19.02.2021

Alevtina Ioffe is appointed as the Musical Director of the Mikhailovsky Theatre

Today, at the meeting with the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Olga Lyubimova Artistic Director of the Mikhailovsky Theatre Vladimir Kekhman has named Alevtina Ioffe as the new Musical Director of the Mikhailovsky Theatre.

Olga Lyubimova, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation: “Ms Ioffe will keep her professional relations with the Natalia Sats Children’s Musical Theatre, and at the same time she will become a part of another major theatrical project in the very heart of our cultural capital. We do hope that this collaboration will bring new creative ideas to life. Her rich experience in creating children’s repertoire will be particularly useful. Nowadays, theatres pay special attention to this sphere, and I am sure that the Mikhailovsky Theatre is acquiring an excellent conductor, moreover a woman — a rare case for the profession — capable of both preserving traditions and unlocking the high potential of the company.”

Vladimir Kekhman, Artistic Director of the Mikhailovsky Theatre: “For the first time in the history of our theatre, we separate the positions of Musical Director and Principal Conductor. Also, for the first time in our history, we will have a female conductor as our Musical Director. We count on this young, energetic, inventive musician. Alevtina Ioffe’s career is a breakthrough in the Russian ‘male’ world of music. Today the Mikhailovsky Theatre faces an important task of both preserving the classical repertoire and creating experimental productions. A bright and original conductor like Alevtina Ioffe is a perfect fit for us. Her prior experience in the same position at the children’s musical theatre is highly relevant, as raising the children’s audience that will cherish our cultural traditions is an important task for me.”

Alevtina Ioffe, Musical Director of the Mikhailovsky Theatre: “It is incredibly difficult for a woman to pursue a career as a conductor in Russia. That is why I work a lot in Europe and I am starting my American career. In Russia, for 10 years I have been working as Principal Conductor at the Natalia Sats Children’s Musical Theatre, where I have enjoyed the most comfortable conditions for my creative work. Now I have accepted the invitation to become Musical Director of the Mikhailovsky Theatre. St Petersburg with its rich history, great architecture and mystic characters has always appealed to me — it induces nostalgia and makes me proud of our cultural legacy. For me, it is a great honour and responsibility to work at a theatre with such rich traditions. Another reason why I agreed to work here is Vladimir Kekhman’s willingness to experiment, as it is very important for me to be able to realize my creative ideas, of which there are a lot.”



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