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From 20 to 29 December the Mariinsky Theatre will host the XX Mariinsky International Piano Festival. Audiences can look forward to a rich and diverse programme comprising twenty outstanding concerts featuring renowned pianists alongside gifted young musicians.

The festival brings together Mira Yevtich, Vadim Monastyrsky, Vladimir Vishnevsky, Sergey Davydchenko, Yan Fang, Ilya Papoyan, Abisal Gergiev, Miroslav Kultyshev, Mira Marchenko, Oleg Vainshtein, Elizaveta Ukrainskaia, Xenia Bashmet, Daniil Sayamov, Anton Gornatko, Irina Lizanets, Pavel Nersessian, Irina Ten and Daniil Yekimovsky. Also taking part are Alexander Trostiansky (violin), the Komitas Quartet, students of Zora Zucker, and the Mariinsky Orchestra. The founders of the festival are Valery Gergiev and Mira Yevtich.

On 19 December, on the eve of the festival’s opening, a concert will be given by Ilya Papoyan, 3^rd prize and Bronze Medal winner of the XVII International Tchaikovsky Competition, together with the Mariinsky Orchestra. The programme features six keyboard concerti by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Papoyan will appear again on 21 December, performing Bach’s French Overture, Schumann’s Davidsbündlertänze and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Sonata No. 1.

On 20 December the official opening of the festival will take place at the Concert Hall. Appearing are Abisal Gergiev, 2^nd prize winner of the Northern International Music Competition (2024), Sergey Davydchenko, 1^st prize and Gold Medal winner of the XVII International Tchaikovsky Competition, and the Mariinsky Orchestra.
The artists will perform Rodion Shchedrin’s Piano Concerti Nos 1 and 2. The evening is dedicated to the memory of the outstanding Russian composer. At 19:00 the Rachmaninoff Hall will host a recital by Anton Gornatko, laureate of international competitions. The programme features works by Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy and Liszt.

On 21 December the Concert Hall welcomes Vladimir Vishnevsky, winner of numerous prestigious international contests and 1^st prize and Gold Medal recipient of the Rachmaninoff International Competition for Pianists, Composers and Conductors (2025). The programme features Bach–Busoni, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Liszt, Chopin and Ravel.

On 22 December a concert by the Mariinsky Orchestra, conducted by Oleg Khudyakov, 1^st prize winner in conducting at the 2^nd Rachmaninoff International Competition, will take place. Soloists: Mira Yevtich, co-founder of the festival, and Abisal Gergiev. The programme features Mozart’s Piano Concerti Nos 23 and 24 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4.

On 23 December the Rachmaninoff Hall hosts Alexander Trostiansky (violin) and Irina Lizanets (piano). The programme features Beethoven’s Violin Sonatas Nos 4 and 9, Shchedrin’s Menuhin Sonata and Enescu’s Violin Sonata No. 1.

On 24 December four events will take place across the Mariinsky Theatre’s stages. At 13:00 at the Concert Hall: Pavel Nersessian, Honoured Artist of Russia, Professor of the Moscow Conservatory and Boston University. The programme features works by Bach, Chopin, Brahms and Ravel. At 19:00 there: Oleg Vainshtein, Honoured Artist of Russia, Associate Professor of the St Petersburg Conservatory. The programme features works by Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Borodin–Kamensky. At 19:00 at the Rachmaninoff Hall: Irina Ten, laureate of international competitions. The programme features Liszt’s Après une lecture de Dante, the Concert Suite from The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky–Pletnev), Scriabin’s 24 Preludes and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Sonata No. 2. At 19:30 at the Stravinsky Hall: Mira Marchenko, Honoured Teacher of Russia. The programme features Schumann’s Kinderszenen and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Sonata in G major.

On 25 December an evening dedicated to the memory of Vsevolod Zaderatsky, composer and pianist. Daniil Sayamov, Pavel Nersessian and Daniil Yekimovsky will perform works by Zaderatsky, including the Sonata No. 2, Microbes of Lyricism, Notebook of Miniatures, Porcelain Cups, 24 Preludes and the world premiere of the Sonata No. 3.

