Valery Gergiev: Genius at Work

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Emily_Cary]Emily Cary
Valery Gergiev is the dynamic force behind the success of the Mariinsky (formerly Kirov) Theatre which encompasses the Ballet, Orchestra, Opera, Chorus and Academy of Young Singers. This fall he and the Orchestra are touring the United States performing all-Tchaikovsky programs, including five at Carnegie Hall, and featuring pianist Danill Trifonov. Gergiev conducted the London Symphony Orchestra at London's Barbican Hall on July 1, 2011 when the young pianist became the Grand Prize Winner of the XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition.
Gergiev is as well known worldwide as he is in Russia. As Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra since 2007, he is so admired in Great Britain that he was named Conductor of the Year by Britain's Royal Society of Music in 2008 and Conductor of the Year by Great Britain Royal Philharmonic Society in 2009. These awards join the countless honors he has received from Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Japan, the Netherlands and his own country. In 2011, he was the Honorary President of the Edinburgh International Festival
Truly a giant in his field, Gergiev not only directs one of the world's greatest orchestras, but he is also the Artistic Director of the Mariinsky Ballet and Opera companies and General Director of the Mariinsky Theatre, which has been St. Petersburg's cultural center since 1783. He oversees and continues to expand the Opera Company's extensive repertoire. It encompasses the contemporary operas by Prokofiev and Shostakovich and the successful return of Wagner's operas to the schedule. That accomplished, he plans even more surprises.
Each component of the Mariinsky Theatre is world class. The soloists of both ballet and opera are familiar names. Dozens of the Orchestra personnel are soloists in their own right. Along with multiple soloists and section leaders, there are deputy leaders and enough instrumentalists to comprise several symphony orchestras.
Gergiev made certain that the vocalists would have incomparable training by founding the Academy of Young Singers in 1998. The students chosen from throughout the world benefit from their outstanding teachers and frequent master classes presented by famous visiting singers and coaches. During their training, they perform throughout Russia and abroad.
Gergiev's contributions to the Mariinsky Theatre have been monumental, none more so that the building itself. Over several years, he s8pervised the reconstruction of the theatre and concert complex, overcoming numerous challenges from blueprint to completion. In 2006, he presented it to the companies and the general public. Today it is one of the city's marvels.
Between his duties at the Mariinsky Theater, the international tours and the music festivals he directs, one wonders when Gergiev rests, and yet he finds time to program concerts for young children. He is passionate about sharing his love for music with the younger generation. Along with introducing Trifonov, a young soloist who is destined for fame, he wants them to discover the brilliant virtuosity of one of the world's greatest and oldest orchestras.
Emily Cary is a prize-winning teacher and novelist whose articles about entertainers appear regularly in the DC Examiner. She is a genealogist, an avid traveler, and a researcher who incorporates landscapes, cultures and the power of music in her books and articles.
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