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The Mariinsky Orchestra will present two major symphonic works by Gustav Mahler in Vladivostok in the year of the composer’s 165^th birthday, under the baton of maestro Valery Gergiev. Mahler’s First and Seventh Symphonies will be performed for the first time on the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre in a concert to take place on October 11, 2025.

Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, also known as Titan, is an autobiographical one and refers to the composer himself. For it, Gustav Mahler used the title of his favorite book by the German writer Jean Paul (real name Johann Paul Friedrich Richter). The Symphony took a long time to be composed and was completed in 1888. However, the composer created two more versions, the latest of which features an expanded orchestra and is performed today on top stages around the world.

The composer’s Symphony No. 7 features unexpected contrasts at times. It is a story of ups and downs, constantly shifting from major key to minor key and back again.

As a reminder, the opera program of the X International Mariinsky Far East Festival in Vladivostok will open with a concert performance of the opera The Queen of Spades by Pyotr Tchaikovsky – another composer celebrating an anniversary this year.

The parts will be performed by soloists of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre: Alena Diyanova, Laura Bustamante, Tatiana Makarchuk, Alexei Repin, Yevgeny Plekhanov, Dmitry Migulyov, Alexei Kostyuk, Ilya Astafurov, Anastasia Gensler, Olga Zharikova, Elena Glushenko, and Vsevolod Marilov. The lead male part of Herman will be performed by Mariinsky Theatre guest soloist Mikhail Pirogov.

The opera program of the Festival will also feature the Primorsky Opera Company’s recent breakthrough premiere, Il trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi.

All events will be accompanied by the Mariinsky Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev.

The October playbill of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre has opened with the first premiere of the season – the colorful, joyful family ballet La fille mal gardée, revised by Oleg Vinogradov, People’s Artist of the USSR. The legendary choreographer has presented this comedy ballet in classical choreography, replete with graceful combinations, spins, jumps, and even acrobatic elements. The virtuoso performances and acting skills of the company’s dancers have earned the most enthusiastic reviews from the audience and a standing ovation. The next performances of the ballet will take place on November 8 and December 6, 2025.

The opera part of the X International Mariinsky Far East Festival will become the next major event on the Primorsky Stage. The public will be treated to large-scale masterpieces by the composers celebrating anniversaries this year: a concert performance of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s opera The Queen of Spades (October 10, 2025) and Gustav Mahler’s Symphonies (October 11, 2025), as well as the major premiere of the previous season, Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Il trovatore (October 11, 2025). All those events will be accompanied by the Mariinsky Orchestra conducted by maestro Valery Gergiev.

The month will continue with a lavish repertoire program.

The opera company will present large-scale performances along with some chamber comic productions: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (October 23 and 25, 2025), burlesque opera Mavra (October 17 and 31, 2025), Johann Strauss II’s operetta Die Fledermaus (October 18, 2025 at 14:00 and 19:00), as well as a multifaceted program for children. The Chamber Hall of the Primorsky Stage will host performances of The Little Prince (October 12, 2025), Murych the Cat (October 19, 2025), and The Turnip (October 26, 2025 at 12:00 and 14:00).

The October ballet repertoire features dynamic performances of Le Corsaire by Adolphe Adam (October 12, 2025) and Don Quixote (October 19 and 26, 2025), along with legendary classics such as Ludwig Minkus’s La Bayadère (October 16 and 17, 2025), Adolphe Adam’s Giselle (October 22 and 24, 2025), and Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker (October 30 and 31, 2025).

The October playbill of the Primorsky Stage also features a comeback of Scenic Introduction educational project where the theatre-goers will be able to learn about the Theatre’s events. Oleg Vinogradov, choreographer and director of the celebrated premiere of La fille mal gardée ballet, has participated in one of the meetings with the audience. The upcoming events of the cycle will take place in October as part of the opening of the opera part of the International Mariinsky Far East Festival, preceding a concert performance of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s opera The Queen of Spades. For the first time, the project events will take place in the Chamber Hall of the Primorsky Stage, before the opera Mavra.

On October 3 and 4, 2025, the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will host the major premiere of the 2025/26 season: the ballet La fille mal gardée revised by Oleg Vinogradov, People’s Artist of the USSR, and Vyacheslav Okunev, People’s Artist of Russia.