On 26 December Mira Yevtich will play with the Komitas Quartet, a distinguished string ensemble founded in 1924. The programme features works by Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, Mahler, Mirzoyan and Komitas–Aslamazyan.
On the same day, in keeping with festival tradition, the Prokofiev Hall will host a concert by students of Zora Zucker, whose pedagogical legacy is inseparable from St Petersburg’s musical life. The programme features works by Banevich, Chopin, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and Liszt.

On 27 December at the Concert Hall the audience will hear the Mariinsky Orchestra, conducted by Fyodor Khandrikov. Soloist: Xenia Bashmet, laureate of international competitions. The programme features works by Bach, Britten, Haydn, Turina and Tchaikovsky. At 19:30 at the Rachmaninoff Hall Elizaveta Ukrainskaia will perform. The programme features works by Bach–Busoni, Brahms, Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff.

On 28 December at the Concert Hall Miroslav Kultyshev, Honoured Artist of Russia, will play Scriabin’s Piano Sonata No. 6, Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 8 and Tchaikovsky’s Twelve Pieces. At 19:00 at the Rachmaninoff Hall Yan Fang, acclaimed Chinese pianist, will perform works by Leibak, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Scriabin, Bach–Busoni and the celebrated Ode to the Yellow River by Xian Xinghai and Yin Chengzong. At 14:00 at the Stravinsky Hall Vadim Monastyrsky, Honoured Artist of Russia, will play Bartók’s Suite, Schubert’s Six Moments musicaux, Liszt’s Sonetto 104 del Petrarca and Piano Sonata in B minor.

On 28 December Daniil Sayamov will perform with the Mariinsky Orchestra in a concert dedicated to the memory of Rodion Shchedrin. The programme features his Piano Concerti Nos 3 (Variations and Theme) and 4 (Sharp Keys).

On 29 December the closing concert will take place. The XX Mariinsky International Piano Festival concludes with a gala concert dedicated to the memory of Rodion Shchedrin. The Mariinsky Orchestra, together with pianists Yan Fang and Sergey Davydchenko, will perform Shchedrin’s Piano Concerti Nos 5 and 6 (Concerto lontano).

From 11 to 14 December the Primorsky Stage will host the ballet programme of the X International Mariinsky Far East Festival. Audiences will be treated to Gala Concert. Carmen Suite, Don Quixote and A Thousand and One Nights, featuring distinguished principal ballerinas and soloists of the Mariinsky Theatre from St Petersburg.

The festival opens with two evenings honouring the great Maya Plisetskaya, whose artistry reshaped the language of dance, expanded the expressive range of choreography, and made the performer an integral author of the artistic statement. Her repertoire encompassed more than one hundred roles – from classical to contemporary. Works emblematic of Plisetskaya’s legacy will be presented on 11 and 12 December in the programme Gala Concert. Carmen Suite, with the participation of Mariinsky prima ballerinas Ekaterina Kondaurova, Renata Shakirova and Maria Ilyushkina.

On 13 December the Primorsky Stage will present Minkus’ Don Quixote with guest soloists from St Petersburg.

The programme continues on 14 December with A Thousand and One Nights, a vivid embodiment of an Eastern tale in music and dance featuring Renata Shakirova. Composed in 1979 by Azerbaijani composer Fikret Amirov, the ballet transports the audience into the world of Arab legends. At the Primorsky Stage it is shown in the choreographic version by Eldar Aliev – a Baku native who created a new edition for the Far Eastern company while preserving the full colour and poetry of the original narrative. A Thousand and One Nights is widely regarded as part of the Golden Fund of Russian Theatrical Productions.

The operatic programme of the anniversary X International Mariinsky Far East Festival took place earlier, on 10 and 11 October. Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra presented in Vladivostok major works by this year’s jubilee composers – Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Gustav Mahler – as well as the recent acclaimed premiere of the Primorsky Stage Company, Verdi’s Il trovatore.

