There are few in the music world who have not heard the name of Valery Gergiev: charismatic and focused, he is responsible for rescuing the Mariinsky Theatre and carving out a unique niche for the Mariinsky Opera and Ballet companies. His character is compelling, his fans devoted and his enemies few.
     Gergiev, born on 2 May 1953 in Moscow to a military family, grew up in Vladikavkaz, the capital of North Ossetia, a northwestern region of the Caucasus mountains. He was fond of football and his teachers refused to credit him with any musical talent. Despite criticism, he continued with music and was accepted into Leningrad Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire where he majored in symphony conducting. When he was twenty-three he won the Herbert von Karajan Conducting Competition in Berlin. He conducted the orchestra of the Kirov Theatre, later to reclaim its former name, the Mariinsky Theatre, from 1977. From 1981-85, he was also Principal Guest Conductor with the State Symphony Orchestra of Armenia. At the age of 35, Valery Gergiev was appointed Artistic Director of the Opera Company and, from 1996, has been Artistic and General Director of the Mariinsky Theatre.Since 1997 he has been the principal guest conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Both posts demonstrate the respect with which he is held, but reveal only a small portion of his talent and the energy with which he drives both the Mariinsky Theatre and the opera world. Over the past 15 years he has not only built up a formidable reputation for the Mariinsky Theatre but has also worked hard to increase the visibility of opera, and culture in general, throughout Russia and the world. The international festivals he has founded or directed have been numerous and reveal his commitment, they include the "Festival For Peace in the Caucasus" held in Vladikavkaz in the Caucasus, the Mikkeli Festival in Finland, the Red Sea Festival at Eilat, the Kirov Philharmonic in London, the Rotterdam Philharmonic-Gergiev Festival in the Netherlands and the Moscow Easter Festival. He organised and ran the Musorgsky Festival in 1988 and the Prokofiev Festivals in 1991 and 1992. In 1993 he established and continues to run St.Petersburg's annual "Stars of the White Nights festival."
     These achievements in themselves would be notable but in addition he presided over the Mariinsky during the breakup of the Soviet Union and despite the harshness of conditions in the early '90s in Russia, “he managed to not only hold the Mariinsky theatre together, but to improve it by raising the standard of the orchestra and ballet troupe, including increasing the repetoir which now consists of many notable pieces, as well lesser known works which have been reincarnated by Gergiev”.
     At the Mariinsky Gergiev has directed numerous operas including Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Musorgsky´s The Sorochinsky Fair, Verdi´s Othello, Aida, La forza del destino, Don Carlos, Macbeth, Un ballo in maschera and La Traviata, Prokofiev´s Fiery Angel, War and Peace, Betrothal in a Monastery and Semyon Kotko, Rimsky-Korsakov´s The Maid of Pskov, Sadko, Kashchei the Immortal and several tours of America and Europe, all receiving rave reviews: "Conductor Valery Gergiev makes even the lessinteresting music seem great and the undeniably great passages stupefying," wrote USA Today. The New York Times said that "the orchestra often justifiably became the center of attention; Mr. Gergiev led the accomplished players with a sense of breadth and vigor..." and New York Newsday could not help but attribute the performance to the"... artistic director and chief conductor Valery Gergiev [who] drew brilliant and stylish playing from the Kirov [the Mariinsky] Orchestra. Gergiev´s conducting was linear and poetic..."
     Such reviews are not merely journalistic hyperbole, but are supported by the string of awards and prizes Valery Gergiev has received. These include among others the International Classical Music Awards Conductor of the Year, the Golden Sophit, St Petersburg’s highest theatre prize in 1997, 1998 and 2000. In 2000, Gergiev was received as a full member of the International Academy of Arts while he also received the highest prizes of Russia and Armenia – the Order of Friendship and the Order of St.Mesrop Mashtots. Germany's Cross of the First Class "For services," Italy's Grand Ufficiale al Merito and France's L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In 2002, he received the Russian Presidential Prize for his outstanding contribution to arts and sciences. In 2003, Gergiev was awarded the title of UNESCO World Artist.
     Hisachievements astounding, his importance nationally and internationally is undeniable. These achievements which have led him to become such an important figure on the world stage are attributable to his energy and musical talent.
     The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maid Fevronia, Shostakovich´s Katerina Ismailova, Strauss' Salome and Tchaikovsky's Mazepa, The Queen of Spades and Eugene Onegin. Anyone familiar with classical music will note the tendency towards Russian works, although the repertoire is by no means limited to Russian works, the performances of Ring des Nibelungen tetralogy of Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdägin the original German demonstrate his determination to make the Mariinsky into the foremost opera company in the world. However, Gergiev's focus on Russian composers is part of his efforts to rebuild the Russian cultural community and to export Russian culture to the West. Since his appointment as principal guest conductor for the Metropolitan Opera, he has deliberately brought Russian artists to America for performances.
     His conducting style is intense, sometimes using flamboyant gestures, but often tightly controlling his orchestra with slight finger movements, glances from the eyes and even facial Gergiev has organised expressions, then breaking out into flourishes when the tempo rises. "I am not a sportsman, but I have to gesticulate incredibly during the performance..." he explains. The concentrated energy he expends on the Mariinsky Theatre is evident from the beads of sweet that pour down his face while conducting and from the fact that he performs over 100 times a year, despite being both artistic director and conductor, and plays undertaking the role of a general manager.
     When asked what he thought to be important in life he responded that "all people want to live happily, to be able to relax comfortably, be accomplished … and essentially to live in a peaceful world." Such a philosophy explains the love and attention which he spends on the Mariinsky, but also his efforts in spreading the higher arts around the world, the festivals at Eliat (in southern Israel), and Vladikavkaz (in the Caucasus which have been torn apart by civil war) are just two examples of living his philosophy.
     Another was with the Mariinsky Orchestra in London in November 2003. Gergiev spoke eloquently about the part music plays towards world peace. This Russian man is indeed a world leader helping unite a splintered world.