The Mariinsky Theater (officially Mariinsky Theatre) in St. Petersburg has a long history dating to the 18th century. Though it has undergone various name changes, the theater's current name is derived from that of Empress Maria Alexandrovna, who was married to Alexander II in the 19th century. This theater is famous for hosting the premiers of many important Russian operas and today carries on that tradition with a regular playbill of Russian and international operas, ballets, and concerts.
Performances and Festivals at the Mariinsky:
The Mariinksy Theater hosts performances every night of the week. It also hosts various music festivals throughout the year, like the annual week-long Maslenitsa festival and the three month long Stars of the White Nights festival. Dates of performances are published well in advance on the Mariinsky website, from which tickets can also be directly purchased.
Mariinsky Concert Hall:
The Mariinsky Concert Hall, located near the Mariinsky Theater, is a new construction that hosts musical concerts, ballets, and semi-staged opera productions. The Mariinsky Concert Hall participates in the annual music festivals, serving as the venue for smaller performances that take place simultaneously to large-scale productions that occur at the Theater. On the Mariinsky's website, the separate venues are denoted by different colors - titles of performances marked in red, with the symbol of the Concert Hall located to the left, indicate those performances will take place at the Concert Hall.
Location and Contact Information for the Mariinsky Theater:
Mariinsky Theater is located on 1 Theater Square, and the Mariinsky Concert Hall is located at 37 Dekabristov (Decembrists') Street.
The calendar of performances and festivals can be found on the Mariinsky website, where tickets can also be purchased: www.mariinsky.ru.
