Rodion Shchedrin and Maya Plisetskaya at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre and a performance of The Enchanted Wanderer

Valery Gergiev and Rodion Shchedrin

On the threshold of the opening of the new theatre, honorary guests have begun to arrive in St Petersburg. On 30 April the Mariinsky Theatre will be visited by two old friends – Rodion Shchedrin, one of the most popular Russian composers today, and his wife Maya Plisetskaya, the legendary ballerina. This artistic couple are coming several days in advance of the official celebrations to hear Valery Gergiev conduct the opera The Enchanted Wanderer. The Russian premiere of this opera by Rodion Shchedrin took place in July 2007 at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre. Specially for the stage of the new theatre which opens on 2 May the composer has written the opera Lefty, once again turning to the legacy of Nikolai Leskov. The world premiere of this new opera is to take place at the Mariinsky II.