Trieste and Verona, and by 1852 it had begun its victorious journey across the world.
The Russian premiere was held in St Petersburg on 31 January 1853 at the Bolshoi (Kamenny) Theatre – the forerunner of today’s Mariinsky – performed by the Imperial Italian Opera Company. Three years later, in 1856, it was staged in Moscow. By 1859 it had entered the repertoire of the Imperial Russian Opera Companies in both capitals.
Today Verdi’s Rigoletto remains one of the most beloved operatic masterpieces worldwide. Its unforgettable melodies and emotional intensity continue to inspire directors, offering rich possibilities for reinterpretation – from searing psychological drama to philosophical parable or biting social satire.
In 2024 the Bolshoi Theatre presented a new production directed by Giancarlo del Monaco, marking his debut with the theatre. Scenic design was created by Antonio Romero, a Spanish artist known for his inventive and architectural stage visions. Costumes – inspired by high Italian fashion – were designed by Gabriela Salaverri. This creative team is already familiar to St Petersburg audiences: the same trio delivered the Mariinsky Theatre’s lavish new staging of Aida, premiered in February this year.
Del Monaco has set the action in the present day. “This is a story that could happen at any time, in any era,” says the director. “What mattered to me most was to show real, contemporary people on stage – flesh and blood – so that audiences might recognise themselves in them.”
Cast highlights for the St Petersburg performances:
25 April
Elchin Azizov, Guzel Sharipova, Alexey Tatarintsev, Yuri Vlasov, Alina Csertás, Mikhail Kazakov
26 April, 12:00
Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar, Yekaterina Savinkova, Roman Shirokikh, Alexander Borodin, Daria Belousova, Denis Makarov
26 April, 19:00
Elchin Azizov, Guzel Sharipova, Sergei Skorokhodov, Yuri Vlasov, Yulia Mazurova, Mikhail Kazakov
27 April, 12:00
Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar, Yekaterina Savinkova, Pavel Petrov, Daniil Akimov, Daria Belousova, Denis Makarov
27 April, 19:00
Vladislav Sulimsky, Guzel Sharipova, Alexey Tatarintsev, Yuri Vlasov, Alina Csertás, Vladislav Popov
This April and May the prestigious Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theatre will tour Russia with performances on the two foremost stages of the country – the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg. The celebrated Chinese company will present its original dance drama, Wing Chun, Legend of Kung-Fu Master, to audiences in both capitals
This April and May the prestigious Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theatre will tour Russia with performances on the two foremost stages of the country – the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg. The celebrated Chinese company will present its original dance drama, Wing Chun, Legend of Kung-Fu Master, to audiences in both capitals.
Performances will take place on 25 and 26 April (at 12:00 and 19:00) at the Historic Stage of the Bolshoi Theatre and on 30 April and 1 May (at 12:00 and 18:00) at Mariinsky II. These appearances mark a significant cultural event for both Russia and China, strengthening bonds of friendship and supporting an active cultural exchange during the 2025 Cross Year of Culture declared by the two countries.
Wing Chun, Legend of Kung-Fu Master is a dance drama that merges martial arts with choreography. This visually striking production combines choreographed combat, dynamic movement and sweeping storytelling across eras – transporting the audience from the late 20th century to the depths of China’s cultural legacy.
The performance unfolds along two parallel storylines. One follows the life of Master Yip Man, who travels to Hong Kong to spread his martial art style. The other immerses the audience in the world of the 1990s Shenzhen Film Studio, where a movie inspired by Yip Man’s legacy is being produced.
While centred on a Chinese hero, the production also pays tribute to everyday people. It is a tale of striving toward ideals – one that unites the expressive beauty of dance with the mesmerising precision of traditional martial arts, making for a truly distinctive work of theatre.
The world premiere of Wing Chun took place in China in late 2022. Since then the production has been performed 242 times across 47 cities and 57 theatres worldwide – including prestigious venues such as Sadler’s Wells in London and the Palais des Congrès de Paris.
Founded on 28 March 2018, the Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theatre includes an opera company, a dance troupe and a chorus – comprising a total of 140 artists. The ensemble has participated in numerous major events, including the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Spring Festival gala concerts broadcast by China Central Television (2019), the Shenzhen Spring Festival Gala (2019–2024) and celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (2020).