La fille mal gardée is the oldest ballet that has survived to the present day. Staged in 1789 in France, it continues to flourish on many stages throughout the world. Although the ballet was originally staged by Jean Dauberval in 1789, its modern version lives thanks to the music by Louis Hérold (1828). The airy, melodic, and witty score, rich in folk motifs, vividly portrays the characters and sets up an atmosphere of a heartfelt village celebration.

It is a comic story where a mother attempts to marry her daughter off profitably, but fails thoroughly, and true love takes the upper hand over self-interest. This triumph of love is brought to life through a brilliant choreographic solution. Legendary choreographer Oleg Vinogradov is working with the Primorsky Stage ballet company in Vladivostok.

“This is a festive ballet, filled with the joy of life, merriment, and a multitude of comic situations. In this performance, you can enjoy authentic French music and, of course, classical choreography performed by virtuoso dancers”, the choreographer noted.

The leading parts of the lovers, Lise and Colas, will be performed in the premiere days by leading soloists Irina Sapozhnikova and Shizuru Kato (October 3, 2025), Anna Samostrelova and Sergei Amanbaev (October 4, 2025), and Lada Sartakova and Denis Klepikov (October 4, 2025). The part of the couple’s main antagonist, Lise’s mother, Marcelina, will be performed by ballet company dancers Mikhail Shulaev (October 3, 2025), Kirill Trunin (October 4, 2025), and Alexei Kalinin (October 4, 2025).

An encounter within the framework of Scenic Introduction project taking place an hour before the performance on October 3, 2025, will come as a special treat for the audiences. There, ballet connoisseurs will have a chance to meet the production’s choreographer, Oleg Vinogradov, and the Ballet Artistic Director of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, Eldar Aliev.

On October 10 and 11, 2025, the opening of the Opera Part of the anniversary X International Mariinsky Far East Festival will be solemnized at the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra will perform outstanding compositions by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Gustav Mahler whose jubilees are celebrated this year and Il trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi, which is a recent high-profile premiere at the Primorsky Stage.

On October 10, 2025, as part of the general celebration of the 185^th anniversary of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s birth, the Festival will open with his opera The Queen of Spades to be performed in concert. Due to the exciting plot with the eternal themes of fate and love, exquisite arias, graceful ensembles, and the impressive in its depth and psychologism music, this opera has become the pinnacle of musical theatre and one of the most popular names all over the world. The Mariinsky Orchestra will be conducted by Valery Gergiev.

The Mariinsky Theatre continues to be dedicated to honouring another eminent composer as well. On the occasion of the 165^th anniversary of Gustav Mahler’s birth, his compositions will be performed by the Mariinsky Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev on October 11, 2025 for the first time in Vladivostok.

Verdi’s Il trovatore, which was premiered in the 2024–2025 season at the Primorsky Stage, will put another considerable accent on the opera programme on October 11, 2025. The production staged by Vyacheslav Starodubtsev and designed by Pyotr Okunev, became a high-profile event in Vladivostok’s cultural life in May 2025. The laconic and vivid set design of the performance aims to highlight the tragically impressive story and emphasize its emotional tension. The costumes and scenes have been made in shops of the Primorsky Stage. Valery Gergiev will conduct the Mariinsky Orchestra.

As in the previous year, the International Mariinsky Far East Festival will be held in two parts. The Festival ballet programme and its dates will be announced later.

The principal dancer of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre Shizuru Kato and the soloist Saki Nishida took part in the round table “Arts under 30: How Young Professionals from Russia and Asia are Changing the Theatre Industry”, which was held as part of the educational programme of the Eastern Economic Forum. Kimin Kim, principal dancer of the Ballet Company of the Mariinsky Theatre, joined the event remotely.

The event, dedicated to the 150^th anniversary of the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia, brought together on one platform several outstanding representatives of the new generation of theatre leaders who are already determining the vectors of cultural cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

The discussion was moderated by Vyacheslav Starodubtsev, rector of the Novosibirsk Conservatory and chairman of the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia Commission on Education. Participants from Russia, China, Japan and South Korea discussed issues and current topics pertaining to the drama theatre and the music theatre, as well as to the ballet art.

It was a spirited debate, challenging and full of specific examples from the participants’ creative lives. Among other things, the participants dwelt on the issues and difficulties encountered by artists and stage directors engaged in international projects, in particular, the language barrier, cultural diversity and differences in professional terminology.

