The Mariinsky Theater Press-service
World renowned conductor, the Music Director of the Mariinsky Theatre Valery Gergiev celebrates 65th anniversary today, May 2, Rossiyskaya Newspaper informs. Gergiev was born to Ossetian parents, spent his childhood in Ordzhonikidze city (now Vladikavkaz). He had his first piano lessons in secondary school, afterwords studied at the Leningrad Conservatory with the principal conducting teacher, legendary Ilya Musin.
Together with Gergiev, the birthday is celebrated by the Mariinsky Theatre - it turns 235 years. It's worth mentioning that Gergiev is heading the most prestigious music theater in Russia and abroad for more than 30 years.
Valery Gergiev has initiated many Russian music festivals around the world. In various years they were dedicated to the best Russian classical composers, such as Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky.
This is the seventieth time he celebrates his birthday at the Moscow Easter Festival, during which people from many Russian regions can hear Mariinsky Orchestra live. Today, May 2, there are two concerts in the Russia's capital. During the Moscow Easter Festival, the maestro and his musicians are moving in a special train. The theater has already covered more than 20,000 kilometres, and has had almost 40 concerts, 8 out of them were for a charitable cause.
Gergiev is one the most renown conductors in the world. He used to be a principal conductor at the London Symphonic Orchestra, Munich Orchestra, worked with Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.
Like Dmitry Shostakovich, Valery Gergiev is fond of soccer. FC Zenit Saint Petersburg and FC Alania Vladikavkaz are among his favorites.
Russkiy Mir
