Interviews

From 16 to 25 October the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre will once again become a sanctuary for organ aficionados as it hosts the twelfth iteration of its acclaimed International Organ Festival. Over six evenings audiences will be treated to a diverse and expansive programme traversing various musical epochs and schools, showcasing the organ both in solo settings and within captivating ensembles. Several works will receive their inaugural performance at this year’s festival, promising a truly unique experience for discerning listeners.

The festival boasts an impressive roster of esteemed organists, including Léonid Karev, Andoni Andrada, Marina Väisä, Evgeny Avramenko and Olga Kotlyarova. Their virtuosity will be complemented by the talents of the flautist Maria Fedotova and appearances by the Mariinsky Theatre’s own opera soloists, Chorus, Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Chorus.

The festival commences on 16 October with a recital by Léonid Karev, the distinguished titular organist of Paris’ Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Brunoy’s Church of St Medard and a professor at the Conservatoire de Paris. Mr Karev will present a captivating selection of works by Bach, Handel and Widor, with the Mariinsky Orchestra under the esteemed baton of Christian Knapp.

18 October promises a fascinating exploration of German, French and Spanish organ traditions. The programme features masterpieces by Bach, Vierne, Duruflé and Dupré. Furthermore, the festival welcomes the Spanish organist and Moscow Conservatory alumnus Andoni Andrada, who will make his debut with a performance of two saetas by his fellow countryman Eduardo Torres – evocative works for organ composed in the style of Andalusian sacred songs. Mr Andrada is currently refining his already impressive skills at the École Normale de Musique de Paris Alfred Cortot and the Conservatoire de Versailles.

Young music enthusiasts will be enchanted by Marina Väisä’s solo concert on 20 October. A respected pedagogue at the St Petersburg Conservatory’s Organ and Harpsichord Department and the principal organist of St Mary’s Cathedral (St Petersburg) will provide a captivating introduction to the organ. Her programme comprises original compositions and transcriptions of beloved classical miniatures, interwoven with insightful commentary, encompassing works by Bach, Pachelbel, Rameau, Vivaldi–Bach, Pasquini, Soler, Bach–Gounod and Rimsky-Korsakov.

On 22 October Evgeny Avramenko, the titular organist of Kaliningrad Cathedral, joins forces with the celebrated flautist and Honoured Artist of Russia, Maria Fedotova, for an evening of captivating interplay. The audience will be treated to a delightful programme featuring works by Bach, Widor, Mozart, Sużyński, Yanchenko, Dupré, Bozza and Alain, with Bach’s sonatas (originally for harpsichord with keyboard accompaniment) and 20^th-century compositions presented in a fresh and engaging sonic landscape.

A pinnacle of the festival will undoubtedly be the performance of Bach’s monumental Johannes-Passion on 23 October. In this year commemorating the 300^th anniversary of its premiere, this masterpiece by the great German cantor and composer will grace the Mariinsky Theatre stage for the very first time. Following last autumn’s acclaimed performance of the Matthäus-Passion at the Concert Hall, this year continues the tradition of showcasing the Passions, which hold a paramount position within Bach’s profound musical and intellectual legacy. The Mariinsky Theatre’s opera soloists, Chorus and Symphony Orchestra will deliver this profound work under the expert guidance of the conductor Konstantin Rylov.

Bringing the festival to a close on 25 October is a concert by the organist Olga Kotlyarova, joined by the Mariinsky Chamber Chorus under the direction of Pavel Teplov. The soloist will present a captivating selection of works by Purcell, Handel, Bridge and Fauré. As with the preceding evening, audiences can anticipate Mariinsky premieres, with two compositions by Benjamin Britten – the jubilant Te Deum and the cantata Rejoice in the Lamb – receiving their first performance at the theatre.

All events of the International Organ Festival will unfold within the splendid acoustics of the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre. This exceptional venue houses a truly remarkable instrument crafted by the esteemed Strasbourg firm Alfred Kern & Fils – the first French organ to grace Russia in a century.

With nearly three thousand pipes arranged across forty-one registers, three manuals and a pedalboard, this magnificent organ possesses the versatility to accommodate an extensive and diverse repertoire. Its rich tonal palette and impeccable balance, enhanced by an architectural design reminiscent of a Gothic cathedral – soaring pipes, an imposing yet intricate façade and a majestic, soaring voice that envelops the entire hall – make it a truly exceptional instrument. An organ concert is an unparalleled experience for any music lover; the sheer scale, unique sonorities and kaleidoscopic colours of the organ allow it to rival the sonic tapestry of a full orchestra.

