"The Stars of the White Nights 2025" International Ballet and Opera Festival

Stars of the White Nights Music Festival was commenced on 27 and 28 May at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, heralding the most anticipated event of the theatre season. This annual festival promises a dazzling array of major ballet and opera premieres, outstanding guest performances, repertoire rarities, unique musical programs, and timeless classics featuring world-renowned stars.

On the eve of the festival's grand opening, the Mariinsky Theatre has prepared a special concert gift for its audience. On 26 May at 18:00 Denis Matsuev performed Prokofiev's Second Piano Concerto with the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev, at the Concert Hall. The program was included additional pieces.

The festival at Mariinsky II was opened on 27 May with Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades, commemorating the 225th anniversary of Alexander Pushkin's birth. This performance featured a stellar cast including Oleg Dolgov (Bolshoi Theatre), Irina Churilova, Olga Borodina, Vladislav Sulimsky, and Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar, conducted by Valery Gergiev. The historical stage marked the festival's start with the ballet Giselle, featuring Oksana Skorik, Nikita Korneyev, Roman Belyakov, and Anastasia Kolegova. The Concert Hall opened its doors for the festival a day later, on May 28, with a performance by the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Valery Gergiev.

June featured major events such as the Verdi Festival and the celebration of Stravinsky's birthday, the striking premiere of Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos directed by Sergey Novikov, and the Saint Petersburg premiere of the ballet Concert Dances to Stravinsky's music choreographed by Alexander Sergeev. Additionally, there was guest performances by the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia featuring the ballet Ivan the Terrible to the music of Prokofiev. In June, the Mariinsky has prepared four generous subscription series for viewers: the "Giuseppe Verdi Festival," "Igor Stravinsky's Birthday," "Pushkin-225," and "Brightest Premieres at the Mariinsky Theatre" – a unique opportunity to see all the newest and most impressive in the repertoire.

The Verdi Festival featured both popular and rare operas by the composer: Falstaff conducted by Valery Gergiev (4 June), Rigoletto (7 June), Aida (8 June at 13:00 and 19:00), La Traviata (9 June at 14:00 and 19:30), Macbeth (11 June), A Masked Ball (23 June), and The Force of Destiny (24 June).

In honor of Igor Stravinsky's birthday, the ballet Concert Dances to the composer's music, choreographed by Alexander Sergeev, premiered in Saint Petersburg. Performances can be seen at Mariinsky II on 15 and 16 June (at 13:00 and 19:00), and 17 June. The evening was also featured the rarely performed ballet The Fairy's Kiss by Stravinsky, choreographed by Maxim Petrov. The historical stage was also host Concert Dances on 28 June, presented alongside the ballet The Firebird. The festival's concert hall program includes Stravinsky's works performed by the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra (16 June), the opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex (17 June), and the composer's vocal music (18 June).

Another notable June birthday is that of Alexander Pushkin, whose 225th anniversary is being celebrated extensively at the Mariinsky Theatre since the beginning of the year. Celebrations included a concert for the choir Pushkin's Garland by Sviridov (6 June), performances of the ballet The Fountain of Bakhchisarai by Asafiev (3 and 4 June), and the operas Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky (5 June) and The Tale of Tsar Saltan by Rimsky-Korsakov (16 June at 12:00 and 19:00).

In June, the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia returns to the Mariinsky with the ballet Ivan the Terrible to Prokofiev's music, choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich. Performances are scheduled for 11, 12, and 13 June at Mariinsky II.

A spectacular opera finale for the first month of summer was the premiere of Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos, directed by Sergey Novikov, remembered by Petersburgers for his production of Lakmé. Premiere performances are scheduled for 27, 28, and 29 June (at 13:00 and 19:00).

Among the repertoire rarities not to be missed are concert performances of Mussorgsky's The Fair at Sorochyntsi (8 June) and Donizetti's The Daughter of the Regiment (26 June), as well as performances by the Borodin Quartet (21 June) and the Renaissance Percussion ensemble (30 June).

Each year the Stars of the White Nights festival gathers world-renowned artists and ensembles at the Mariinsky Theatre. In July a series of events featuring outstanding singers, instrumentalists and conductors are expected on the theatre’s stages.

On 5 July audience favourite Ildar Abdrazakov performed the role of Philip II in Verdi’s Don Carlo. Joining him on stage was the golden voices of Irina Churilova, Yulia Matochkina, Najmiddin Mavlyanov and Alexey Markov.

The artist can be heard again on 10 July at the Concert Hall for the opening of the VII Ildar Abdrazakov Music Festival. The bass himself, along with participants of the Ildar Abdrazakov Summer School, performed arias and romances by Russian and foreign composers. Mzia Bakhturidze and Evgeny Sergeev was on piano.

The inimitable Elena Stikhina appeared three times at the Mariinsky Theatre in July. On 9 July she performed the title part in Richard Strauss’ Salome, which has become her signature role. On 15 July the singer could be heard in the chamber recital Strauss at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre, with Oksana Klevtsova on piano. And on 23 July Elena Stikhina was taken on the role of Kuma (Nastasya) in Tchaikovsky’s The Enchantress.

Having interrupted a long absence from the Mariinsky stage last November, the world opera star Ferruccio Furlanetto promised to return to St Petersburg for the Stars of the White Nights festival. And on 10 July the famous Italian bass performed the role of Jacopo Fiesco in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra.

On 19 July the Russian National Youth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev, played at the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre, with Denis Matsuev as the soloist.

Among the distinguished guest conductors are Alexander Rahbari and Justus Frantz. The Iranian maestro took the podium of the Mariinsky Orchestra on 18 July performing a programme titled Transfigured Night: Masterpieces from the Turn of the Century. The programme includes Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), the Suite No. 1 from Grieg’s music for Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt, Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) and the Suite No. 2 from Ravel’s ballet Daphnis et Chloé. The German maestro Justus Frantz  appeared twice: on 20 July he conducted Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and on 16 July he conducted Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio – this work was performed in its entirety for the first time in the recent history of the Mariinsky Theatre.

The XXXII  Stars of the White Nights Music Festival was run from 27 May to 1 August. The festival's rich program encompassed all the Saint Petersburg stages of the Mariinsky Theatre. The artistic director of the festival is Valery Gergiev. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.