08.07.2019
The Dresden Opera Ball in
St. Petersburg for the first time
On the last day of summer, 31 August, St. Petersburg will welcome European high society’s biggest musical event: the Dresden Opera Ball. Reborn in 2006 in the capital of Saxony to honour the 800th anniversary of the founding of Dresden, the ball has never before left its native city or the Semperoper. This is the first time the city on the Neva, a sister city of Dresden, has received the unique opportunity to host this magnificent celebration of music and opera.
The main events of the Dresden Opera Ball will take place on Arts Square, at the very heart of the northern capital. At the Mikhailovsky Theatre, guests will enjoy the talents of outstanding musicians and singers at a gala concert, before moving to the Grand Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, where the dance portion of the evening will take place. Both residents and visitors to St. Petersburg will be fully-fledged participants in the celebrations: everyone who finds their way to Arts Square that evening will experience the magical atmosphere of the ball. A live-stream broadcast on a large screen, special lighting, a red carpet between the Mikhailovsky Theatre and the Philharmonic: all this will have the celebration spilling out of the Theatre and bringing joy to all who love opera and classical art.
Some of the brightest stars in the musical firmament will be taking part in the gala concert on the stage of the Mikhailovsky Theatre. The German singer Nadja Michael is valued throughout the world for her unique talent. At the beginning of her career, she was recognized as a preeminent mezzo-soprano, later becoming a dramatic soprano. The coloratura soprano of Albina Shagimuratova is rightly considered one of the most beautiful voices on the world opera scene today. The American tenor Stephen Gould has a reputation as the best Wagnerian tenor of our time. His voice has been heard at the Dresden Opera many times, but this will be his first time singing in Russia. Other participants in the concert at the Mikhailovsky Theatre will be exceptional cellist Sergey Roldugin and virtuoso saxophonist Igor Butman, who will be stepping out of his usual role as a jazz musician to perform with the symphony orchestra. Wielding the baton for the evening will be Italian conductor Massimo Zanetti.
Artistic director of the Dresden Opera Ball Hans-Joachim Frey is particularly proud to present the hosts for the evening: Russian television presenter Oxana Fedorova and actor Tom Wlaschiha, Game of Thrones superstar and, incidentally, a native of Dresden and son of an opera soloist at the Semperoper.
The Mikhailovsky Theatre and the Dresden Opera Ball began their partnership several years ago, getting their collaboration off to an excellent start. In 2011, with resounding success, the Mikhailovsky Theatre hosted a gala concert entitled “A Bridge between Dresden and St. Petersburg” in honour of St. Petersburg’s 50th year as a sister city of Dresden. Performers included the legendary Elena Obraztsova, Rene Pape, and Neil Shicoff; the conductor was Vladimir Jurowski, with Vladimir Putin a special guest.
The main events of the Dresden Opera Ball will take place on Arts Square, at the very heart of the northern capital. At the Mikhailovsky Theatre, guests will enjoy the talents of outstanding musicians and singers at a gala concert, before moving to the Grand Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, where the dance portion of the evening will take place. Both residents and visitors to St. Petersburg will be fully-fledged participants in the celebrations: everyone who finds their way to Arts Square that evening will experience the magical atmosphere of the ball. A live-stream broadcast on a large screen, special lighting, a red carpet between the Mikhailovsky Theatre and the Philharmonic: all this will have the celebration spilling out of the Theatre and bringing joy to all who love opera and classical art.
Some of the brightest stars in the musical firmament will be taking part in the gala concert on the stage of the Mikhailovsky Theatre. The German singer Nadja Michael is valued throughout the world for her unique talent. At the beginning of her career, she was recognized as a preeminent mezzo-soprano, later becoming a dramatic soprano. The coloratura soprano of Albina Shagimuratova is rightly considered one of the most beautiful voices on the world opera scene today. The American tenor Stephen Gould has a reputation as the best Wagnerian tenor of our time. His voice has been heard at the Dresden Opera many times, but this will be his first time singing in Russia. Other participants in the concert at the Mikhailovsky Theatre will be exceptional cellist Sergey Roldugin and virtuoso saxophonist Igor Butman, who will be stepping out of his usual role as a jazz musician to perform with the symphony orchestra. Wielding the baton for the evening will be Italian conductor Massimo Zanetti.
Artistic director of the Dresden Opera Ball Hans-Joachim Frey is particularly proud to present the hosts for the evening: Russian television presenter Oxana Fedorova and actor Tom Wlaschiha, Game of Thrones superstar and, incidentally, a native of Dresden and son of an opera soloist at the Semperoper.
The Mikhailovsky Theatre and the Dresden Opera Ball began their partnership several years ago, getting their collaboration off to an excellent start. In 2011, with resounding success, the Mikhailovsky Theatre hosted a gala concert entitled “A Bridge between Dresden and St. Petersburg” in honour of St. Petersburg’s 50th year as a sister city of Dresden. Performers included the legendary Elena Obraztsova, Rene Pape, and Neil Shicoff; the conductor was Vladimir Jurowski, with Vladimir Putin a special guest.
The Dresden Opera Ball in St. Petersburg will not be a one-time event. Perhaps a new tradition is being born before our very eyes: the organizers intend that the winter ball will, as always, take place at the Semperoper in Dresden, while the summer ball will take place in St. Petersburg at several historical venues, chief among them the Mikhailovsky Theatre.
Tickets can be purchased on dresdenoperaball-petersburg.com