The Mariinsky Theatre has traditionally prepared a dazzling array of holiday events for audiences of all ages. Vivid productions, fairy-tale narratives and magnificent music make it irresistible – for children and adults alike – to immerse themselves in the world of winter magic during the New Year season.

On the final day of the outgoing year, 31 December, audiences will enjoy a packed programme across all stages of the theatre.

At the Historic Stage Tchaikovsky’s enchanting ballet The Nutcracker will be performed at 13:00 and 18:00.

At the New Stage Shchedrin’s opera A Christmas Tale (celebrating the tenth anniversary of its premiere) will be presented at 13:00 and 18:00.

At the Concert Hall the Mariinsky Stradivarius Ensemble will give its traditional New Year’s concert under the direction of the incomparable Lorenz Nasturica-Herschcowici (18:00).

The theatre opens its doors for the first performances of the new year on 2 January 2026. Throughout the holiday period it will offer numerous performances of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, ensuring that everyone has the chance to experience the quintessential winter fairy tale. Audiences will be able to see Vasily Vainonen’s classical production and Mihail Chemiakin’s celebrated version, as well as the staging by St Petersburg’s Leonid Yacobson Ballet Theatre (Vainonen’s choreography revised by Nikolai Tsiskaridze). The operatic programme for the January holidays opens with Shchedrin’s A Christmas Tale, based on Samuil Marshak’s The Twelve Months (2 January at 13:00 and 19:00); Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in its spellbinding multimedia staging (3 January at 13:00 and 19:00); and the season’s vibrant new production – Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Golden Cockerel, directed by Anna Shishkina (3 January at 13:00 and 19:00, and 10 January at 13:00 and 19:00).

Other holiday highlights include Prokofiev’s sparkling comedy The Love for Three Oranges (4 January at 11:30, 15:30, and 19:30); the legendary Rimsky-Korsakov masterpieces The Tale of Tsar Saltan (8 January at 13:00 and 19:00) and Christmas Eve (6 January at 11:00, 15:30, and 20:00); Johann Strauss’ effervescent operetta Die Fledermaus (10 January at 13:00 and 18:00); Banevich’s opera The Story of Kai and Gerda in its updated staging (5 January at 12:00 and 18:00); Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel (7 January); Wagner’s uplifting and exuberant Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (11 January); and Glinka’s magical operatic poem Ruslan and Lyudmila in a shortened version adapted for family audiences (5 January at 12:00 and 18:00).

On 7 January the celebration of Orthodox Christmas will be marked on the Mariinsky Theatre’s New Stage with a performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s epic mystery The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya. The concert playbill for the opening days of the New Year features two appearances by the renowned Mariinsky Stradivarius Ensemble and its Artistic Director Lorenz Nasturica-Herschcowici (2 and 7 January), an unforgettable concert by the ensemble Renaissance Percussion (8 January) and a cornerstone of Russian sacred music – Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil, performed on Christmas Eve (6 January) by the Mariinsky Chorus.

On 24, 25 and 26 November the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre will host the premiere performances of a new production of Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Golden Cockerel. The family-oriented fairytale staging is being created by director Anna Shishkina, set designer Varvara Pletneva and costume designer Antonia Shestakova. The first premiere performance will be conducted by the production’s music director, Valery Gergiev.

Composed in 1907, The Golden Cockerel was Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s final opera and the last Russian opera of the classical period. Its world premiere took place on 24 September 1909, presented by Zimin’s Opera Company at the Solodovnikov Theatre in Moscow; a subsequent performance followed at the Bolshoi Theatre on 6 November. Before its appearance at the Mariinsky Theatre, the work even travelled to Paris: on 21 May 1914 the Ballets Russes presented a hybrid opera-ballet version at the Palais Garnier – a production that met with strong disapproval from the composer’s family. The Golden Cockerel debuted at the Mariinsky Theatre on 14 February 1919, with later stagings presented in 2003 and 2014.

This season the dazzling score of the Russian classic will be revealed in a fresh directorial interpretation. Anna Shishkina’s production will be shown on the stage of the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre, a venue that has firmly established itself not only as an acoustically superb space but also as a unique theatrical playground.

