BP will support the Mariinsky UK tours for the next 3 years

BP and the Mariinsky Theatre today announced a joint programme that will give music lovers in the United Kingdom the chance to experience the very best of Russian opera, ballet and classical music. BP will provide support for the Mariinsky Opera, Ballet and Orchestra tours to the UK in the three years to 2013.

Among planned performances are the Mariinsky Orchestra visit to the BBC Proms in August 2011, the Mariinsky Opera visit to the Edinburgh Festival in September 2011, the Mariinsky Ballet residency at the Royal Opera House in July/August 2011, and the Mariinsky Opera/Orchestra tour to Cardiff, London and Birmingham in Spring 2012. Additional plans are being developed and will be confirmed for 2012 and 2013.

Bob Dudley, BP chief executive, said: “We are very pleased to extend our partnership with the Mariinsky theatre to the UK and to offer European spectators an opportunity to learn more about Russian culture and music art. We believe that this project will contribute to better understanding and cooperation between the UK and Russia.”

Valery Gergiev, Artistic and General Director of the Mariinsky Theatre, said: “The Mariinsky Theatre has enjoyed a very strong relationship with BP in Russia for the last ten years. I am delighted that our partnership is now growing to include the UK and I am very grateful to BP for providing this important opportunity for us to bring a wide range of Mariinsky performances to audiences throughout the UK.”

Photo: Uliana Lopatkina, Le Corsaire – © The Mariinsky Theatre

Gramilano( Editor )

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.

His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.