From 10 to 27 October the Mariinsky Theatre’s Ballet Company and Symphony Orchestra, under the distinguished baton of Valery Gergiev, will embark on an extensive tour of China, gracing seven cities with their artistic brilliance: Beijing, Shanghai, Nanchang, Jinan, Nanjing, Shenzhen and Macao.

The ballet portion of the tour, spanning 10 to 26 October, will enchant audiences in Beijing, Nanchang and Shanghai with jewels from the Mariinsky Theatre’s repertoire, including Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet and Minkus’ La Bayadère, alongside a captivating gala concert.

A rich symphonic programme featuring masterpieces by Russian and European composers will also unfold during the tour. Under Maestro Gergiev’s direction eight concerts will take place from 16 to 27 October in Beijing, Jinan, Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenzhen and Macao.

The autumn tour commences at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. On 10 and 11 October the capital will witness the poignant tale of Romeo and Juliet, followed by the exotic splendour of La Bayadère on 12 and 13 October (at 2 pm and 7 pm). Principal roles will be shared by a constellation of acclaimed dancers, including Renata Shakirova, Philipp Stepin, Nadezhda Batoeva, Timur Askerov, Oksana Skorik, Kimin Kim, Alexandra Khiteyeva, Anastasia Lukina and Elena Yevseyeva.

The Mariinsky Ballet then travels to Nanchang, presenting Romeo and Juliet on 17 and 18 October and La Bayadère on 19 and 20 October. Principal roles will be performed by Viktoria Tereshkina, Roman Belyakov, Renata Shakirova, Kimin Kim, Oksana Skorik, Andrey Ermakov, Alexandra Khiteyeva and Elena Yevseyeva.

A dazzling ballet gala will grace the stage of the Shanghai Grand Theatre on 23 October. The diverse programme includes the one-act ballet Chopiniana, pas de deux from Le Carnaval de Venise, Giselle and Don Quixote, the Grand Pas Classique, the choreographic miniature The Swan, and the pas de trois from Le Corsaire. Stars of the company and rising talents will illuminate the stage, including Viktoria Tereshkina, Kimin Kim, Renata Shakirova, Oksana Skorik, Timur Askerov, Nadezhda Batoeva, Andrey Ermakov, Elena Yevseyeva, Philipp Stepin, Camilla Mazzi, Anastasia Lukina, Roman Malyshev, Yaroslav Baibordin, Maria Chernyavskaya and Vlada Borodulina.

Concluding the ballet portion of the tour, La Bayadère will be presented at the same venue on 25 and 26 October.

The symphonic programme commences at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, one of China’s most prestigious music venues, inaugurated in 2007 with a performance of the opera Prince Igor by the Mariinsky Theatre’s soloists, Chorus and Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev.

On 17 October the Mariinsky Orchestra, led by maestro Gergiev, will perform Ravel’s Pavane for a Dead Princess and Boléro, Debussy’s La Mer, Stravinsky’s Petrouchka (1947 version), and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 4. The following evening, 18 October, the programme features Wagner’s Overture to Tannhäuser, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnol, excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty and Prokofiev’s Cinderella, and Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5.

On 20 October the Mariinsky Orchestra will perform at the Shandong Grand Theatre in Jinan, one of China’s most modern and technologically advanced theatres. The programme features excerpts from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 6 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6.

On 22 October the orchestra under maestro Gergiev will appear at the Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts in Nanjing, presenting Richard Strauss’ tone poem Don Juan, Stravinsky’s Petrouchka and Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances.

The tour continues to Shanghai with a concert on 23 October at the Shanghai Oriental Art Centre. The programme includes Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 (“Classical”), the suite from Shchedrin’s The Little Humpbacked Horse, Musorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.

On 24 October the orchestra will perform at the Shenzhen Concert Hall, presenting Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 4.

The grand tour of the Mariinsky Orchestra, led by maestro Gergiev, culminates with two concerts in Macao. On 26 October the Macao Cultural Centre will host performances of Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 (“Classical”), Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 6 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. Thef ollowing evening, 27 October, the programme features Debussy’s Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun, Stravinsky’s Petrouchka and Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances.

This extensive tour follows the resounding success of the Mariinsky Theatre’s recent visit to Macao, where from 4 to 6 October opera soloists, the Chorus and Symphony Orchestra under maestro Gergiev presented Puccini’s Tosca to critical acclaim. Three performances, featuring the Macao Orchestra and the Macao Youth Choir, took place at the Macao Cultural Centre.

