Speaker

Valery Gergiev, Conductor

The art of Valery Gergiev is in great demand throughout the world. His debut as a conductor at the Kirov Theatre (now the Mariinsky) came on January 12, 1978 with Sergei Prokofiev's opera War and Peace. In 1988 Valery Gergiev was appointed Music Director of the Mariinsky Theatre, and in 1996 he became its Artistic and General Director (leading the orchestra and opera and ballet companies). The Mariinsky Orchestra under Valery Gergiev has scaled new heights, assimilating not just opera and ballet scores, but also an expansive symphony music repertoire. The Mariinsky Theatre has become a major theatre and concert complex, without par anywhere in the world.

Valery Gergiev's international activities are no less intensive and active. From 1995 to 2008 Valery Gergiev was Principal Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic (of which he remains an honorary conductor to this day), and from 2007 to 2015 he was Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. Since autumn 2015 the maestro has headed the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra.

Valery Gergiev is the founder and director of prestigious international festivals. He also focuses much of his attention on working with young musicians. Gergiev’s artistic achievements have brought him numerous titles and awards.