Interviews

Participants of the II International Piano Festival sharing impressions

It was like a fairytale. For me it was a very special occasion because before me Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya, one of the world’s greatest ballerinas, received a government award at a ceremony attended by leading Russian cultural figures. It was great, it was an honour, it was exciting. Very exciting. I even thought that it was easier to dance than to accept an award.

“It seems that this huge ship is either in the midst of a tempest or complete and utter calm, but in fact it is always moving forwards.” That is how the Teatro di San Carlo is viewed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, stage director and choreographer, clown and author, who has the ability to combine improvisation and experience, classical productions and the poetry of a simple narrative, the child of acting itself.

The Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra is currently continuing its marathon tour of towns and cities in the USA and Canada. Valery Gergiev will be conducting a total of seventeen concerts. In an exclusive interview for Vesti FM the maestro spoke about the programme of this major tour as well as of the unique atmosphere of the concerts themselves.

At this year’s Edinburgh Festival, which runs from 12 August to 4 September, the Mariinsky Theatre will be presenting one of its most successful premieres from last season – a new production of Richard Strauss’ opera Die Frau ohne Schatten. Jonathan Mills, Director of the Edinburgh International Festival, speaks about this production, the festival and working with the Mariinsky Theatre.