The Mariinsky Theatre artists shared their experience of how professional skills helped them overcome the existing differences in the training of artists coming from abroad.

The principal dancer of the Mariinsky Theatre Kimin Kim said that he did not encounter any language difficulties at the beginning of his career in Russia. The artist is confident that the universal language of choreography, facial expressions and the ballet art philosophy help dancers and teachers understand each other without words.

The soloist of the Primorsky Stage Saki Nishida expanded this concept, also noting that over her lengthy stay in Russia, she has got closer to the Russian people. The ballerina emphasized that she felt more confident with her Russian colleagues and loved to work with them, because, unlike the Japanese, they tend to show their emotions more vividly.

The principal dancer of the Primorsky Stage Shizuru Kato noted that he had been living in Russia for 7 years and during this time, self-control and discipline, which are taught specifically in Russian ballet, had become the most important things in his performances.

The round table “Arts under 30: How Young Professionals from Russia and Asia are Changing the Theatre Industry” was organized by Roscongress Foundation and the Union of Theatre Workers of the Russian Federation.

Early autumn is going to be a busy time for the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. In September, the theatre-goers will witness the long-awaited return of the ballet A Thousand and One Nights, the cultural programme of the EEF, a concert performance of The Queen of Spades opera, always relevant classics along with cheerful operas.

From September 3 to 7, 2025, the Great and Chamber Halls of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will be hosting special events of the EEF 2025 cultural programme. The Forum guests and participants will be treated to the life-affirming opera Iolanta by Pyotr Tchaikovsky (September 3, 2025 at 20:00), a concert by virtuoso pianist Denis Matsuev accompanied by the Russian National Youth Symphony Orchestra (September 4, 2025 at 21:00), the ballet A Thousand and One Nights by Fikret Amirov (September 5 and 6, 2025 at 14:00 and 19:00), the burlesque opera Mavra by Igor Stravinsky (September 5, 2025 at 19:30), the opera for the youngest audiences Murych the Cat (September 6, 2025 at 12:00), and the opera Aida by Giuseppe Verdi (September 7, 2025 at 19:00).

The opera repertoire of September includes always relevant works of the classical heritage: the lyrical Eugene Onegin by Pyotr Tchaikovsky (September 10, 2025 at 19:00), Johann Strauss II’s festive operetta Die Fledermaus (September 12, 2025 at 19:00), the colorful The Tale of Tsar Saltan (September 14, 2025 at 14:00), the dramatic Pagliacci (September 17, 2025 at 19:00), the passionate Carmen (September 19, 2025 at 19:00), the fervent The Love for Three Oranges (September 21, 2025 at 17:00), the sparkling Don Pasquale (September 28, 2025 at 17:00).

The concert performance of The Queen of Spades by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, an exceptional event, will be presented on September 26, 2025 at 19:00. The impressive depth and psychological insight of the outstanding composer’s music have made this work one of the most famous and popular in the world. A gripping plot, elegant arias and ensembles, eternal themes of fate and love, and a tragic climax have made this opera the pinnacle of musical theatre.

The September ballet playbill presents grand performances of Raymonda by Alexander Glazunov (September 11 and 13, 2025), Swan Lake by Pyotr Tchaikovsky (September 18 and 20, 2025), the 20^th century ballets Les Noces and Petrouchka by Igor Stravinsky (September 25, 2025 at 19:00).

The gem of the playbill, Fikret Amirov’s ballet A Thousand and One Nights, is returning to its home stage after a lengthy tour. The production, which has been included in the Golden Pool of the Russian Theatrical Productions, will be presented five times in September: as part of the EEF 2025, on September 5 and 6, 2025, and also at the end of the month on September 27, 2025 at 14:00 and 19:00. The two acts of the ballet narrate the most famous tales of the literary collection A Thousand and One Nights. All the stories serve as illustrations of the main female qualities, such as beauty, love and wisdom. The music of the ballet, according to the plot, recreates the flavor of the Middle East. This ballet also features female voice and the chorus, which make it so special.

The youngest connoisseurs will encounter their favorite performances in the Chamber Hall: Murych the Cat (September 6, 2025) and The Little Prince (September 13, 2025).

In addition, guests will be given a chance to learn the most interesting facts, theatrical stories, get to know behind-the-scenes content and the people who create the magic of the theatre during excursions that will be held on September 12, 13, 14, 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28, 2025.

