Kirov Orchestra comes to Concert Series stage Dec. 6

Valery Gergiev Photo by Chris Lee

The Kirov Orchestra of St. Petersburg, Russia, conducted by its charismatic music director, Valery Gergiev, will perform an all-Russian program Thursday, Dec. 6, at 8 p.m. in Bailey Hall on campus. One of the world's most traveled orchestras, the Kirov Orchestra last performed at Cornell in 1994, garnering a standing ovation and rave reviews. Pianist Vladimir Feltsman, who played a solo recital in Bailey Hall in 1995, will be the soloist in Rachmaninov's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini." The concert will open with Rachmaninov's "Isle of the Dead" and conclude with Igor Stravinsky's "The Firebird."

Tickets, which range from $18 to $35 for adults and $11 to $21 for students of any age attending any institution, are on sale now at the Willard Straight Hall ticket office (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, noon-5 p.m.; 255-3430) and at the ticket center at Clinton House (116 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca; Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., closed 2-3 p.m. Saturday; 273-4497 or 1-800-284-8422). Tickets also are available from the Cornell Concert Series web site at www.arts.cornell.edu/ccs.

The Kirov Orchestra is the resident orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre, one of the oldest and most distinguished musical institutions in Russia. Founded in the 18th century during the reign of Peter the Great, the theater and its orchestra have given the premiere performances of such works as Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, Borodin's Prince Igor and Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty. The Kirov Orchestra visits the United States every two years and tours regularly in Europe.

Gergiev is artistic and general director of the Mariinsky Theatre, home to the Kirov Orchestra, Opera and Ballet. He also is principal guest conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and principal conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Described by the San Francisco Examiner as "extraordinary -- simply one of the most exciting podium talents in years," Gergiev has become the most prominent Russian conductor working on a regular basis in the United States.

On tour, Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra are known for their brilliant and stylish playing and sure sense of drama: "All aspects of the production exude theatrical dynamism and exquisite artistry, and much credit goes to the Kirov's artistic director and chief conductor, Valery Gergiev. He and his orchestra infuse every phrase with vivid motivation ...," said a review in USA Today.

Pianist Feltsman was born in Moscow in 1952 and made his debut with the Moscow Philharmonic at age 11. After winning the Grand Prix at the Marguerite Long International Piano Competition in Paris in 1971, Feltsman toured throughout the former Soviet Union, Europe and Japan.

In 1979, because of his growing discontent with the official Soviet ideology and rigid governmental control of the arts, Feltsman made his intention to emigrate from the Soviet Union clear by applying for an exit visa. In reply, he was immediately banned from performing in public. After eight years of struggle and virtual artistic exile, he was granted permission to leave the Soviet Union. Upon his arrival in the United States in 1987, Feltsman was greeted warmly at the White House, where he performed his first concert in North America. That same year, his debut at Carnegie Hall immediately established him as a major pianist on the American scene.