Today the Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theatre is regarded as one of China’s most respected cultural institutions, seamlessly blending traditional Chinese aesthetics with the latest trends in global performing arts. Among its original productions are the operas Daughter of the Earth and The Pioneer and the contemporary dance drama Dream Hunter as well as Wing Chun, which will soon be unveiled to audiences in Russia’s two great cultural capitals.
On 9 and 10 April the Mariinsky Theatre’s New Stage will host the first ballet premiere of the season – Dance Scenes, set to music by Stravinsky. The production features a choreographic interpretation of the composer’s famed Symphony in C, brought to life by Honoured Artist of Russia Vyacheslav Samodurov. Arseny Shupliakov will conduct the Mariinsky Orchestra
On 9 and 10 April the Mariinsky Theatre’s New Stage will host the first ballet premiere of the season – Dance Scenes, set to music by Stravinsky. The production features a choreographic interpretation of the composer’s famed Symphony in C, brought to life by Honoured Artist of Russia Vyacheslav Samodurov. Arseny Shupliakov will conduct the Mariinsky Orchestra.
Stravinsky’s Symphony in C was first performed eighty-five years ago, on 7 November 1940, by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the composer’s baton. Over the decades the work has lost none of its appeal and continues to be performed regularly in concert programmes, including at the Mariinsky Theatre. However, choreographic interpretations of the symphony remain rare, despite the continued interest of contemporary choreographers in Stravinsky’s music. The last time the Mariinsky Theatre presented a ballet to this score was in 2007 – Aria Interrupted by Peter Quanz.
Now Vyacheslav Samodurov rises to the musical challenge. One of Russia’s most in-demand choreographers, he brings Dance Scenes to the Mariinsky Theatre’s stage as both his debut production at the theatre and a homecoming – from 1992 to 2001 he danced leading roles here, both in classical works and in modern productions.
“This is only the second time I’ve worked with Stravinsky’s music as a choreographer,” Samodurov says. “For me, it feels like a challenge. The music is extremely complex, but I feel close to it. It’s sharp, pointed – even exaggeratedly so in places – and I like that. I’m also drawn to how intricately it’s constructed. It wasn’t easy to grasp at first, but that made the process of mastering it even more rewarding. Among Stravinsky’s works, the Symphony in C stands apart – it’s music for connoisseurs.”
The title Dance Scenes is intended to highlight the contrast between the symphony and its physical embodiment on stage.
The production’s musical director is Valery Gergiev. Alexey Kondratyev is responsible for set design, Irena Belousova for costumes, and Konstantin Binkin for lighting. To Alexey Kondratyev, the Symphony in C sounds strikingly relevant and modern. He notes that even in the absence of words or a literary plot, a story is still present – told through the language of theatrical convention. For the visual environment, he created a large-scale lighting installation shaped by diverse associations and sensory impressions:
“At times it feels like a steel rain, falling from the sky like a sinister waterfall, before dissolving into a gentle, romantic St Petersburg mist where love stories are born and fade. Endless translucent drapes divide the stage into several layers. These are the strata of our memory, through which we try to glimpse the life we’ve lived – but from a different vantage point. It should be frightening, tragic, and tender all at once – full of contrast, just like life and just like this astonishing music,” Kondratyev explains.
Dance Scenes will serve as both the final note and the emotional climax of an evening of one-act ballets to music by Stravinsky. The programme also includes Petrouchka, in Michel Fokine’s original 1911 choreography, and Concert Dances by Alexander Sergeev.
From 2 to 13 April the Mariinsky Theatre will present the 9th International Flute and Harp Music Festival Virtuosi of the Flute & Northern Lyre, initiated by Denis Lupachev and Sofia Kiprskaya. A rich and diverse programme awaits the public: premieres written specifically for the festival, masterpieces of the world repertoire, and works that will receive their Russian premieres. Top musicians from Russia, China, Hungary, France, Belarus and Spain will demonstrate their mastery
From 2 to 13 April the Mariinsky Theatre will present the 9th International Flute and Harp Music Festival Virtuosi of the Flute & Northern Lyre, initiated by Denis Lupachev and Sofia Kiprskaya. A rich and diverse programme awaits the public: premieres written specifically for the festival, masterpieces of the world repertoire, and works that will receive their Russian premieres. Top musicians from Russia, China, Hungary, France, Belarus and Spain will demonstrate their mastery.
