The “golden age” started when Eduard Napravnik came to the theatre. Two outstanding musicians were at the sources of this troupe – Catarino Cavos had been leading it for almost 50 years then followed by Konstantin Lyadov. The history of one of the oldest Russian music bands goes back to the beginning of the 18th century, to the foundation of the court orchestra.

The Mariinsky orchestra was the first to bring to the public’s judgment compositions that later became the gold pool of European classics. Rachmaninov, Gustav Mahler, Hans von Bulow, Jean Sibelius, Richard Strauss, Arnold Schoenberg stood at its conductor’s desk. During two centuries of this orchestra’s history outstanding Russian artists played in it and such persons as Hector Berlioz and Richard Wagner, P.I. This is a collective of a high culture fostered by many generations of musicians. If the critics had taken into account that the question was about a theatre troupe with continuously renovated repertoire and daily concerts and flights they would have recognized this orchestra the best one. In 2008 based on the opinion of world leading musical critics from largest European, American and Asian magazines it was included in the top 20 world orchestras. Petersburg manages quickly most complicated scores, masters all possible and impossible palettes of genres of symphonic music, has enough flexibility to work with different conductors and soloists – all this, added by an extraordinary tense schedule of tours, makes the group one of the most multipurpose orchestra in the world.

Even in the largest world opera houses a theatre symphonic orchestra rarely gives independent and such successful concerts.

The Mariinsky theatre symphonу orchestra is worthily regarded as one of the best musical groups of our times. Mariinsky Theatre Symphonу Orchestra Artistic director and conductor – Valery Gergiev.

Il corsaro nero re leone