Magician from St. Petersburg
Russian maestro Valerie Gergiev is to become principal conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in 2015
HE ARRIVES SPORTING A THREE-DAY BEARD but without a baton. Russian maestro Valery Gergiev is to become principal conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in 2015, the orchestra and the city having succeeded in securing the services of their first choice among prospective candidates. “His ability for magical sound, and his enormous energy and dynamism will lead the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra into a future that is artistically exciting and fascinating,” says Paul Müller, the orchestra’s executive director. Gergiev has been successfully directing the legendary Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra in St. Petersburg for more than 20 years, making it one of the best on Russia’s classical-music scene. The conductor is considered a master of the Russian opera and concert repertoire. The Munich orchestra hopes that he will bring fresh impetus and help them evolve, not only in terms of their repertoire. Gergiev says he doesn’t need a baton. “What’s important is the depth of your passion and emotions, the breadth of your fantasies and imagination.”
www.mphil.de