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March at the Mariinsky is going to be very eventful: having started with the opera premiere of Nabucco, it continues with the ballet. The long-awaited Pharaoh's Daughter is to premiere very soon. The new production will be presented on the new stage on March 24, 25 and twice on March 26.

The reconstruction of the first full-length ballet by Marius Petipa, staged in St Petersburg a little over 160 years ago, was carried through by the Italian dancer and choreographer Toni Candeloro. He is known as a researcher of the Russian ballet heritage, a reconstructor and the owner of an extensive collection of costumes, prints, photographs and other archival materials related to dance history. By transcribing Nikolai Sergeev's notations made according to the system of Vladimir Stepanov, by studying the memoirs of the Diaghilev's Russian Seasons artists, the ones who actually saw The Pharaoh's Daughter or used to dance in it, Candeloro brought to the stage a grandiose production with an abundance of virtuoso classical dances, corps de ballet scenes, characteristic dances and graceful pantomime. The settings were made by the artist Robert Perdziola who relied on the old sketches for several versions of The Pharaoh's Daughter.

“The Pharaoh’s Daughter is a rich and incredibly beautiful ballet: there are four acts, 500 costumes, and magnificent settings. It will be a true feast for the eyes. In this ballet, the genius of Marius Petipa is already on display, and because his choreographic text has been recorded, today we can restore the production almost as it was intended by the authors. It is very important that the theatre decided to revive the production that started the great history of Petipa and Russian ballet. It gave so much to the whole world, and I am very glad to be a part of this project,” said Toni Candeloro.

The Pharaoh's Daughter to a libretto by Jules Saint-Georges, who turned Theophile Gautier's popular novel The Mummy's Romance into a fantastic love story between an Englishman Lord Wilson and the Pharaoh's daughter, was first staged in 1862 at the Bolshoi Stone Theater in St Petersburg (now the Mariinsky Theater). One of the largest ballet performances of its time became golden for the Directorate of the Imperial Theaters: the surviving financial documents of the 1860s show the overwhelming investments in the production. The performance also became golden for its author, choreographer Marius Petipa. The Pharaoh's Daughter’s success brought him, then a dancer of the company, not only recognition but also the position of choreographer of the imperial theatres.

This ballet was golden and dear to the heart for the dancers as well. Over the course of 66 years of its stage life, the performance remained a favorite for many dancers; many would chose The Pharaoh's Daughter for their benefit performances. For many years the main female role of Aspicia was performed by Caroline Rosati (it was for her benefit that Petipa staged this ballet), Maria Surovshchikova-Petipa, the choreographer’s wife and one of the unsurpassed Aspicias of all time, but also Matilda Kshesinskaya, Olga Preobrazhenskaya, Anna Pavlova, Olga Spesivtseva, Marina Semenova and other brilliant ballerinas of the past.

These days, the roles are also being prepared by the brilliant soloists of the Mariinsky ballet: Victoria Tereshkina, Ekaterina Kondaurova, Nadezhda Batoeva, Kimin Kim, Vladimir Shklyarov, Maria Ilyushkina, Maria Khoreva, Renata Shakirova, Philip Stepin, Elena Evseeva, Maria Shirinkina, Nikita Korneev and others.

March at the Mariinsky is going to be very eventful: having started with the opera premiere of Nabucco, it continues with the ballet. The long-awaited Pharaoh's Daughter is to premiere very soon. The new production will be presented on the new stage on March 24, 25 and twice on March 26. The story of an amazing journey to Ancient Egypt was Marius Petipa's first full-scale production for the Imperial Theaters, and it became one of the favorite ballets of many marvelous dancers. Get ready for four grandiose acts of beautiful settings, impeccable classical choreography and inspiring dancing scenes.

Another date for balletomanes to mark on their calendar is March 31. The historic stage will feature an evening of much sought-for one-act ballets of the 21^st century: Seven Sonatas, Pierrot Lunaire and Concerto DSCH. Fans of full-length classical performances are welcome to revisit Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev (March 28 and 29), as well as Swan Lake by Pyotr Tchaikovsky (March 30).

The Mariinsky continues to celebrate great anniversaries. For the 90^th anniversary of the prominent classic and a great friend of the Mariinsky Rodion Shchedrin, his poignant opera Not Only Love will be performed at the Concert Hall (March 24).To mark the 150^th anniversary of the birth of Fyodor Chaliapin, on March 29 Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin will be performed on the historical stage: Prince Gremin was one of Chaliapin’s most outstanding roles. For The Year of Rachmaninoff, a concert program with the composer's romances will be performed at the Mariinsky on March 30.