On 4 October the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre will hoSt the first-ever St Petersburg performance by the China Orchestra of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), China’s premier music venue.

The evening’s soloists are Luo Wei (piano) and Semyon Salomatnikov (trumpet), a winner of the 1^st prize at the XVII International Tchaikovsky Competition. Conducting the orchestra will be Li Xincao, Honorary Principal Conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra and President of the China Conservatory of Music (Beijing).

The programme features renowned works by Chinese and Russian composers, including Lü Qiming’s Ode to the Red Flag, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Chen Qigang’s Eternal Joy for trumpet and orchestra, and Scriabin’s Poem of Ecstasy.

The orchestra is resident at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), located near Beijing’s main square and the Forbidden City. This major theatre complex and China’s moSt prestigious music venue is a long-standing partner of the Mariinsky Theatre. The complex was opened in 2007 with a performance of the opera Prince Igor by Mariinsky Theatre soloists, the Mariinsky Chorus and the Mariinsky Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev.

Founded in 2010, the China NCPA Orchestra regularly participates in opera and symphony performances on its home stage and at other significant venues worldwide. The orchestra’s repertoire includes both classical European music and contemporary Chinese compositions.

On 7 October the China NCPA Orchestra will make its debut in Vladivostok. The concert, featuring the soloists Luo Wei (piano) and Semyon Salomatnikov (trumpet), will take place at the Great Hall of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre.

From 11 to 14 September the Northern Capital of Russia will host the X St Petersburg International United Cultures Forum. In anticipation of and during the forum, the Mariinsky Theatre will present a series of special events, offering residents and visitors a feast of stellar performances and magnificent productions.

Tomorrow, 10 September, Francesco Cilea’s opera Adriana Lecouvreur will grace the New Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. The Italian composer’s most renowned work delves into the life of the celebrated Comédie-Française actress and influential figure of the Enlightenment theatre. It is well-known that the French writer and philosopher Voltaire was among Lecouvreur’s admirers. Although absent from the original libretto, Voltaire makes an appearance on the Mariinsky stage, adding a touch of elegance to Isabelle Partiot-Pieri’s production. The leading roles will be performed by the acclaimed soloists Hibla Gerzmava, Migran Agadzhanyan, Yulia Matochkina, Alexey Markov, Dmitry Grigoriev and Yevgeny Akhmedov.

On 11 September, coinciding with the first day of the X St Petersburg International United Cultures Forum, the Mariinsky Theatre’s Historic Stage will ceremoniously inaugurate its new, 242^nd season. The performance will be Dead Souls, the magnum opus of the living classical composer Rodion Shchedrin. The Mariinsky Theatre’s rendition is a dynamic, vibrant and witty production by Vasily Barkhatov, with designs by Zinovy Margolin. In 2012 this production garnered nominations in seven categories for the Golden Mask, ultimately winning the country’s most prestigious theatre award for “Best Artist’s Work in Musical Theatre”.

On the same day the Mariinsky Theatre’s New Stage will present a dazzling premiere from the previous season – Verdi’s Nabucco, the opera that catapulted the young Italian composer to fame. The chorus assumes a central dramatic role, with the choral episodes constituting the work’s true highlights. It also marks the first appearance of a Verdian heroine with the “frenzied soprano” part, as described by the composer himself. The leading roles will be performed by Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar and Zinaida Tsarenko, both Grand Prix winners of the International Tchaikovsky Competition, along with the renowned vocalists Tatiana Serjan and Stanislav Trofimov.

On 12 and 13 September the New Stage will host Puccini’s Madama Butterfly – this year commemorates the 120^th anniversary of the work’s world premiere. For over a century the opera has enjoyed immense success and captivated audiences with the poignant story of Cio-Cio-San, a Japanese girl who falls in love with the American naval lieutenant Pinkerton.

On 14 September, the final day of the X St Petersburg International United Cultures Forum, two more performances featuring the Mariinsky Theatre’s finest voices await the audience. The Historic Stage will present Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin in Yuri Temirkanov’s legendary classic production. The New Stage will resonate with Bizet’s Carmen, featuring the opera stars Ekaterina Semenchuk, Yevgeny Akimov, Natalya Pavlova and Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar.

This September the new seasons of Russia’s two most prominent theatres, the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky, will commence. Valery Gergiev will take the conductor’s podium for all the inaugural events of the new seasons in both Moscow and St Petersburg.