“The very layout of the stage inspired us to imagine the kingdom of Dodon as a jewel-box – a kind of miniature, intimate world. At the same time the Concert Hall has impressive height, which we filled with stars, enormous chandeliers and draperies. In our production this becomes a realm of looming danger, overshadowing the small puppet-like town below. We wanted to bring to the stage a magical, surprising spectacle that will thoroughly enchant young audiences,” notes set designer Varvara Pletneva.

Audiences can expect a vivid, dynamic production suitable for the whole family. Choreographer Maria Korablyova is responsible for the dances and stage movement, promising a performance rich in theatrical physicality.

“This is indeed a satirical, pamphlet-like story that offers plenty of material for intellectual reflection. But for us the main task was to create a production for children – to bring in family audiences – which means that above all it is a fairytale. We want to preserve the energy of childhood play without diminishing the layers of meaning embedded by Pushkin and Rimsky-Korsakov,” explains director Anna Shishkina.

Tsar (King) Dodon: Andrei Serov, Denis Begansky, Ilya Bannik, Vadim Kravets, Vladimir Felyauer
The Astrologer: Alexander Mikhailov, Klim Tikhonov, Boris Stepanov, Stanislav Leontiev, Andrei Popov, Denis Zakirov
The Queen of Shemakha: Olga Pudova, Yulia Suleimanova, Aigul Khismatullina, Kristina Gontsa, Anna Denisova, Antonina Vesenina
Amelfa the Housekeeper: Elena Vitman, Anna Kiknadze, Daria Tereshchenko, Zlata Bulycheva
The Golden Cockerel: Kira Loginova, Marina Tekhtelyova, Isabella Andriasyan
The Voivode (Warlord) Polkan: Yakov Strizhak, Stepan Zavalishin, Miroslav Molchanov, Yevgeny Chernyadiev
Tsarevich (Prince) Guidon: Alexander Trofimov, Gamid Abdulov, Kirill Belov, Anton Khalansky, Dmitry Voropaev
Tsarevich (Prince) Afron: Maxim Daminov, Yaroslav Petryanik, Anatoly Mikhailov, Stepan Zavalishin

From 20 November to 16 December the two Russian capitals will host a large-scale musical tribute festival, Maya and Rodion, dedicated to the memory of the outstanding composer and the legendary ballerina. Events celebrating Maya Plisetskaya and Rodion Shchedrin will take place on the stages of the leading venues in Moscow and St Petersburg. The festival is presented with media support from Channel One Russia and the VK Video platform. Key events will be broadcast live, allowing audiences across all regions of Russia to join the celebration. In addition, screenings will be held in cinemas throughout the country with support from KINO.ART.PRO. The festival’s Music Director is Valery Gergiev.

“Today I have the opportunity to speak about two remarkable, truly great artists – Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya and Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin. On 20 November the entire Russian musical and theatrical community will mark the centenary of Maya Plisetskaya, one of the greatest ballerinas in history. We were close friends, and I am grateful to fate, and above all to Maya and Rodion, for the many happy moments – hundreds, even thousands of hours of communication: creative, human, deeply joyful. Many of Rodion Shchedrin’s works are part of the repertoire of the Mariinsky Theatre and now the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia as well. His muse, Maya Mikhailovna, always held his unwavering admiration. Theirs was a happy love that gave the world of opera and ballet, and the entire realm of classical music, countless new riches,” notes Valery Gergiev.

The festival will open at the Bolshoi Theatre on 20 November – the day of Plisetskaya’s birth – with a gala concert at the Historic Stage, featuring celebrated dancers. The programme spans a wide range of genres: from ballet excerpts and choreographic miniatures to the iconic Carmen Suite by Bizet–Shchedrin and a black-and-white documentary chronicle accompanied by orchestra. The event will be streamed live on VK Video, through the official Bolshoi Theatre community on VKontakte.