The late March will be dedicated to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: on March 24 there is an opera buffa about the famous heartbreaker Don Giovanni, and on March 27 you can enjoy the fascinating Le nozze di Figaro. Also, the end of the month features picturesque fantasy operas such as The Tale of Tsar Saltan (March 25) and May Night (March 31) by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Les contes d'Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach (March 27) and Britten’s A Midsummer Night's Dream (March 28).

For those who are looking for full-scale dramas and strong characters, we suggest the rarely performed La Gioconda by Amilcare Ponchielli, an opera full of fatal passions (March 25), and the famous Puccini's Madama Butterfly (March 30) about cross-cultural love barriers. The classical operatic repertoire is also represented by Vincenzo Bellini's Norma (March 22), Sergei Prokofiev's The Gambler (March 23), Gioacchino Rossini's L’Italiana in Algeri (March 26) and Gaetano Donizetti's L’elisir d’amore (March 28).

The first premiere of this year at the Mariinsky Theater is a production of Nabucco, a famous opera by Giuseppe Verdi that launched the career of the great Italian composer. In March there will be 6 performances: on March 5 at 14:00 and 19:00, on March 12 at 12:00, 16:00 and 20:00, and on March 31 at 19:00. The production is mounted by the director Anna Shishkina, set designer Pyotr Okunev, lighting designer Anton Nikolaev, costume designer Antonia Shestakov and video designer Vadim Dulenko. The musical director and conductor of the new production is Valery Gergiev.

The world premiere of the opera took place more than 180 years ago, likewise in March. On March 9, 1842, Nabucco enjoyed triumphant success on the stage of Milan's Teatro alla Scala. During the season, it was shown seven more times, to return to the repertoire next season. There was another take on the production, and in three months the updated Nabucco withstood fifty-seven performances. The third opera of a young, then little-known composer turned him into a very important player in the musical world.

In Russia, Nabucco was first presented to audience in 1851, by the Italian troupe on the stage of the Bolshoi (Stone) Theater. The title role was given to Giorgio Ronconi who performed it at the premiere in Milan. In total, there were four performances, and after that the composition would be waiting for another boost of interest for another 150 years.

In 2005, the Mariinsky presented a stunning premiere of Nabucco staged by Dmitry Bertman, artistic director of the Moscow Helikon Opera. The production was also shown in 2013, the year of the bicentenary of Verdi's birth. The Nabucco of 2023 is a new production long-awaited by the public. The roles are being prepared by several casts of the theatre’s leading soloists.

This opera is considered the first truly “Verdiesque” opera and one of the best works of the Italian composer. The plot is based on the biblical story of the cruel Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, who embarked on the path of truth after triumph, betrayal, and madness. This is a complex, multidimensional work, both in plot and in music. In Nabucco, for the first time, we can see an authentic Verdi heroine – the temperamental Abigail, and it was for her that Verdi created the part of a "fierce soprano".

The first spring premiere at the Mariinsky is coming on March 5, with Giuseppe Verdi's Nabucco to be shown twice on the new stage (at 14:00 and 19:00), conducted by Valery Gergiev. The opera based on the biblical story of the cruel Babylonian king is considered one of the best works of the Italian composer, and the opera is featured in the repertoire of the leading theatres of the world. The new production presented at the Mariinsky Theatre is directed by Anna Shishkina, with set design by Petr Okunev, lighting design by Anton Nikolaev, costume design by Antonia Shestakov, and video design by Vadim Dulenko. The premiere will also be shown on March 12 (at 12:00, 16:00 and 20:00) and March 31 (at 19:00).

Another significant date is March 6: at the Mariinsky-2 you can listen to the world opera star Albina Shagimuratova, alongside with the stunning Mariinsky soloists Sergei Skorokhodov, Roman Burdenko and Maharram Huseynov. This is the last opportunity to listen to the famous soprano live in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor. As by popular demand, she has agreed to perform it as an encore. The opera will be conducted by Valery Gergiev.

On March 3, at the historical stage one can see Rimsky-Korsakov's Sadko. This colorful production by Alexei Stepanyuk features set design restored with the help of Konstantin Korovin’s sketches, exactly 30 years ago. Two more operas based on Pushkin's works will also be performed at the Mariinsky. On March 2 there is Eugene Onegin to celebrate the anniversary of the bass Mikhail Kit, with Magerram Huseynov debuting as Onegin. On March 15 watch Ruslan and Lyudmila, with the winner of the Khibla Gerzmava competition Alexei Kulagin.

Seasonal holiday program offers various productions to the audience. On the historical stage on March 8 there is the witty and moving La Boheme considered one of the best Puccini's productions at the Mariinsky. For ballet fans on the new stage there is Ludwig Minkus’s Don Quixote choreographed of Alexander Gorsky (1902) based on the work by Marius Petipa. A bright kaleidoscope of dance and familiar characters will bright festive mood to everyone in the audience.