The programme of the 10^th Eastern Economic Forum at the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will include large-scale and chamber productions, outstanding and emerging musicians, and also – for the first time – a children’s opera.

From September 3 to 7, 2025, the Great and Chamber Halls of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will host special events of the cultural programme of the EEF 2025.

On September 3, 2025, the playbill features the life-affirming opera by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Iolanta. Written at the end of the composer’s creative journey, Iolanta became one of his most radiant works. It was in this opera that the theme of love was revealed so vividly and eloquently: a sacrifice in the name of love and the victory of this lucent and sincere feeling over circumstances.

On September 4, 2025, the renowned virtuoso pianist Denis Matsuev will traditionally perform at the Primorsky Stage, accompanied by a unique ensemble and the largest youth music project in the country, the Russian National Youth Symphony Orchestra (RNYSO). The Orchestra consists of 128 performers from 35 regions of Russia. The Orchestra members collaborate with outstanding conductors and artists, which plays an important role in their professional development. In Vladivostok, the RNYSO will perform together with such famous, renowned musicians as Andrey Ivanov (double bass), Alexander Zinger (drums), Ekaterina Mochalova (domra, mandolin), and Borislav Strulev (cello). 

On September 5 and 6, 2025 (14:00 and 19:00), the gem of the repertoire, Fikret Amirov’s ballet A Thousand and One Nights, will be presented to residents and guests of Primorsky Region. The production, included in the Golden Pool of the Russian Theatrical Productions, has become the most frequently performed ballet of the company on tour in Russia and abroad. Six performances will be held on the home stage in September, three of them as part of the EEF cultural programme.

On September 5, 2025, the burlesque opera Mavra will be performed in the Chamber Hall. Igor Stravinsky’s chamber opera, based on the poem by Alexander Pushkin The Little House in Kolomna, is staged at the Primorsky Stage in the spirit of the famous Russian dressing-up vaudevilles. In this production, musical scenes coexist with conversational ones, and the personages are not only the characters of the opera, but also the characters introduced by the stage director.

On September 6, 2025, the playbill of the Chamber Hall will be featuring an opera for the youngest audiences, Murych the Cat by Sergei Banevich. Banevich’s music has brought up more than one generation of listeners. The composer understands well how the small children perceive theatrical performances, and knows how to compose music that will be accessible, but at the same time professionally made. The story about the resourceful and slightly boastful cat Murych, celebrating his birthday with his family and friends, is designed for the youngest audiences and will find a lively response from both children and their parents. 

The lush cultural programme of the EEF 2025 will be rounded up on September 7, 2025 by the grand opera by Giuseppe Verdi, Aida. The sharp psychological drama of the plot, which is based on the eternal conflict between duty and feeling, will be enveloped in the Ancient Egypt exoticism, grand-scale crowd scenes, large ensembles, ballet numbers, choruses, and processions. In this opera, the orchestra presents a filigree illustration of each hero, endowing them with certain traits. The Mariinsky Orchestra of the Primorsky Stage will present a unique instrument, the cimbasso, created specifically for Verdi’s masterpieces.

On August 17, 2025, as part of the White Steamer National Children Musical Charitable Festival, the concert was held at the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre.

The best compositions loved by many generations, including music from Soviet and foreign feature films and animated cartoons, classical masterpieces and folk songs, were on the programme of the concert “Childhood”. The concert reflected various sides of childhood such as fairy tales, everyday school life, carefree games, motherly love, childhood in wartime, strong friendship, and love of country. 

The concert was attended by such opera soloists as Lyubov Petrova, Igor Morozov, Nikolay Didenko, and Oleg Didenko, jazz singer Maria Vinogradova, the vocal group Quartet PRO, the White Steamer Festival chorus, and the Festival instrumental group under the leadership of Alexander Pokidchenko. Host of the concert: Dmitry Guberniev. Artistic Director of the White Steamer Festival: Nikolay Didenko.

The White Steamer Children Musical Festival is a unique social project which has no analogues and in which children with a difficult past take part, who have gone through a competitive selection throughout Russia. When selecting participants, particular attention is given to children who are physically challenged, disabled or made orphans and who are raised in single-parent, low-income or large families or lost their fathers during the Special Military Operation. For the Festival’s 20-year history over 10,000 musically gifted children have taken part in it. With support from the White Steamer Foundation, many of them have entered the best music educational institutions in Russia.

