Palace Square Ball

On 24 May, Mikhail Tatarnikov will conduct the Mikhailovsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra in a momentous celebratory concert in Palace Square to mark a special day in the city’s calendar — the anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg.

Against the backdrop of the Winter Palace, a set will be built, transporting the audience to a great hall where a magnificent palace ball will be held amidst the shimmering of crystals, the golden sparkle of chandeliers and the flickering of candles. Works by Rossini, Verdi, Gounod, Kalman, Lehár and Strauss will be performed.

A whole constellation of leading opera stars will take part in this stellar musical event. Residents of St. Petersburg will have the chance to hear world-famous baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, soprano star of the Bolshoi Theatre Anna Aglatova and the ‘embodiment of the Russian soul’, mezzo-soprano Olesya Petrova. The concert will also feature Valentina Nafornita, winner of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition; Siberian tenor Alexei Dolgov; Grammy winner Ekaterina Lekhina; and Dmytro Popov, recipient of numerous international prizes. Fans of the Mikhailovsky Theatre will once again have the chance to hear the now familiar master of bel canto, Dmitry Korchak. The evening’s special guest will be violinist Alena Baeva, performing on her unique 1697 Stradivarius instrument.

The concert begins at 21:00. Entrance is free.