Another gift for balletomanes is the lyrical Les Sylphides and the enchanting Scheherazade (on March 4 and 5), as well as other iconic ballets choreographed by Mikhail Fokine. The ballets will be presented on the historical stage.

Opera fans will not be left without surprises either. Elena Stikhina is coming back to the Mariinsky. The soprano will sign in Lohengrin (March 9) and, together with the Mariinsky star Ekaterina Semenchuk, in Aida (March 7). On March 10, the audience can enjoy another opera with Ekaterina Semenchuk. In Verdi’s Don Carlos, she will be singing alongside Irina Churilova and Maharram Huseynov.

On the new stage of the Mariinsky, other Mariinsky opera hits will be shown. Among them there is The Maid of Orleans (March 13), Tristan and Isolde (March 17), and on March 19 watch one of the premieres of the season, a beautiful family production of The Magic Flute.

In February, the Mariinsky Theatre will pay tributes to renowned artists and musicians to celebrate their anniversaries. On February 1, a gala evening in the Concert Hall will be dedicated to the 150^th anniversary of the birth of Fyodor Chaliapin. The Mariinsky also continues to pay homage to Sergei Rachmaninoff. In the year of the 150^th anniversary of his birth, the composer's music will be played at the Mariinsky more often than ever. On February 3, Rachmaninoff's one-act opera Francesca da Rimini will be performed, and on February 23, under the baton of Valery Gergiev, you can hear the famous Bells.

Another important event is the performance of works by Shostakovich and Gavrilin, on the occasion of the 80^th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Stalingrad on February 2. A concert of the Mariinsky Brass Band on 23 February will be held in memoriam of conductor Valery Khalilov, conducted by Arseny Shuplyakov. Both events will take place in the Concert Hall.

The opera playbill highlights a few of the repertoire rarities. In February, you can hear Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, one of the performances is expected to feature Albina Shagimuratova in the title role. Also, there is Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (concert performance), Verdi's Simon Boccanegra, Prokofiev's The Fiery Angel and The Gambler, Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Maid of Pskov and Khovanshchina by Mussorgsky, all conducted by Valery Gergiev.

The Mariinsky will also continue to show the premieres of the current season: Shakespeare's tragedy Othello rendered by Verdi and beautiful performances for a family trip to the opera, such as the philosophical Die Zauberflöte by Mozart and the burlesque Love for Three Oranges by Prokofiev. The Twelve by Alexander Sergeev, a recent ballet premiere based on the poem by Alexander Blok, will attract the connoisseurs of avant-garde and those who prefer a new approach to ballet productions.

The Mariinsky is that unique theatre where the same title can mean works by different authors. For instance, in the Concert Hall in February you can hear two Cinderellas, the opera by Massenet (conducted by Maestro Gergiev on February 13) and that of Rossini (February 15). Also, there are two various performances of Don Pasquale by Donizetti. One performance is the original Italian version (February 22), while the other is sung in Russian (February 17).

On Valentine's Day, the Mariinsky Stradivarius Ensemble and Lorenz Nasturica-Нershowici is to perform a works by Astor Piazzolla. The opera and ballet playbill on this day features works celebrating love in all its glory: there is Puccini's opera western La fanciulla del West, Donizetti's cheerful melodrama L'elisir d'amore and the famous ballets, Le Park to the music by Mozart and Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. There is a big choral concert and some spring opera fairytales by Rimsky-Korsakov to celebrate Maslenitsa at the Mariinsky, according to the tradition.

The Concert Hall will host performances by the Mariinsky and also guest orchestras: the Brass Ensemble conducted by Valery Gergiev (February 12), the Stradivarius Ensemble (February 25), the Ural Youth Symphony Orchestra with Denis Matsuev (February 11) and the Krasnoyarsk Academic Symphony Orchestra, which will bring Mahler's Sixth Symphony to St Petersburg (February 18).

As for the ballet playbill, the audience will enjoy the classic performances of La Sylphide, Giselle and The Sleeping Beauty, an evening of one-act ballets from The Russian Seasons, Marguerite and Armand and divertissement. In addition to that, from February 21 to March 2 the Mariinsky hosts the traditional winter tour of the ballet of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky theatre. This year, the company from Vladivostok is to bring three ballet tales to St Petersburg: their signature production of A Thousand and One Nights by Eldar Aliyev and original versions of the classical ballets Le Corsaire and The Nutcracker.

On January 14, the Mariinsky Theatre dedicates the performance of Pyotr Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades staged by Alexei Stepanyuk to the outstanding conductor Maris Jansons (1943–2019). He would have turned 80 that day. To pay tribute to the legendary maestro, Valery Gergiev has brought together an outstanding cast. To see Nazhmiddin Mavlyanov, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Yulia Matochkina, Anna Kiknadze, Edem Umerov, Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar one one stage is quite extraordinary, so the performance will definitely attract opera music connoisseurs from around the world.