The 242^nd season at the acoustically impeccable Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre will open on 5 September. The evening will feature Beethoven’s masterpiece, Missa solemnis, celebrating its 200^th anniversary this year. The performance will involve a large symphony orchestra, organ, mixed choir and four soloists: Anastasia Kalagina, Alexander Mikhailov, Yekaterina Sergeyeva and Miroslav Molchanov. The orchestra’s soloist will be Lorenz Nasturica-Herschcowici (violin), with Valery Gergiev conducting. On 6 September the new season at Mariinsky II will begin with Musorgsky’s monumental opera Khovanshchina. The lead roles will be performed by the brightest stars of the opera company: Yulia Matochkina, Stanislav Trofimov, Mikhail Petrenko, Sergei Skorokhodov, Oleg Videman, Vladislav Sulimsky and Andrei Popov, all under the baton of Valery Gergiev. On 14 September the Historic Stage will open with the season’s first performance of Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky, in Yuri Temirkanov’s legendary production. The principal roles will be sung by Alexey Markov, Inara Kozlovskaya, Igor Morozov and Yekaterina Sergeyeva.

The Mariinsky Theatre’s ballet season will commence on 17 September with the enchanting Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky. The role of Odette/Odile will be performed by a Mariinsky Theatre principal dancer and People’s Artist of Russia Viktoria Tereshkina, while the role of Prince Siegfried – by a brilliant Mariinsky Theatre principal dancer Kimin Kim. This performance will be dedicated to the anniversary of the esteemed teacher Marina Alexandrovna Vasilieva, who has nurtured a generation of Mariinsky Theatre ballerinas. The Bolshoi Theatre will begin its 249^th season on 7 September. At 12:00 at the Historic Stage, under the direction of Valery Gergiev, the audience will hear outstanding works by two of Russia’s greatest composers: Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and Moscow cantata, as well as Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky cantata. In the evening, at 19:00, the Historic Stage will host the premiere of a revival of one of the world’s greatest ballet masterpieces, based on Charles Perrault’s beloved fairy tale, – Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty. The choreography by Marius Petipa will be presented in the revision by Yuri Grigorovich, with set design by Simon Virsaladze and revival choreography by Regina Nikiforova. The role of Princess Aurora will be performed by a Bolshoi Theatre principal dancer Elizaveta Kokoreva, and the role of Prince Désiré – by a Bolshoi Theatre principal dancer and Honoured Artist of Russia Artem Ovcharenko. The performance will be conducted by maestro Valery Gergiev. A public broadcast will take place on a large screen set up in Theatre Square, in front of the Historic Stage. In addition, the live broadcast of the Bolshoi Theatre’s season opening can be seen on large screens at the October Cinema in Moscow and in over 100 major cinemas across Russia.

The broadcast will also be available online on the official Bolshoi Theatre page on VKontakte.

The broadcast is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, KARO Cinema, Kino.Art.Pro, Channel One, Kommersant Publishing House and VKontakte.

The new, 242^nd season at the Mariinsky Theatre will start on 5 September. The first month of autumn promises a parade of events featuring renowned musicians from the opera and ballet stages.

The Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre will first open its doors on 5 September with Valery Gergiev, opera soloists, the Mariinsky Chorus and the Mariinsky Orchestra presenting Beethoven’s Missa solemnis. The concert will feature soloist Lorenz Nasturica-Herschcowici, leader of the Stradivarius Ensemble. A daytime concert by the celebrated Baroque string ensemble under the direction of Lorenz Nasturica-Herschcowici will precede the season’s opening at 14:00, featuring Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence.

The ensemble and maestro will perform again on 15 September, including Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, Britten’s Simple Symphony and Schubert–Mahler’s Der Tod und das Mädchen. On 25 September the Stradivarius Ensemble concert will feature a special guest – the German violist Wilfried Strehle, with compositions by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Stravinsky and Piazzolla. The musician will also appear in concerts by the Mariinsky Stradivarius Quintet on 18 and 24 September. The events’ second special guest will be Justus Frantz (piano).

Other notable musicians in September include the Iranian conductor Alexander Rahbari. On 26 September he will present the unique programme Persian Echoes, which blends European classical music with works by composers following Eastern traditions. The programme will feature the harp concerto Persian Echoes by the Iranian composer Amir Mahyar Tafreshipour (soloist Elisaveta Alexandrova), Alexander Arutiunian’s Trumpet Concerto (soloist Timur Martynov) and Schubert’s Ninth Symphony.

On 27 September under the direction of Christian Knapp the Concert Hall will feature Holst’s The Planets and Elgar’s Cello Concerto, with the young star and winner of the XVII International Tchaikovsky Competition Ivan Sendetsky as soloist. On 14 September the Mariinsky Theatre’s Principal Guest Conductor and Chief Conductor of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra Haoran Li will present Beethoven’s and Mahler’s First symphonies with the Mariinsky Orchestra. He will also conduct Puccini’s Madama Butterfly on 12 September.

The opera season at the Mariinsky Theatre opens on 6 September with Musorgsky’s Khovanshchina on the New Stage featuring a star-studded cast including Yulia Matochkina, Stanislav Trofimov, Mikhail Petrenko, Sergei Skorokhodov, Oleg Videman, Vladislav Sulimsky and Andrei Popov, conducted by Valery Gergiev.

Another stellar lineup awaits the audience on 8 September. Mikhail Petrenko, Irina Churilova, Mikhail Vekua, Andrei Zorin, Yaroslav Petryanik, Anna Kiknadze and Yevgeny Nikitin will perform in the 240^th season’s major premiere of a new production of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, conducted by Valery Gergiev. In September the maestro will also conduct other Wagnerian operas: Lohengrin (16 September), Tristan und Isolde (21 and 23 September).

On 10 September renowned soprano Hibla Gerzmava will take on the title role in Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur. Recall that last season marked the singer’s world debut in this role at the Mariinsky Theatre. The incomparable Ekaterina Semenchuk can be heard twice in September. On 14 September the star mezzo-soprano will perform the title role in Bizet’s Carmen, and on 18 September she will take on the role of Lisa in Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades, both conducted by Valery Gergiev. On 22 September, to mark the 105^th anniversary of Mieczysław Weinberg’s birth, his opera The Idiot will be performed in the Concert Hall, featuring Vladislav Sulimsky as Rogozhin, who performed the same role at the Salzburg Festival in August.

The season on the Historic Stage opens on 14 September with Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, featuring the golden voices of the Mariinsky Theatre including Alexey Markov, Inara Kozlovskaya, Igor Morozov and Ekaterina Sergeeva.

The ballet season opens on 17 September with Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, featuring the splendid Viktoria Tereshkina and Kimin Kim. The performance will celebrate the anniversary of the distinguished teacher Marina Vasilieva, who has nurtured a generation of Mariinsky ballerinas. Viktoria Tereshkina will again perform in the role of Odette–Odile on 29 September, partnered by star premier Vladimir Shklyarov. On 20 and 30 September the role of the swan queen will be performed by Oxana Skorik; and on 26 September the prima ballerina will appear as Zarema in The Fountain of Bakhchisarai by Asafyev. The performance is timed to coincide with the 90^th anniversary of the world premiere and the 140^th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

In September the Historic Stage will also host Anyuta to the music of Gavrilin featuring Nadezhda Batoeva (21 September) and Renata Shakirova (22 September at 19:00), Don Quixote by Minkus featuring Olesya Novikova and Philipp Stepin (24 September), Renata Shakirova and Kimin Kim (25 September). On the New Stage on 19 September the impressive ballet The Twelve by Tishchenko in Alexander Sergeev’s choreography will be presented. The part of the narrator will be performed by Ekaterina Kondaurova. The evening’s soloists will also include Konstantin Zverev, Nadezhda Batoeva, Alexei Timofeyev, Maxim Zyuzin and May Nagahisa.

Dear Patrons, the final performance of our 241^st season will grace the Historic Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre on 11 August. We eagerly anticipate the opening of the new season on 5 September.

During the interim, box office hours at the theatre’s foyer locations will be adjusted. However, tickets for upcoming season events are available around the clock on our website.

Box Office Closures:
Mariinsky Theatre building (Teatralnaya Pl., 1): 12 August to 9 September.

Mariinsky-2 building (Decabristov St., 34): 7 to 19 August.

Mariinsky Concert Hall building (Pisareva St., 20, entrance via Decabristov St., 37): 30 July to 3 September.

For further details on ticket purchases, please visit our website.

On 7 August 2024 the Mariinsky Theatre proudly declared the close of its 241^st season, a year brimming with artistic triumphs and innovative performances.

The season concluded with two exceptional operas: Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande graced the Concert Hall on 29 July, while Wagner’s monumental Götterdämmerung, the concluding opera of the Der Ring des Nibelungen cycle, resonated through Mariinsky-2 on 6 August. The Historic Stage bid farewell to the season with a final performance of Swan Lake by the Leonid Yacobson Ballet Theatre on 11 August.

The 241^st season saw eight premieres, showcasing operas such as Rubinstein’s The Demon, Bellini’s I puritani, Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots, Rossini’s La Cenerentola and Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos. The ballet repertoire expanded with Anyuta, set to music by Gavrilin and choreographed by Vladimir Vasiliev, as well as Concert Dances, set to music by Stravinsky, and Delibes’ Coppélia, choreographed by Alexander Sergeev. A novel educational initiative, Theatrical Lesson, also debuted, offering immersive performances for ninth-grade students, a programme set to continue into the new season.

The Mariinsky Theatre’s St Petersburg stages welcomed nearly two million patrons throughout the season, presenting 363 ballet performances, 495 opera performances and 454 concerts, including events featuring guest ensembles. Over twenty live broadcasts and four recorded performances reached a global audience of over seven million viewers, spanning fifty-two countries across continents.

The Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre thrived, attracting over 200,000 attendees and showcasing 109 ballet performances, 151 operas and forty-five concerts. The company unveiled new productions of Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges and Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta, alongside a musical fantasy, The Bremen Town Musicians by Gladkov, tailored for young audiences. The Primorsky Stage also embarked on a triumphant tour, captivating audiences in Harbin (China), Doha (Qatar), Pyongyang (DPRK) and various cities across Russia.

The Mariinsky Theatre’s branch in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania welcomed nearly 60,000 spectators to its stages, presenting ninety-seven operas, thirty ballets and eighty-nine concerts. The season’s highlights included the premieres of the ballets Fatima with music by Zhanna Pliyeva and The Picture of Dorian Gray with music by Max Richter, Murat Kabardokov and Abel Korzeniowski, as well as the operas Fedora by Giordano, The Dawns Here Are Quiet by Molchanov and Iolanta. The company also embarked on a successful tour, enchanting audiences in Tskhinval, Sukhum, Volgodonsk, Chelyabinsk and St Petersburg.

The 241^st season featured the Genius of the Place project, a festival of musical tributes to renowned Russian composers. Valery Gergiev, alongside artists from the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres, performed nearly thirty times in Tikhvin, Pskov, Votkinsk, Smolensk, Oranienbaum and St Petersburg, showcasing works by Rimsky-Korsakov, Musorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Glinka and Stravinsky. This event was made possible through the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, and Rosconcert.

This season also marked the first time in history that the Moscow Easter Festival featured artists from the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia. A combined symphony orchestra from the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres, led by Valery Gergiev, presented the symphony programme for the twenty-third festival. Over twenty-two festival days, the musicians journeyed over 15,000 kilometres, performing in twenty-four cities across Russia. The Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre also joined the festivities for the first time, presenting the Far Eastern Easter Festival in Sakhalin Region, Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk Krai.

The 241^st season witnessed the most extensive tour of the Mariinsky Theatre in China to date, with performances in six cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Harbin, Taiyuan and Zhuhai. The company garnered immense acclaim for its presentations of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Minkus’ Don Quixote, the complete cycle of Richard Wagner’s monumental Der Ring des Nibelungen in updated stagings, and nine symphonic concerts, one of which inaugurated the new hall at Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts.

The Mariinsky Theatre also graced stages in three cities in Turkey (Ankara, Istanbul and the ancient city of Aspendos), the capitals of Uzbekistan and Abkhazia, and numerous locations across Russia.

The 241^st season saw a significant revival of exchange tours between the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres, marking the first time in two decades that these two leading Russian institutions performed on each other’s stages. Throughout the season St Petersburg audiences enjoyed Bolshoi Theatre productions, while Moscow audiences experienced Mariinsky Theatre performances.

Both theatres jointly celebrated significant anniversaries in the world of art, including the 225^th anniversary of Pushkin’s birth, the 220^th anniversary of Glinka’s birth, the 185^th anniversary of Musorgsky’s birth and the 180^th anniversary of Rimsky-Korsakov’s birth.

The Mariinsky Theatre’s 241^st season was a resounding success, showcasing the institution’s unwavering commitment to artistic excellence, cultural exchange and community engagement. The new, 242^nd season promises to be equally captivating, with a diverse programme of performances and events that will continue to inspire and enthral audiences around the world.

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.