On May 24, 2026, the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre hosted two major events: a high-profile choral concert dedicated to the Day of Slavonic Literature, and the premiere of the opera La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini in concert performance.
In the afternoon, the Great Hall of the Theatre was occupied by children’s choirs, the Academic Chorus of the Far Eastern Federal University, and the Combined Children’s Choir of Primorsky Territory, who performed along with the Mariinsky Orchestra of the Primorsky Stage conducted by Waleriy Trubin-Leonoff. The concert programme included sacred works, secular music, and compositions for children’s choirs.
In the evening, the Primorsky Stage hosted the premiere performance of Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Bohème in concert. The opera soloists, the Chorus, and the Mariinsky Orchestra of the Primorsky Stage conducted by Evgeny Khokhlov presented the work by the outstanding Italian composer.
The libretto of La Bohème is based on Henri Murger’s novel, Scènes de la vie de Bohème. For Giacomo Puccini, the story was deeply personal. He completed the score in 8 months. During its first season in Turin, the opera enjoyed 24 sold-out performances and soon began its triumphant tour around the world. The Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg premiered it in Russian in 1900. On the Primorsky Stage, this masterpiece was performed for the first time.
