1st Mariinsky International Ballet Festival St Petersburg, 10 - 18 February 2001 Artistic Director VALERY GERGIEV From 2001 on, the Mariinsky Theatre will annually present the MARIINSKY INTERNATIONAL BALLET FESTIVAL at the end of its winter season. The first festival will feature a combination of the famous ballets from the Mariinsky’s current repertoire and its new seasonal productions, as well as a retrospective selection from the company’s “Imperial” and “Soviet (Kirov)” periods. of his finest operas: Rigoletto, Aida and Macbeth. The new production for the season, Rigoletto, marks the long-awaited return to Olavinlinna of our Verdi specialist Ralf Långbacka. Not only does Långbacka possess endless powers of creation; he also has a phenomenal ability to bring opera alive on stage. By immersing himself in the score he is able to bring out the topical aspects of a work without placing it in a modern setting. His partnership and perfect understanding with stage and costume designer Lennart Mörk alone promise a wealth of operatic thrills in a production that will undoubtedly sell well abroad. Rigoletto will be premiered in the Castle on July 11, 2001 with Paolo Carignani conducting. a Zakharova, Diana Vishneva, Irma Nioradze, Farukh Ruzimatov, Igor Zelensky and Igor Kolb, international guests including Carlos Acosta, Sylvie Guillem, Vladimir Malakhov, Darcy Bussel, Julio Bocca will participate in this festival. They will join forces in the “Stars Gala”. Valery Gergiev will conduct the premiere of the new “Nutcracker” production at the Mariinsky Theatre, with sets and costume designs by Mihail Chemiakin, on January 14, 2001. He will also conduct the festival performance on February 12. For further information and ticket reservations please contact Katia Sirakanian at the Mariinsky Theatre: Tel: 7-812-114 30 39 Fax: 7-812-314 1744 E-mail: katiasir@mariinsky.spb.ru