To celebrate the 85th birthday of Rodion Shchedrin, the Mariinsky Theatre will be giving three performances at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall (Moscow)

In 2017 the Mariinsky Theatre is widely celebrating Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin's 85^th birthday. Concerts and performances by the Mariinsky Theatre have been dedicated to his anniversary year in St Petersburg, Vladivostok and Vladikavkaz. In December there will be special events marking Rodion Shchedrin's anniversary in Moscow, Tula, St Petersburg, Vladivostok and Munich.

Between 16 and 22 December the Mariinsky Theatre will give three performances at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, presenting works by the composer.

On 16 December, Rodion Shchedrin's birthday, the Mariinsky Orchestra under Valery Gergiev will perform Carmen-Suite by Georges Bizet – Rodion Shchedrin, Orchestral Concerto No 1 Naughty Limericks and highlights from the opera-féerie A Christmas Tale, which was commissioned by and dedicated to Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theatre. The concert will feature soloists of the Mariinsky Opera and the State Academic Russian Sveshnikov Chorus (Artistic Director – Yevgeny Volkov). The concert begins at 19.00.

The programme of the concert by Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra on 21 December (19.00) includes Symphonic Diptych, the Concerto for Violin and Strings Concerto cantabile (soloist – Olga Volkova), the Double Concerto A Romantic Offering for piano, cello and orchestra featuring the soloists Alexander Ramm (cello) and Sergei Redkin (piano) and the oratorio Lenin in the Heart of the People for soloists, mixed chorus and orchestra set to folk texts.

On 22 December (19.00) the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall will host its first performance of Rodion Shchedrin's opera Not Love Alone, staged by Alexander Kuzin. The lead roles will be performed by soloists and the ensemble of the Mariinsky Academy of Young Opera Singers directed by Larisa Gergieva. Valery Gergiev will be conducting the Mariinsky Orchestra.

From Moscow, the musicians will set out for Tula, the birthplace of Rodion Shchedrin's father, where on 23 December they will perform at the Tula Regional Mikhailovsky Philharmonic in honour of the composer's birthday.

Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin's music holds a special position in the repertoire of the Mariinsky Theatre. Over the years of creative friendship with the composer, the Mariinsky Theatre has produced many of his works, several of them for the first time. Here most of his operas and three of his five ballets have been staged, in addition to frequent performances of his symphonic works.