The artists invite listeners to embark on a musical journey, to hear music from around the world and to discover unique instruments: the medieval hurdy-gurdy, the Japanese koto and Khakas national instruments of ancient storytellers – the chatkhan, khobyrakh and khomys.
Before the festival, on 30 March, the Rachmaninoff Hall will host a children’s concert where talented young musicians will share a spring mood. On 2 and 13 April gala programmes featuring the Mariinsky Orchestra, conducted by Christian Knapp and Arseny Shuplyakov, will fill the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre.
5 April will feature a concert in memory of the outstanding Japanese harpist and patron Yoko Nagae Ceschina. Valery Gergiev will conduct the Mariinsky Orchestra. On 7 April the new Stravinsky Hall at Mariinsky-2 will host the Musical Klondike concert, and on 11 April the Concert Hall will present Ethno-Tale with multi-instrumentalists.
The festival programme also includes chamber concerts by flute virtuosi: Ma Yong (Shanghai) will perform at the Concert Hall on 5 April, and Vincent Lucas (Paris) will play at the Rachmaninoff Hall on 12 April.
The festival will also feature open masterclasses by renowned musicians, allowing the public to meet future flute and harp virtuosi.
The Genius of Place festival, a musical homage to great Russian composers, is set to return. This year, from 20 to 23 March, Valery Gergiev and the combined forces of Russia’s two leading musical theatres – the Mariinsky and the Bolshoi – will perform in the birthplaces of Modest Musorgsky (Pskov), Sergei Rachmaninoff (Veliky Novgorod) and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (Tikhvin)
The Genius of Place festival, a musical homage to great Russian composers, is set to return. This year, from 20 to 23 March, Valery Gergiev and the combined forces of Russia’s two leading musical theatres – the Mariinsky and the Bolshoi – will perform in the birthplaces of Modest Musorgsky (Pskov), Sergei Rachmaninoff (Veliky Novgorod) and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (Tikhvin).
The musical tributes will begin in Pskov, with four events scheduled over two days at the Pskov Regional Philharmonic’s Grand Concert Hall. 20 March will be dedicated to the Mariinsky for Children project. Soloists from the Mariinsky Academy of Young Opera Singers will present short operas for young listeners, accompanied by piano. At 15:00 Sergei Banevich’s The Brave Hare will be performed, followed by Gennady Gladkov’s musical fantasy Town Musicians of Bremen at 18:00.
On 21 March, on Modest Musorgsky’s birthday, a combined symphony orchestra of the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres, conducted by Valery Gergiev, will appear at 15:00 on the stage of the Pskov Regional Philharmonic’s Grand Concert Hall. At 19:00 maestro Gergiev will return to the podium for a gala concert featuring opera soloists. The programme will include works by Musorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and Borodin.
The following day, 22 March, the company will travel to Veliky Novgorod to pay musical tribute to Sergei Rachmaninoff. The morning concert will feature a combined symphony orchestra of the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres, conducted by Valery Gergiev, playing the Symphonic Dances and the Second Piano Concerto.
The evening of 22 March will feature a performance in Tikhvin, the birthplace of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. At 18:30 the Rimsky-Korsakov Palace of Culture will host the composer’s quintessential spring fairytale, the beautiful Russian opera The Snow Maiden. The performance will feature soloists, the Mariinsky Chorus and supernumeraries and a combined symphony orchestra of the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres, conducted by Valery Gergiev.
On 23 March at 15:00 the Regimental Church will host a chamber vocal concert with piano accompaniment, featuring soloists from the Mariinsky Opera Company. At 18:00 the Rimsky-Korsakov Palace of Culture will host another performance of The Snow Maiden, once again conducted by Valery Gergiev.
Last season maestro Gergiev and artists from the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres visited the birthplaces of five great Russian composers, presenting their works in nearly thirty concerts and performances. Concerts and productions, where the combined creative forces of Russia’s two leading stages appear, traditionally sell out. The Genius of Place festival is one of the most eagerly awaited events of spring, for artists and audiences alike.
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