ARTISTS 2007
Please subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, to get further Information!Valéry Gergiev | Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | Kathrin Czerny
The conductor Valery Gergiev was born in Moscow on May 2nd, 1953 and spent his younger days in the Caucasian town of Vladikavkaz. As a child he started to play piano. First he attended the local music school, which is now called the Valery Gergiev Music Academy, and he was in the lucky position to have enough talent to be singled out and fostered by the administrative apparatus of the USSR. He started his training as a pianist in Ordschonikidse, but soon took up conductorship of the orchestra and went to Leningrad to attend the conservatoire to work with Ilja Mussin. In 1975 he won the conductors contest of the Soviet Republics and, as a consequence, was allowed to take part in the Karajan Competition in Berlin in the following year, which he also completed successfully. From this time on, his artistic career developed very quickly. At the age of 24, Gergiev was appointed assistant conductor at the Kirov Opera by Yuri Temirkanov in 1977, where he made his stage debut with Prokofiev’s “War and Peace” in 1978. His next step was to take over conductorship of the Armenian State Orchestra between 1981 and 1985. In 1988, Gergiev became Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of his former workplace, the Kirov Opera, which is situated in the heart of St. Petersburg. In the same year, he conducted the London Symphony Orchestra in London for the first time.With the easing of tensions under the Perestroika policy, it became less difficult for Gergiev to make a name for himself beyond the borders of the disintegrating Soviet empire. With his acclaimed appearance at the Schleswig-Holstein-Musikfestival in 1989 he celebrated his first international success. In the same year he was entrusted with the position of First Guest Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and became its Principal Conductor in 1995. His first opera production in Western Europe was “Boris Godunov”, which he conducted at the Bavarian State Opera in 1991. Only a short time after that, the also conducted an opera in the USA, namely in San Francisco – “War and Peace”, an opera he was already very familiar with. In 1992 Leningrad got its old name back and became St. Petersburg again. In the course of this rehistorification process, the Kirov Opera was also renamed as Mariinsky Theatre. During these years, Gergiev remained extremely active and tried to keep up and continue the great cultural traditions of St. Petersburg despite the omnipresent signs of decline. In 1992 he launched the “White Nights” of St. Petersburg. From this time on he acted as General Director of the Mariinsky Theatre, and he really managed to turn the temporarily eroding ensemble into a trademark of worldwide renown.
However, Gergievs activities were not limited to Russia. In 1993 he presented himself at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London for the first time with “Eugen Onegin”. In the same year he made his debut at the Met with “Boris Godunov”. In 1994 he founded a classical festival in Finland, and from autumn 1996 he also worked as director of the Rotterdam Festival. In the same year he was actively involved in two festivals he had initiated, “Peace for the Caucasus” and the “Red Sea Festival” in Eilat. In 1997 he became First Guest Conductor at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1998 he founded the Mariinsky Academy for Young Singers sponsored by Alberto Vilar. He co-operated with international opera houses on a regular basis. One of his spectacular conducting engagements in this context was his version of Wagner’s “Ring of the Nibelungen”, a guest performance at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden during the winter season 2003/4. In January 2007, Valery Gergiev became the new Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.
Among his numerous tasks as the head of the Mariinsky Theatre, Resident Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, Principal Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and founder of various festivals, he has also made several recordings for the Philips label since 1989. Throughout the first decade alone, more than 40 CDs with a very comprehensive, but also typically Russian repertoire were produced. One of his great discoveries coming from the Mariinsky ensemble he has directed is the singer Anna Netrebko. In 1994, Gergiev gave her the chance to perform the Susanna in “Le Nozze di Figaro” and prove her talent for the first time. Since then, Netrebko has consistently climbed the ladder of success.
Otto Nicolai (1810-1849) was appointed conductor at the Kärntertortheater in 1841. Because certain influential figures wanted to keep him out of musical life in Vienna, he revived Lachner's idea and on March 28, 1842 conducted a "Grand Concert" in the Großer Redoutensaal which was presented by "all the members of the orchestra of the k.k. (imperial-royal) Hof-Operntheater". This "Philharmonic Academy", as it was originally called, is rightly regarded as the origin of the orchestra, because all the principles of the "Philharmonic Idea", which still apply today, were put into practice for the first time:
• Only a musician who plays in the Vienna State Opera Orchestra (originally Court Opera Orchestra) can become a member of the Vienna Philharmonic
• The orchestra is artistically, organizationally and financially autonomous
• all decisions are reached on a democratic basis during the general meeting of all members.
• The day-to-day management is the responsibility of a democratically elected body, the administrative committee.
Under Hans Richter, the legendary conductor of the premiere of Wagner's tetralogy "The Ring of the Nibelungen" in Bayreuth, the Vienna Philharmonic finally established itself as an ensemble of world renown and unique tradition.
The Vienna Philharmonic performed abroad for the first time at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 with Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) conducting.
After World War II, the orchestra continued its policy of working with every conductor of repute with its two honorary conductors Karl Böhm and Herbert von Karajan, and with its honorary member Leonard Bernstein . Through its busy concert schedule, recordings on film and record, tours all over the world, and regular appearances at major international festivals, the Vienna Philharmonic meets all the requirements of the modern multimedia music business while still managing to emphasize its unique individuality, perhaps best exemplified in the annual New Year's Concert, and in the pivotal role it plays each summer at the Salzburg Festival.
The Vienna Philharmonic is not only Austria's most highly coveted "cultural export", it is also an ambassador of peace, humanity and reconciliation, concepts which are inseparably linked to the message of music itself. For its artistic achievements the orchestra has received numerous awards, gold and platinum disks, national honors, and honorary membership in many cultural institutions.
Born in Vienna. Having finished her studies at the ballet school of the Österreichische Bundestheater (Austrian Federal Theatres) she became 1989 a member of the Vienna State Opera Ballet, in 2002 she was nominated as solo dancer.Important parts of her repertoire are: Lise in Frederick Ashtons „La Fille mal gardée“, Grete, Fanchon and Fräulein Cerrini in Renato Zanellas „Aschenbrödel“, princess Clara-Maria in Zanellas „Der Nussknacker“(Nutcracker), pair of farmers and Moyna in Elena Tschernischovas „Giselle“, Solo-Schatten in Vladimir Malakhovs „Die Bajadere“, companion of the prince and Hungarian dancer in Rudolf Nurejews „Schwanensee“, bewitched princess, fairy of vitality, fairy of modesty and Pas de quatre in Peter Wrights „Donröschen“, Clémence in Nurejews „Raymonda“, the title part in „Coppélia“ by Gyula Harangozó sen., Phebe in John Neumeiers „Wie es Euch gefällt“, Japanese girl in Josef Hassreiters „Die Puppenfee“, young girl in Michail Fokins „Le Spectre de la rose“, the miller’s wife in Leónide Massines „Der Dreispitz“, the title parts in George Balanchines „Serenade“ and „La Valse“, Hans van Manens „Adagio Hammerklavier“, „Große Fuge“ and „Black Cake“, Jiøí Kyliáns „Petite Mort“ and in Zanellas „Empty Place“, „Symphony“ and „Alles Walzer“ as well as Balanchines „Tschaikowski-Pas de deux“. Among her creation of parts are Carlotta in Zanellas „Kadettenball“, Spring in Zanellas „Aschenbrödel“, Italy in Zanellas „Der Nussknacker“, Autumn in Malakhovs „Verdi-Ballett: Ein Maskenball“ and Lullaby in Ivan Cavallaris „Tschaikowski Impressionen“.
