Around the Music Festival

The prestigious Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, has announced that Russian bass singer Ildar Abdrazakov will become its artistic director. His term will begin in March 2026. He will succeed Vladimir Kekhman, who has held the position since 2007.

The theater is a prestigious institution founded in 1833 as the “Imperial Theatre” in St. Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire. Its name is derived from the Mikhailovsky Palace of Russian Emperor Paul I, which was built between 1797 and 1801. During the Soviet era, it was known as the “Maly Theatre,” and it was the venue for the premieres of Shostakovich’s “The Nose” in 1930, “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District” in 1934, and Prokofiev’s “War and Peace” in 1946.

Abdrazakov is a 49-year-old singer from Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia. After winning awards in vocal competitions in his home country, he made his debut at La Scala in Milan in 2001 at the young age of 25. He has since performed at world-renowned opera houses such as the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Paris National Opera, and the Vienna State Opera.

However, when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, his support for Russian President Putin’s stance led to opera houses in Europe and the US suspending his performances. On the other hand, he is in the good graces of the Putin administration and has been the artistic director of the Sevastopol National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Crimea since last year.

PHOTO：Известия