That same evening the Mariinsky Theatre’s New Stage will present the gala Maya Plisetskaya: A Portrait of an Era. The programme includes seminal works and excerpts from productions in which Plisetskaya shone throughout her career. Stars of the ballet company and the Mariinsky Orchestra will take part. It will be conducted by Arseny Shuplyakov. At the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre on 20 November the audience will hear Shchedrin’s Not Love Alone — an ironic and poignant opera woven from lively Russian chastushki.

On 22 and 23 November (12:00 and 18:00) the Bolshoi Theatre will present a major revival of the opera Dead Souls in the legendary 1977 production by director Boris Pokrovsky and designer Valery Levental. A significant event will be the live broadcast of the 23 November performance (18:00) on VK Video via the Bolshoi Theatre’s official VKontakte community. Ahead of the performances, on 17 November at 18:00, the Beethoven Hall of the Bolshoi Theatre will host a creative meeting with participants of the opera’s world premiere. It will be moderated by Marina Gaikovich, PhD in Art History, musicologist and critic. The meeting will also be streamed live.

On 22 November at 13:00 and 18:00 the Mariinsky-2 stage will present Shchedrin’s milestone opera The Lefthander, written specifically for the inauguration of the theatre’s New Stage.

On 12 December the same venue will host Shchedrin’s Lolita, an opera based on Vladimir Nabokov’s iconic novel. And on 16 December, the composer’s birthday, the main stages of the Mariinsky Theatre will resound with his masterpieces:
– at the Historic Stage – Carmen Suite (12:00) and The Little Humpbacked Horse (19:30);
– at the New Stage – Dead Souls (19:00) in Vasily Barkhatov’s production with sets by Zinovy Margolin;
– at the Concert Hall – Not Love Alone (19:00) in a production by Alexander Kuzin with designs by Alexander Orlov.

Further events of the Maya and Rodion tribute festival will be announced.

The Mariinsky Theatre’s large-scale tour of China came to a triumphant close today in Xi’an with a concert by the Mariinsky Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev. From 12 to 27 October the acclaimed maestro and orchestra performed in Beijing and Shanghai and, for the first time, in Wuhan, Kunming, Changsha and Xi’an, giving a total of fourteen performances.

The tour’s symphonic programme opened on 12 October at the Shanghai Oriental Art Centre, where a world record was set: Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra performed all nine Mahler symphonies within five days, marking the 165^th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

Another milestone of the tour was the inauguration of the new Beijing Centre for Performing Arts (BCPA), one of the capital’s most prestigious new venues, whose opening concerts were conducted by Valery Gergiev. On 25 and 26 October the stage hosted a Chinese production of Otello, while on 21 October the maestro led the China NCPA Orchestra.

In Wuhan, Kunming, Changsha and Xi’an Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra presented vibrant programmes featuring Musorgsky’s Dawn on the Moscow River and Pictures at an Exhibition, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Ravel’s Boléro. In Beijing, joined by the Chorus of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, they performed Shostakovich’s Festive Overture and the Third symphonies by Prokofiev and Mahler.

A concert performance of Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades was also given at Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, featuring Oleg Dolgov, Irina Churilova, Zinaida Tsarenko, Anna Kiknadze, Pavel Yankovsky and Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar in the leading roles, together with soloists and the Chorus of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre and a Chinese children’s choir. Valery Gergiev conducted the Mariinsky Orchestra.

The Mariinsky Theatre’s extensive China tour by its ballet company and symphony orchestra took place from 11 to 27 October. The ballet programme, which ran during 11–23 October in Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai, featured Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Adam’s Le Corsaire. The vocal-symphonic leg of the tour, conducted by Valery Gergiev, was presented from 12 to 27 October across Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Kunming, Changsha and Xi’an.

Today on the stage of the Shanghai Grand Theatre the performance of Le Corsaire by Adolphe Adam marked the festive finale of the company’s vibrant ballet programme in China. The lead roles were danced by the brilliant young soloists Maria Ilyushkina, Even Capitaine, Alisa Barinova, Alexei Orohovsky and Maxim Izmestiev. From 11 to 23 October the ballet troupe toured three cities of the Middle Kingdom – Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai – giving eleven performances in total.

