Gergiev Valery Abisalovich

Gergiev Valery Abisalovich

Main article: History of music in Russia

Biography

In 1972 he graduated from the College of Arts (now the Vladikavkaz College of Arts named after V.A. Gergiev) in piano, in 1977 - the Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) State Conservatory named after N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov (class of conducting theorist, professor Ilya Mussin).

1978: Valery Gergiev conducts the first performance at the Mariinsky Theater

On January 12, 1978, Valery Gergiev, a recent graduate of the Leningrad Conservatory, conducted his first performance at the Kirov (Mariinsky) Theater. It was Prokofiev's opera War and Peace.

This is how the maestro himself recalls those days:

"My first step at the Mariinsky Theater is an unexpected opportunity for me to drive away the play 'War and Peace', which was then being prepared for the premiere, on which Yuri Temirkanov, Boris Pokrovsky and Joseph Sumbatashvili worked. I just became a theater intern and was Temirkanov's assistant in this production. In the theater, few people knew me. Yuri Khatuevich suddenly told me: 'Start a rehearsal, I want to listen to how it all sounds. A minute later I stood in front of the orchestra of the Kirov Theater.

After some time, Temirkanov told me: 'I think you will be the chief conductor in this theater, someday'.

1995-2022

In 1995-2008, Valery Gergiev served as chief conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, in 2007-2015 - the London Symphony Orchestra.

In 2015-2022 he was the chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra.

2023: Appointment as CEO of the Bolshoi Theater

On December 1, 2023, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree appointing Valery Gergiev as the new general director of the Bolshoi Theater for a period of five years. He replaced Vladimir Urin, who was relieved of this position of his own free will, according to the Telegram channel of the Cabinet.

Valery Gergiev noted that his first step as general director of the theater and chief conductor will be the production of the opera Khovanshchina by Modest Mussorgsky.

People's Artist of Russia, pianist Denis Matsuev called the appointment of Valery Gergiev as the new general director of the Bolshoi Theater a historical event for the culture of Russia and for the theater itself. According to Matsuev, after the change of leadership, the Bolshoi Theater is waiting for great creative achievements.

I am sure that we will all be waiting for the great creative achievements of everything, the theater in particular, each troupe - opera and ballet, of course. If Valery Abisalovich takes on something, I know it very well, he immerses himself in this story absolutely completely and with incredible dedication, - said the pianist in a conversation with RIA Novosti[1]

Awards

Gergiev three times laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation, People's Artist of Russia, Honored Artist, Hero of Labor, was awarded the Order of Merit to the Fatherland, II, III and IV degrees, the Order of Alexander Nevsky.

Notes