The Festival goes on in the form of intensive creative sessions which include choral and vocal classes, master classes and meetings with leading cultural figures. In three weeks of vocal and choral classes, Festival teachers together with children prepare a large-scale profound programme. Any session culminates in gala concerts. In 2025, such gala concerts are to be given in Vladivostok, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk, and Kazan. The final concert will take place on the Historic Stage of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

Lada Sartakova, prima ballerina of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, received the 2^nd prize at the I International Ballet Competition held in Liaoning Province, China. The dancer performed in the professional category in the Duet nomination together with the Primorsky Stage premier Denis Klepikov.

In their program, Lada Sartakova and Denis Klepikov presented Pas de deux from The Nutcracker to the music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Pas d’Esclave from Le Corsaire to the music by Adolphe Adam, choreographed by Eldar Aliev. They also performed the QuantAv dance piece to the music by Sergei Rachmaninoff, choreographed by Vladislav Rzhevsky.

The stage of the Liaoning Grand Theatre in Shenyang hosted over 400 participants in the professional and amateur categories. The jury consisted of outstanding ballet dancers, ballet art teachers and theorists. The chairman of the jury was Professor of Beijing Dance Academy Xiao Suhua. The board was also honored by Ballet Artistic Director of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre Eldar Aliev, Artistic Director of the Seoul Ballet, President of the Korean International Ballet Competition Jae Keun Park, outstanding dancers Vladimir Malakhov, Viviana Durante and Manuel Legris, and choreographer Patrick de Bana.

The first place in the female Duet nomination among professionals was won by the Chinese ballet dancer Sun Huixin (Liaoning Ballet), and the third place went to the first soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre Elena Svinko.

The Competition in Shenyang, one of China’s largest cities and the capital of Liaoning Province, took place from August 8 to 14, 2025.

The Ballet Company of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre traditionally opens the new season on tour in Saint Petersburg. The performances will be given both at the Historical and New Stages of the Mariinsky Theatre from July 29, 2025 to August 8, 2025.

Primary parts will be performed by Primorsky Stage dancers known to the Saint Petersburg public, such as Irina Sapozhnikova, Anna Samostrelova, Sergei Umanetc, Shizuru Kato, Sergei Borovykh, Alexei Golubov, and Yuri Zinnurov, as well as Lada Sartakova and Denis Klepikov who were recently promoted to be principals and Sergei Amanbaev who became a first soloist.

Such Mariinsky soloists as Anastasia Lukina, Maria Bulanova and Ruslan Stenyushkin and principal dancer Renata Shakirova will take part in the performances.

Razmik Marukyan – from this season he is a principal dancer of the Primorsky Stage – will first appear in Saint Petersburg. Prizewinner at the Russian Open Ballet Competition “Arabesque” named after Ekaterina Maximova and the Yury Grigorovich “Young Ballet of the World” International Competition, he will perform the primary parts in Le Corsaire and Giselle.

For this tour the Primorsky Stage has prepared for Saint Petersburg residents and city visitors both original versions which can be enjoyed only in Vladivostok and classical ballets. All the performances are knit together by wonderful and fairytale motifs and by magic and suspense stories.

The series of performances at the Historical Stage will be opened with Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker choreographed by Eldar Aliev, Ballet Artistic Director of the Primorsky Stage (on July 29, July 30, August 7 and August 8, 2025). This fairytale ballet has had a long and happy life on its home stage for more than 10 years. It is always a great success and invariably fascinates the public.

Adolphe Adam’s sea ballet Le Corsaire will be performed in its original choreography on July 31 and August 3, 2025. Giselle – another romantic ballet by Adam – will be presented in its classical version on August 5 and August 6, 2025.

At the New Stage, the Ballet Company of the Primorsky Stage will present a pearl of their repertoire – the 20^th century ballet A Thousand and One Nights by Fikret Amirov (on August 1 and August 2, 2025). This performance is a calling card of the Ballet Company and has already been often performed on tours in Russia, Oman, Qatar and Belarus. In 2025 A Thousand and One Nights became part of the Golden Pool of the Russian Theatrical Productions.

It should be noted that it is by now a good tradition that the Ballet Company of the Primorsky Stage goes on tour to Saint Petersburg twice a year. It is an opportunity for the local public to enjoy original versions of classical ballets and discover new dancers for themselves.