The Royal Opera House Muscat is privileged to present Valery Gergiev, the superstar who reigns in the realm of the arts as one of the world's most illustrious conductors. Maestro Gergiev frequently performs at the Metropolitan Opera and is the director of several prestigious international festivals including Mariinsky's celebrated Stars of the White Nights.
Gergiev's career began in 1978 when he was appointed Assistant Conductor at the Kirov Opera (now the Mariinsky Opera) where he made his debut conducting Prokofiev's War and Peace. By 1988, at the age of thirty-four, Gergiev was appointed Artistic Director of the Mariinsky Theatre. And it is in that role that he is credited with almost single-handedly elevating the institution beyond its historic greatness. Since the early 1990's Gergiev has also conducted both operatic and orchestral repertoire at important venues around the world.
At ROHM, on a return engagement, Maestro Gergiev will conduct the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra and Chorus in two magnificent works: the orchestral version of Stravinsky's score for his famous ballet, The Firebird, which premiered in 1910 with Sergei Diaghilev's famous Ballets Russes; and Prokofiev's monumental symphonic work, Alexander Nevsky, op.78, a glorious cantata. Prokofiev originally composed the cantata as the soundtrack for Sergei Eisenstein's 1938 epic film enacting the momentous victory of Prince Alexander Nevsky over invading Teutonic Knights in the thirteenth century. This was one of many victories for Alexander Nevsky who served in three important princely realms – as Prince of Novgorod, Grand Prince of Kiev and Grand Prince of Vladimir. He was canonised as a Saint of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1547.
Maestro Valery Gergiev will conduct the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre on Friday, September 28th at 7:00 pm.