This year the Chinese tour included masterpieces of the classical repertoire: Swan Lake by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Le Corsaire by Adolphe Adam. The tour featured stars of the Mariinsky stage and promising young artists: Viktoria Tereshkina, Kimin Kim, Renata Shakirova, Timur Askerov, Nadezhda Batoeva, Maria Ilyushkina, Roman Belyakov, Roman Malysh¬ev, Even Capitaine, Daria Kulikova, Maxim Izmestiev, Alisa Barinova, Anton Osetrov, Yaroslav Baibordin, Alexei Orohovsky and Roma Gudelev.

“Tours are always a tremendous responsibility. We are representing Russia, Russian art, our beloved theatre. Our performances in China have been met with great success, and above all they are remarkable in that the young dancers, alongside the stars of the Mariinsky Theatre, made their debuts in leading roles – and I hope they will become the principal soloists of the next decade,” remarks Andrian Fadeyev, Artistic Director of the Mariinsky Ballet Company.

It is worth remembering that the Mariinsky Theatre’s extensive China tour runs from 11 to 27 October, and encompasses seven cities of the People’s Republic: Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Kunming, Changsha and Xi’an. The tour by the ballet company and the Mariinsky Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev covers this entire span. In the symphonic programme a world record was achieved: the complete cycle of Gustav Mahler’s symphonies was performed in five days, along with representative Russian and European music, and a concert version of The Queen of Spades by Tchaikovsky. The vocal-symphonic leg of the tour will conclude on 27 October with a concert in Xi’an.

From 22 October to 5 November the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre will host the XIII International Organ Festival Mariinsky. The programme offers audiences a kaleidoscope of vivid musical events featuring the renowned organists Pascal Reber, Olga Kotlyarova, Svetlana Berezhnaya, Marina Väisä and Léonid Karev. The concerts will also feature cellist Sergey Roldugin, flautist Maria Fedotova, percussionists Andrey Khotin, Vladimir Maslov, Vladislav Ivanov, Sergey Buranov and Nikolai Khotin, as well as Mariinsky Theatre soloists, the Mariinsky Chorus and the Mariinsky Orchestra.

On 17 October, on the eve of the festival’s opening, a special event will take place – a performance of Dvořák’s Mass in D major in its original version, without orchestra, accompanied only by the organ. The work will be performed by the Mariinsky Chorus conducted by Konstantin Rylov, with Olga Kotlyarova at the organ.

The festival will officially open on 22 October. Mariinsky Theatre soloists, the Mariinsky Chorus and the Mariinsky Orchestra, conducted by Konstantin Rylov, will perform Bach’s Mass in B minor. The composition, created by the composer over a span of twenty-five years, combines previously written and newly composed music. On 2 November another of Bach’s monumental masterpieces, the Matthäus-Passion, will be presented, recounting the last three days of Christ’s life. The organ part in both concerts will be performed by Olga Kotlyarova.

On 23 October People’s Artist of Russia, international competition laureate cellist Sergey Roldugin will appear together with Honoured Artist of Russia, pianist, Artistic Director and Principal Organist of the V.I. Safonov North Caucasus State Philharmonic Svetlana Berezhnaya. Their programme includes works by Bach, Handel, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Shchedrin and Tchaikovsky.

On 26 October Marina Väisä will present a special Organ Concert for Children, offering young listeners a unique opportunity to discover the sound of the organ. The programme will include original organ compositions and transcriptions of popular classical miniatures, allowing audiences to hear familiar music in a new and unexpected form.

On 31 October the distinguished French organist Pascal Reber will perform. Since 2009 he has taught at Saint-Louis Conservatoire and serves as titular organist of Strasbourg Cathedral and the Church of Saint-Étienne in Mulhouse. At Strasbourg Cathedral he plays the unique instrument built by the celebrated French firm Alfred Kern & Fils. An internationally acclaimed musician, Reber is also renowned for his masterful improvisations. His programme on 31 October will include the overture to Rameau’s opera-ballet Les Indes galantes (transcribed by Yves Rechsteiner), three pieces from Grigny’s Premier Livre d’Orgue, and works by Bach.

The festival will close on 5 November with a concert by Léonid Karev, international competition laureate and Titular Organist of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Church of Saint-Médard in Brunoy (France). He will be joined by percussionists Andrey Khotin, Vladimir Maslov, Vladislav Ivanov, Sergey Buranov and Nikolai Khotin, as well as Honoured Artist of Russia Maria Fedotova (flute), a frequent participant in international music festivals. The programme features works by Bach and Bizet–Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite in Karev’s transcription for organ and percussion.

The Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre houses an organ built by the Strasbourg firm Alfred Kern & Fils, founded with the participation of the renowned philosopher, musicologist and organist Albert Schweitzer. This magnificent instrument allows the performance of a wide range of repertoire and offers audiences an unforgettable experience of majestic organ music.

On 1 October the Mariinsky Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev performed in Yerevan. The soloist was Pavel Milyukov, Honoured Artist of Russia and a prize-winner of major international violin competitions. The performance took place at the city’s main venue, the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall, as part of the 17^th Yerevan International Music Festival.

The evening opened with the Festive Overture by the renowned Armenian composer Alexander Arutiunian, a work distinguished by its emotional intensity and distinctive national colour. This was followed by Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1, completed in 1948 but premiered only seven years later to great acclaim. Pavel Milyukov appeared as soloist in this monumental and dramatic score. The programme concluded with Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, one of the Austrian composer’s most enigmatic and refined works.

On 2 October Valery Gergiev returned to the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall to lead the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra. The programme featured Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, Musorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and Ravel’s Boléro.

For the first time the Sevastopol State Opera and Ballet Theatre will perform in St Petersburg, presenting two major premieres at the Mariinsky Theatre. The tour programme includes the ballet Polikushka to the music of Rachmaninoff, choreographed by Jonah Paul Cook, and Rachmaninoff’s opera Aleko staged by Ildar Abdrazakov. International stars Ildar Abdrazakov, Dinara Alieva and Maria Alexandrova will take part in the performances. Aleko will be conducted by Valery Gergiev.

On 11 and 12 November the Historic Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will host the poignant dramatic ballet Polikushka, based on Leo Tolstoy’s novella. Leading roles will be danced by Maria Alexandrova, Dmitry Sobolevsky, Jonah Paul Cook and Ksenia Ryzhkova.

The story of the tragic fate of a “little man” has been brought to the stage by the British choreographer Jonah Paul Cook. The production team includes: musical director Artyom Abashev, set and costume designer Olga Skurikhina, lighting designer Andrey Kostyuchenkov and video artist Stanislava Aitova.

The musical score combines chamber works by Rachmaninoff with Russian folk, Cossack and patriotic songs performed by the Choir of Moscow’s Sretensky Monastery, one of the most celebrated symbols of Russian spiritual culture. Chamber works are performed by Artyom Abashev (piano), Maria Skorobogatova (piano) and soloists of the Moscow Youth Chamber Orchestra.

On 3 December at 18:00 and 21:00 the New Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will present Rachmaninoff’s Aleko – the Sevastopol company’s first opera production. The production is directed by the world-renowned bass and Artistic Director of the Sevastopol State Opera and Ballet Theatre, Honoured Artist of Russia Ildar Abdrazakov. He relocates the action to the confined yet vibrant world of a Soviet apartment block of the late 1980s and early 1990s, where privacy is absent, life unfolds in public view, and boundaries between households are blurred. His assistant director is Laysan Safargulova. The production team also features set designer Ekaterina Malinina, lighting designer Konstantin Udovichenko and choreographers Anastasia Cherednikova and Bryan Opoku.

The title role will be sung twice by Ildar Abdrazakov. His partners will be: at 18:00 – Valeria Lebedeva, Kirill Belov, Alexey Tikhomirov and Yulia Shavarina; at 21:00  – Dinara Alieva, Iosif Nikitenko, Alexey Tikhomirov and Yulia Shavarina. The production also features the Yurlov Russian State Academic Choir. The Mariinsky Orchestra will perform under the baton of Valery Gergiev.