The musicians of the Mariinsky Theatre have played under Valery Gergiev’s baton at a new concert hall on the country’s Black Sea coast
The Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra, led by acclaimed Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, has held rehearsals in the main and chamber halls of the newly built Sirius Concert Hall, located in Sochi, southern Russia. It marked the venue’s first full-scale acoustic test with a professional ensemble.
On Saturday, the orchestra performed selections from its evening program, which was later presented in the Medal Plaza at Olympic Park. The concert formed part of the ongoing Sirius Summer Music Festival, which runs from July 15 to August 24.
The rehearsal offered musicians and acousticians a valuable opportunity to assess the hall’s performance qualities ahead of its official opening in October 2025.
“The acoustic properties of this still-under-construction concert complex didn’t just please us – they truly amazed us,” said Gergiev, speaking to journalists after the rehearsal.
He added that the venue offers new possibilities for staging productions with a full orchestra pit or adapting the space to accommodate more audience seating.
Gergiev also highlighted the exceptional potential of the Chamber Hall, which is already fully operational.
“Accommodating up to 75 musicians is rare for a chamber hall – even among the world’s best. I believe this space could easily stage works like Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.”
According to the maestro, the hall is poised to become a cultural destination for lovers of theater, classical, and chamber music, especially during the velvet seasons of summer and autumn.
Construction of the Sirius Concert Hall began in 2020. The venue features two world-class performance spaces, along with state-of-the-art acoustics designed by Yasuhisa Toyota, the renowned sound engineer behind over 100 iconic concert halls worldwide.
“This first rehearsal at the Sirius Concert Hall signals the beginning of a new era for the arts in Russia,” said Elena Shmeleva, chair of the Council of the Sirius Federal Territory and Director of the Talent and Success Foundation. “We are building not just a venue, but a full ecosystem for artistic excellence and international collaboration.”
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