Irina Soboleva

Musical Preparation

• Honoured Artist of Russia
• Medal of the Order "For services to the Fatherland", 2nd class (2008)

Pianist Irina Soboleva developed her maxim that "a concert master is not just An accompanist – he is a creative partner on a par with the soloist" during her studies at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire (from which she graduated with distinction) and through contact with such outstanding musicians and teachers as Dmitry Svetozarov and Yevgeny Shenderovich.

In 1980, three years after graduating from the Conservatoire, Irina Soboleva was invited to join the Mariinsky Theatre as an accompanist. Over her years at the Theatre her repertoire has become incredibly extensive, and she works on every premiere. She has prepared the Theatre´s entire Russian repertoire of The Queen of Spades, Eugene Onegin, Sadko, Ruslan and Lyudmila, Prince Igor, War and Peace, Boris Godunov, Love for Three Oranges, Semyon Kotko, Katerina Ismailova, Mazepa, The Enchantress, The Tsar´s Bride and The Nose as well as Carmen, Macbeth and Un ballo in maschera. Valery Gergiev has been Musical Director of all these productions and Irina Soboleva has had a long creative partnership with the Maestro. Not by chance has she come to work alongside such star performers as Larisa Diadkova, Gennady Bezzubenkov, Alexander Morozov, Anna Netrebko, Valery Alekseyev and Vasily Gerello.

Irina Soboleva was awarded a diploma at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1986.

Has a busy concert schedule. She performs with Mariinsky Theatre soloists at the Great and Small Halls of the St Petersburg Philharmonic and tours all over the world. Has toured several times with the Mariinsky Opera Company to the UK, Germany, Italy, Portugal, France, Japan, Israel and the USA (Metropolitan Opera). Has frequently taken part in numerous international festivals including the Stars of the White Nights, the Moscow Easter Festival, the Mikkeli Festival (Finland) and the Rotterdam Philharmonic-Gergiev Festival (the Netherlands).

Together with Alexander Morozov she recorded a disc of romances by Russian composers. Worked on CD recordings of the Russian operas Boris Godunov, Mazepa, Semyon Kotko, Prince Igor, War and Peace and Love for Three Oranges for Phillips Classics.

Irina Soboleva was responsible for the musical preparation of the world premiere of a new production of War and Peace, working with Valery Gergiev and Andrei Konchalovsky, and a new production of The Demon at the Théâtre du Châtelet as part of the New Saisons Russes (Conductor: Valery Gergiev; Stage Director: Dodin). Performances of Khovanshchina at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in London and The Nose at Paris´ Opéra Bastille met with tremendous success (2005).

 

Changes to the playbill

Today Thu, 2 Sep 2010

Changes to the playbill

Information for audiences:

The concert featuring Nikolaj Znaider as listed on the playbill for 4 October will now take place on 1 October.
Tickets may be returned to the theatre’s box-offices

On 24 October, instead of the planned performance of the opera Duke Bluebeard’s Castle and an evening of piano music, at 15.00, the Mariinsky Theatre will now be staging a premiere of the opera Věc Makropulos (The Makropoulos Affair).
Tickets may be returned to the theatre’s box-offices

On 28 October
, the opera Die Frau ohne Schatten at the Mariinsky Theatre will now commence at 18.00 and not at 19.00 as previously announced.
Tickets remain valid


On 29 October at the Mariinsky Theatre, instead of a recital there will be a concert performance of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera The Tsar’s Bride featuring Olga Borodina as Lyubasha.
Tickets remain valid

The performance of the ballet La Sylphide at the Mariinsky Theatre, previously planned for 30 October, has been moved to 31 October, starting at 19.00.
ickets may be returned to the theatre’s box-offices

The performance of the opera Die Frau ohne Schatten at the Mariinsky Theatre, previously planned for 31 October, has been moved to 30 October, starting at 17.00.
ickets may be returned to the theatre’s box-offices

The management would like to offer its apologies