That is why it will be possible to watch the performance both in the auditorium of the Mariinsky-2 and online. On January 14, 6 p.m. (UTC+3), the Mariinsky will live broadcast the opera on its official page on VKontakte social media and on Mariinsky.TV. The recording of the performance will also be available for later viewing.

“With this performance, the Mariinsky Theatre would like to honor the memory of Mariss Jansons, an outstanding musician, a brilliant conductor, a great friend of the Mariinsky Theatre, and a citizen of St Petersburg. A man who made a huge contribution to the prosperity of the Russian conducting school. He also conducted with us, at the Mariinsky Theatre, and worked with many of our soloists. His family, his daughter and granddaughters, work at the Mariinsky. I hope such tributes to this outstanding artist and brilliant conductor will become a tradition for the Mariinsky”, said Valery Gergiev.

Dear visitors,
From May 26, 2022 all vehicle traffic will be closed on Glinka Street and Theatre Square. The temporary restrictions are imposed due to reconstruction works on the St Petersburg Conservatory. They are expected to last until November 13, 2023.
Please choose other routes when planning your visit to the theatre. We’re sorry for the inconvenience.

The Mariinsky’s Stars of the White Nights International Music Festival directed by Valery Gergiev will be held from May 24 to July 17, in St Petersburg for the thirtieth time. The program is going to be published in installments; as of today, there is a playbill up until June 13 available on the website.

The anniversary festival opens with Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake and Sergei Prokofiev's epic opera War and Peace staged by Andrei Konchalovsky. Traditionally, the playbill features a lot of works by Wagner. The tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen, the operas Tristan und Isolde, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Lohengrin, Tannhäuser and Parsifal are planned to be performed.

Valery Gergiev will also pay tribute to the music of the French romantic Hector Berlioz whose operas Les Troyens and Benvenuto Cellini will be presented at the festival. They are dedicated to the 175^th anniversary of the composer's historical tour in Russia. During the festival, it will be possible to see all this season’s new titles in the repertoire including Rossini's La Cenerentola and L’italiana in Algeri, Mozart's Idomeneo, re di Creta and Ponchielli's La Gioconda. World opera stars and leading Russian singers will be taking part in the performances.

The playbill of the festival is as always full of surprises. As for premieres, Mariinsky has already announced a new production of Boris Tishchenko's ballet The Twelve (July 14, Mariinsky-2). The production will be directed and choreographed by Alexander Sergeev together with the designer Leonid Alekseev (costumes and scenography), Konstantin Binkin (lighting), Ekaterina Kondaurova (assistant choreographer and one of the leading dancers). This is Mariinsky's second approach to this score, the first production of the ballet The Twelve being staged in 1964 by Leonid Yakobson.

The playbill is also to feature an evening in honor of ballet teacher Lyubov Kunakova and a joint benefit performance by principal dancers Victoria Tereshkina and Vladimir Shklyarov. In June, there will be graduation performances of the Vaganova ballet academy at the historical stage.

There is a usual abundance of concert programs. In the first week of the festival Nikolai Lugansky is expected to have a solo recital. Also, there will be another festival within the festival - a series of concerts entitled Brass of the White Nights, dedicated to brass instruments. It can be assumed that the laureates of the first Rachmaninoff Competition held this summer in Moscow will be invited to perform at the Mariinsky. Numerous concerts and semi-staged opera performances will take place in the Rachmaninoff Chamber Hall.

The 30^th Stars of the White Nights International Music Festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. The artistic director of the festival is Valery Gergiev.

A new version of The Afternoon of a Faun, set to Debussy's famous symphonic prelude, will soon premiere at the Mariinsky. In 1912, Vaslav Nijinsky staged a ballet under this title for the Russian Seasons. The new production of The Faun was commissioned to choreographer Maxim Petrov on the occasion of Diaghilev's 150 anniversary. The ballet will be presented on the Mariinsky historical stage on April 23, alongside Mikhail Fokine's Scheherazade, Le spectre de la Rose and The Swan, conducted by Valery Gergiev.

“This ballet shows portraits of several people, our contemporaries, who do not resemble each other,” Maxim Petrov comments. There are to be five characters, each exploring the possibilities of their own body. Artists of different generations will be involved in this production, as was the case with "Russian Dead Ends-II", one of the choreographer’s latest works.

Graduate of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, choreographer Maxim Petrov has staged, among others, the one-act ballets The King's Divertissement, Russian Overture, Russian Dead Ends-II at the Mariinsky Theatre. Last season he created a three-act performance "Renard. Mavra. Fairy's Kiss", nominated for the Golden Mask theatre award in eight categories. In June, he is making his debut as an opera director with a production of Bellini's Norma at the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre.