News

On 25, 26, 27 and 28 (at 12:00 and 19:00) July the Mariinsky Theatre’s New Stage will present the largest and final ballet premiere of this season – the comic Coppélia in Alexander Sergeev’s choreography. Arseny Shuplyakov will conduct all performances.

Coppélia is one of the most popular ballets in the world repertoire. Its story began in 1870 with the world premiere of the work at the Paris Opera. The initiator of the creation and first director of Coppélia was one of the leading ballet masters of the time, Arthur Saint-Léon. He also co-authored the libretto – together with Charles Nuitter, a well-known French writer, they adapted the plot of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s novella The Sandman, transforming the sinister story of the mystic writer into a light, enchanting, and witty comedy. Coppélia was a resounding success, but it was destined to be Saint-Léon’s last work – the ballet master died a few months after the premiere.

Coppélia began its triumphant journey across the world’s stages: France, the USA, Hungary, England, Denmark. In Russia this ballet was first presented in January 1882 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. The St Petersburg premiere took place almost three years later – on 25 November 1884 the ballet was shown at the Bolshoi (Stone) Theatre, the predecessor of the Mariinsky, in Marius Petipa’s choreography. Subsequently this production became one of the most famous stagings of Coppélia.

The upcoming premiere is Alexander Sergeev’s original version. The new Coppélia is intended to be a family performance – engaging and understandable for children, yet intriguing for adults. The artists will have to showcase their comedic talent in pantomime scenes and virtuosity in choreographic ones: true to his style, Alexander Sergeev is preparing complex variations, duets and crowd scenes with very rich, dense dance text.

Like the composer, who vividly presented the characters through musical leitmotifs, the choreographer uses plastic means to draw a line between two worlds. “In our production all the characters from the world of dolls – and first and foremost Coppélia – are not mechanical robots, as we are used to. On the contrary, they are very plastic – so much so that it is impossible and unnatural for humans. It will be neoclassical choreography. But Franz, Swanilda, their friends, that is, the characters belonging to the human world, are solved by the technique of classical dance,” said Alexander Sergeev.

At the same time Coppelius in the new production is not an elderly doll maker but a young, handsome, “with negative charm”, as the choreographer himself put it, puppeteer, a guide between two worlds. That is why his part combines features of classical and neoclassical choreography.

Instead of magic, the performance features technological wonders. All the magical phenomena in the plot are actually the fruit of the ingenious Coppelius’ design work, including a special machine for transplanting souls.

The character dances in the new Coppélia deserve special attention. Following the composer, who emphasised the national flavour with folklore motifs, Alexander Sergeev goes beyond the salon dances inherent in classical performances.

Leonid Alexeev, already known to the Mariinsky audience, is the set and costume designer. He created a colourful design in the spirit of the mid-20^th century. The directors moved the setting to an imaginary, fantasy city but with a bright “retro-” prefix. Konstantin Binkin is the lighting designer, and Igor Domashkevich is the video designer.

The Mariinsky Theatre will close its season with one of the most anticipated events of the past two years – on 1, 2, 4 and 6 August modernised versions of Richard Wagner’s monumental tetralogy, Der Ring des Nibelungen, will be presented on the New Stage. For the first time St Petersburg audiences will experience the updated cycle in its entirety, with Valery Gergiev conducting.

The first Der Ring des Nibelungen at the Mariinsky Theatre was staged between 1900 and 1905 under the direction of the legendary conductor Eduard Nápravník. At that time the operas were performed in Russian. The monumental Wagnerian tetralogy remained on the theatre’s playbill until the First World War, after the beginning of which all German operas were excluded from the repertoire.

Almost a century later, in the new millennium, Russian audiences were able to enjoy this grandiose work once again. In 2003, thanks to the efforts of Valery Gergiev, Der Ring des Nibelungen returned to the Mariinsky stage, becoming a true breakthrough for Russian musical theatre and establishing the Mariinsky Theatre among the world’s best opera houses. This production of Der Ring des Nibelungen was shown with great success in many countries across America, Europe and Asia, and also received recognition in Richard Wagner’s homeland, Germany. Das Rheingold and Die Walküre were released on the Mariinsky label.

In the 20^th anniversary year of the production, as part of a wide celebration of the 210^th anniversary of Richard Wagner’s birth, the decision was made to update the Ring, enriching it with new lighting and video solutions. Valery Gergiev was the author of the update concept, with Gleb Filshtinsky as the lighting designer and creative video producer. The new versions are intended to reflect the full power of the composer’s artistic and musical vision; as Richard Wagner himself wished, his creation continues to keep pace with the times, remaining relevant art for the modern viewer. Realising such a breathtaking spectacle on stage was technologically impossible just a few years ago.

Last season the first two parts of the famous epic were presented to St Petersburg audiences in their updated form. Chinese audiences were the first to see the modernised tetralogy in its entirety – performances of the four Der Ring des Nibelungen operas took place in autumn 2023 at the Shanghai Grand Theatre as part of the Mariinsky’s largest tour ever. Very soon all four performances will be presented to Russian audiences as well. On 1 August the XXXII Music Festival Stars of the White Nights will conclude with a performance of Das Rheingold. On 2 August Die Walküre will be presented, followed by Siegfried on 4 August. The performance of Götterdämmerung on 6 August will be a bright final chord of the entire musical season on the New Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre.

From 17 to 21 July the Mariinsky Theatre’s opera and ballet troupes will grace the Historic and New stages of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia. The St Petersburg company will present performances from the golden fund of their repertoire – Glinka’s Ruslan and Lyudmila and Asafyev’s The Fountain of Bakhchisarai.

Since the beginning of the year the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres have been celebrating a significant anniversary in the world of art – the 225^th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Pushkin. The plots of his poems, novels, and fairy tales have repeatedly attracted the attention of major composers, becoming the basis for the most famous musical works. The July exchange performances of the two theatres will be one of the central points of the celebration: the Bolshoi Theatre will bring the ballet The Queen of Spades to music by Tchaikovsky–Krasavin to St Petersburg, while the Mariinsky Theatre will present Glinka’s opera Ruslan and Lyudmila and Asafyev’s ballet The Fountain of Bakhchisarai in Moscow. Both composers are also celebrating anniversaries: this year marks the 220^th anniversary of Glinka’s birth and the 140^th anniversary of Asafyev’s birth.

Ruslan and Lyudmila has been in the Mariinsky Theatre’s repertoire for almost two centuries – its world premiere took place in 1842 on the stage of the Bolshoi (Stone) Theatre, the predecessor of the Mariinsky, and it still enjoys unwavering success. Today’s production, first shown in 1994, has become a kind of encyclopaedia of the grand Russian style: it revives the luxurious sets and costumes by Alexander Golovin and Konstantin Korovin for the 1904 production, as well as the legendary choreography by Michel Fokine from 1917.

Two versions of Ruslan and Lyudmila will be presented to the Moscow public: a full version and an abridged version adapted for family viewing. Performances of the full version will take place on 17, 18, 20 and 21 July under the baton of Valery Gergiev and on 19 July under the baton of Bolshoi Theatre conductor Anton Grishanin. He will also take the podium during the performance of the abridged version on 20 July at 12:00. The performances will feature the Chorus and Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre.

The premiere of the ballet The Fountain of Bakhchisarai also took place on the Mariinsky stage – almost a century later, in 1934, when the theatre was named after Kirov. It was the first Soviet ballet based on literary classics and the first performance of a new genre – the drama ballet. The premiere of The Fountain of Bakhchisarai with choreography by Rostislav Zakharov became a turning point both for the director himself – the ballet was transferred to the Bolshoi Theatre, where Zakharov took the post of chief choreographer – and for all of Soviet choreographic art – the vector of its development was determined for the next twenty years.

Performances of the ballet in sets and costumes by Valentina Khodasevich will take place on the New Stage of the Bolshoi Theatre. The main roles will be played on 17 July by Maria Ilyushkina, Nikita Korneyev, Roman Belyakov, Viktoria Tereshkina and Maxim Izmestiev; on 18 July by Maria Shirinkina, Yevgeny Konovalov, Danila Korsuntsev, Oxana Skorik and Khalid Mardini; on 19 July by Camilla Mazzi, Alexei Timofeyev, Soslan Kulaev, Maria Bulanova and Maxim Izmestiev; on 20 July by Maria Ilyushkina, Nikita Korneyev, Roman Belyakov and Viktoria Tereshkina; and on 21 July by Maria Shirinkina, Yevgeny Konovalov, Danila Korsuntsev, Oxana Skorik and Maxim Izmestiev.

On 10 July 2024 Andrian Fadeyev, Honoured Artist of Russia, was appointed Artistic Director of the Mariinsky Ballet. A graduate of St Petersburg’s Vaganova Ballet Academy, he became a principal dancer at the Mariinsky Theatre just two years after joining the company, earning awards at major international competitions throughout his career.

During his time at the Mariinsky Theatre, the brilliant premier created a gallery of memorable characters on stage, playing major roles in the most iconic productions of the world repertoire: both in classical ballets of the legacy and in cult performances of the 20^th and 21^st centuries.

In 2001 John Neumeier created the leading role in the ballet Sounds of Empty Pages specifically for Andrian Fadeev. The dancer has shone on stages in Berlin, Vienna, Munich, Rome, Beijing and Tokyo. In 2011 Fadeev assumed the post of Artistic Director of the Leonid Yacobson Ballet Theatre in St Petersburg. Today Andrian Fadeev returns – in a new capacity – to his home at the Mariinsky Theatre.

Each year the Stars of the White Nights festival gathers world-renowned artists and ensembles at the Mariinsky Theatre. In July a series of events featuring outstanding singers, instrumentalists and conductors are expected on the theatre’s stages.

On 5 July audience favourite Ildar Abdrazakov will perform the role of Philip II in Verdi’s Don Carlo. Joining him on stage will be the golden voices of Irina Churilova, Yulia Matochkina, Najmiddin Mavlyanov and Alexey Markov.

The artist can be heard again on 10 July at the Concert Hall for the opening of the VII Ildar Abdrazakov Music Festival. The bass himself, along with participants of the Ildar Abdrazakov Summer School, will perform arias and romances by Russian and foreign composers. Mzia Bakhturidze and Evgeny Sergeev will be on piano.

The inimitable Elena Stikhina will appear three times at the Mariinsky Theatre in July. On 9 July she will perform the title part in Richard Strauss’ Salome, which has become her signature role. On 15 July the singer can be heard in the chamber recital Strauss at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre, with Oksana Klevtsova on piano. And on 23 July Elena Stikhina will take on the role of Kuma (Nastasya) in Tchaikovsky’s The Enchantress.

Having interrupted a long absence from the Mariinsky stage last November, the world opera star Ferruccio Furlanetto promised to return to St Petersburg for the Stars of the White Nights festival. And on 10 July the famous Italian bass will perform the role of Jacopo Fiesco in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra.

On 19 July the Russian National Youth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev, will play at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre, with Denis Matsuev as the soloist.

Among the distinguished guest conductors are Alexander Rahbari and Justus Frantz. The Iranian maestro will take the podium of the Mariinsky Orchestra on 18 July performing a programme titled Transfigured Night: Masterpieces from the Turn of the Century. The programme includes Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), the Suite No. 1 from Grieg’s music for Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt, Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) and the Suite No. 2 from Ravel’s ballet Daphnis et Chloé. The German maestro Justus Frantz will appear twice: on 20 July he will conduct Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and on 16 July he will conduct Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio – this work will be performed in its entirety for the first time in the recent history of the Mariinsky Theatre.

The XXXII Stars of the White Nights Music Festival runs from 27 May to 1 August. The events of the rich programme encompass all of the Mariinsky Theatre’s St Petersburg stages. The festival’s artistic director is Valery Gergiev. It is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.

The 38-year-old Chinese conductor, who currently leads the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, has been appointed a permanent guest conductor of the Mariinsky Theatre at the invitation of Valery Gergiev.

Li is a celebrated figure in the world of conducting, having won the Jeunesses Musicales International Conducting Competition in Bucharest in 2014, as well as receiving the special prize of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the Audience Award at the Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition in Paris in 2018. He was also a finalist in the Besançon International Competition for Young Conductors in 2019 and won 3^rd prize at the International Rachmaninoff Competition for Pianists, Composers and Conductors in Moscow in 2022.

This season Li has been a frequent presence at the Mariinsky Theatre, conducting operas such as Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Verdi’s La traviata, as well as concert versions of Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos and Donizetti’s La favorita. At the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre he has led performances of music by Beethoven, Bottesini, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, Ravel, Debussy and others, in addition to showcasing works by Chinese composers, notably Xiaogang Ye’s The Faint Ginkgo.

This July the Mariinsky Theatre is set to enchant audiences once again with a festival dedicated to the resplendent sounds of brass instruments. The Concert Hall will host the third iteration of the Mariinsky Theatre hosts the Music Festival Brass of the White Nights from 2 to 6 July. This year’s line-up includes special guests from Germany, France and China, alongside the Mariinsky Theatre’s own artists and the Union Brass Band – a collective ensemble of esteemed instrumentalists. The festival’s rich programme encompasses four concerts and masterclasses led by some of the world’s foremost musicians.

The festival will open grandly on 2 July at 19:00 at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre, with an evening centred around the compositions by Richard Strauss.

On 3 July at 19:00 the Mariinsky Brass will dazzle the audience with a brilliant programme featuring excerpts from classic musicals, with performances by exceptionally young talents.

On 4 July at 19:00 the esteemed Mariinsky Brass will grace the Concert Hall. Formed in 2007 by Artistic Director Valery Gergiev, the ensemble has gained acclaim for its unique programmes titled The Golden Repertoire of Global Brass Ensembles. Performing in various formations both domestically and internationally, their repertoire is vast, including bespoke compositions and intricate arrangements crafted by the musicians themselves.

The festival will draw to a spectacular close on 6 July at 19:00 with a concert by the Union Brass Band. Musicians from the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres, along with distinguished guest soloists, are preparing a vibrant programme titled Music of the Movies and Beyond.

The III Music Festival Brass of the White Nights forms an integral part of the XXXII Stars of the White Nights Music Festival, supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.

On 27, 28 and 29 June the Mariinsky Theatre’s New Stage will host the first operatic premiere of this year’s Stars of the White Nights summer festival – Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss. This extravagant composition by the German composer, which has been performed in concert at the Mariinsky Theatre in recent years, will gain a new staging by director Sergey Novikov, who has endeared himself to St Petersburg audiences with his production of Delibes’ Lakmé. The musical director for this production is Valery Gergiev.

Richard Strauss met the opera’s libretto author, the prominent Austrian writer Hugo von Hofmannsthal, in 1899, by which time Strauss was already celebrated as Principal Conductor of the Berlin Royal Opera and renowned for his symphonic poems. Their fruitful collaboration led to the creation of operas such as Elektra, Der Rosenkavalier, Ariadne auf Naxos, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Die ägyptische Helena and Arabella.

Ariadne auf Naxos emerged as a creative experiment by the young librettist and composer. By merging serious opera with comedy, they created a novel operatic-dramatic hybrid that initially received mixed reviews from audiences. Its premiere took place in 1912 at the Small Hall of the Stuttgart Court Theatre as part of Molière’s Le Bourgeois gentilhomme with Ariadne auf Naxos integrated into it. Despite the production’s innovative nature, a number of European theatres ventured to stage it, though it did not remain long in the repertoire. Four years later the authors presented a new version of Ariadne auf Naxos, which altered the setting and characters but primarily restructured the work into a full-fledged opera with only one spoken role remaining.

Originally billed as “a play by Hugo von Hofmannsthal with music by Richard Strauss”, we now appreciate Ariadne auf Naxos as a Richard Strauss opera with a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. According to director Sergey Novikov, “This is not merely a shuffling of components: these two versions represent completely different entities.”
The 1916 premiere of the revised work at the Vienna Court Opera garnered widespread acclaim and has since been performed on global stages.

For the Mariinsky Theatre Ariadne auf Naxos holds a special place – it was the first Russian theatre to present this opera in 2004. The new production adds to the theatre’s repertoire of Strauss’ masterpieces, which includes Salome, Elektra and Die Frau ohne Schatten.

“The sparkling, enchanting, captivating music of the brilliant composer contrasts with the sometimes-absurd words of the distinguished writer. Our goal is to tell a compelling story while honoring the intentions of the authors. We aim to blend high emotions with mundane changes in relationships, to merge comic circumstances with tragic pathos and to combine in one narrative the heroes of serious opera and commedia dell’arte,” says director Sergey Novikov.

This striking production will depict the home theatre of a wealthy but uneducated gentleman, where, by a twist of fate, everything mixes: the lofty with the mercenary, the serious with the humorous, the genuine with the pretentious. Ariadne auf Naxos is a play within a play, where theatrical passions play out both on stage and behind the scenes.

The performances are set for 15, 16, 17 and 28 June, in celebration of Stravinsky’s birthday, with Arseny Shuplyakov conducting.

Stravinsky’s Danses concertantes originally premiered in 1942 in Los Angeles, conducted by the composer himself. Although conceived primarily for the concert hall this vibrant composition has inspired an array of esteemed choreographers. George Balanchine was the first to adapt it into a one-act ballet for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1944, and later revisited the piece in 1972 for New York City Ballet. Others who have left their mark on the piece include Kenneth MacMillan with Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet in 1955, Lew Christensen in 1959, Todd Bolender in 1964 and John Taras in 1971, among others. Now St Petersburg audiences will experience Alexander Sergeev’s fresh choreographic take on Stravinsky’s evocative music.

Sergeev’s staging reflects the composer’s intent for theatrical expressiveness loaded with musical narrative. “Originally, I envisioned this as an entirely abstract performance, but as rehearsals progressed, relationships began to form – within dance groups, between couples, and between the soloist and the ensembles. Although we strictly adhere to the music, these interactions are distinct in every cast,” Sergeev explains.

Stravinsky’s Danses concertantes stands out as a daring neoclassical masterpiece, its score marked by sharp accents and a thematic richness that transitions from one motif to the next. Sergeev, with his background in working with giants of modern choreography like George Balanchine and William Forsythe, brings a nuanced understanding to this production. The ballet also includes nods to other Stravinsky works, with Sergeev adding, “Stravinsky references his own pieces in the score, such as a few bars from Apollo and The Rite of Spring. I incorporate choreographic nods at these points, which should resonate with viewers familiar with these ballets.”

The costumes, designed by Leonid Alexeev, further enrich the production, continuing his established creative partnership with Sergeev, first showcased in their recent ballet The Twelve by Boris Tishchenko.

Danses concertantes will grace the New Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre on 15 and 16 (with performances at 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM) and 17 June, shared with Stravinsky’s seldom-seen ballet Le Baiser de la fée (“The Fairy’s Kiss”), choreographed by Maxim Petrov. On 28 June the performance moves to the Historical Stage, paired with Stravinsky’s The Firebird, choreographed by Michel Fokine in 1910. This series of performances not only showcases Sergeev’s choreographic mastery but also celebrates the rich, multifaceted legacy of Stravinsky’s music.

Stars of the White Nights Music Festival will commence on 27 and 28 May at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, heralding the most anticipated event of the theatre season. This annual festival promises a dazzling array of major ballet and opera premieres, outstanding guest performances, repertoire rarities, unique musical programs, and timeless classics featuring world-renowned stars.

On the eve of the festival's grand opening, the Mariinsky Theatre has prepared a special concert gift for its audience. On 26 May at 18:00 Denis Matsuev will perform Prokofiev's Second Piano Concerto with the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev, at the Concert Hall. The program will include additional pieces.

The festival at Mariinsky II will open on 27 May with Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades, commemorating the 225th anniversary of Alexander Pushkin's birth. This performance will feature a stellar cast including Oleg Dolgov (Bolshoi Theatre), Irina Churilova, Olga Borodina, Vladislav Sulimsky, and Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar, conducted by Valery Gergiev. The historical stage will mark the festival's start with the ballet Giselle, featuring Oksana Skorik, Nikita Korneyev, Roman Belyakov, and Anastasia Kolegova. The Concert Hall will open its doors for the festival a day later, on May 28, with a performance by the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev.

June will feature major events such as the Verdi Festival and the celebration of Stravinsky's birthday, the striking premiere of Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos directed by Sergey Novikov, and the Saint Petersburg premiere of the ballet Concert Dances to Stravinsky's music choreographed by Alexander Sergeev. Additionally, there will be guest performances by the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia featuring the ballet Ivan the Terrible to the music of Prokofiev. In June, the Mariinsky has prepared four generous subscription series for viewers: the "Giuseppe Verdi Festival," "Igor Stravinsky's Birthday," "Pushkin-225," and "Brightest Premieres at the Mariinsky Theatre" – a unique opportunity to see all the newest and most impressive in the repertoire.

The Verdi Festival will feature both popular and rare operas by the composer: Falstaff conducted by Valery Gergiev (4 June), Rigoletto (7 June), Aida (8 June at 13:00 and 19:00), La Traviata (9 June at 14:00 and 19:30), Macbeth (11 June), A Masked Ball (23 June), and The Force of Destiny (24 June).

In honor of Igor Stravinsky's birthday, the ballet Concert Dances to the composer's music, choreographed by Alexander Sergeev, will premiere in Saint Petersburg. Performances can be seen at Mariinsky II on 15 and 16 June (at 13:00 and 19:00), and 17 June. The evening will also feature the rarely performed ballet The Fairy's Kiss by Stravinsky, choreographed by Maxim Petrov. The historical stage will also host Concert Dances on 28 June, presented alongside the ballet The Firebird. The festival's concert hall program includes Stravinsky's works performed by the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra (16 June), the opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex (17 June), and the composer's vocal music (18 June).

Another notable June birthday is that of Alexander Pushkin, whose 225th anniversary is being celebrated extensively at the Mariinsky Theatre since the beginning of the year. Celebrations will include a concert for the choir Pushkin's Garland by Sviridov (6 June), performances of the ballet The Fountain of Bakhchisarai by Asafiev (3 and 4 June), and the operas Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky (5 June) and The Tale of Tsar Saltan by Rimsky-Korsakov (16 June at 12:00 and 19:00).

In June, the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia returns to the Mariinsky with the ballet Ivan the Terrible to Prokofiev's music, choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich. Performances are scheduled for 11, 12, and 13 June at Mariinsky II.

A spectacular opera finale for the first month of summer will be the premiere of Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos, directed by Sergey Novikov, remembered by Petersburgers for his production of Lakmé. Premiere performances are scheduled for 27, 28, and 29 June (at 13:00 and 19:00).

Among the repertoire rarities not to be missed are concert performances of Mussorgsky's The Fair at Sorochyntsi (8 June) and Donizetti's The Daughter of the Regiment (26 June), as well as performances by the Borodin Quartet (21 June) and the Renaissance Percussion ensemble (30 June).

The XXXII  Stars of the White Nights Music Festival will run from 27 May to 1 August. The festival's rich program will encompass all the Saint Petersburg stages of the Mariinsky Theatre. The artistic director of the festival is Valery Gergiev. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.