Valery Gergiev

Valery Gergiev is a popular Russian classical music conductor who earned great reputation in the field of music in the period between 1900's and 2000's. He dazzled the world by his inborn musical skill. He won the Herbert von Karajan Conducting Competition that took place in West Berlin. Valery Gergiev was appointed as London Symphony Orchestra's main conductor in the year 2007.

Valery's Childhood and Education

Valery Gergiev was born in Moscow, Russia on 2nd May 1953. He spent his childhood in a rural mountainous region named Ossetia, which is located at the south western part of Russia. Gergiev's father was in the army and he passed away when Gergiev was very young. He was already into music at his early childhood and continued his musical education after the death of his father. His musical education continued in Vladikakaz in Ossetia. Later on in 1972 he joined the Leningrad Conservatory in Saint Petersburg. He showed his talent in conducting music and became highly regarded for his musical skills. He was the winner of the All-Soviet Conducting Prize in 1976.

Career of Gergiev

Valery Gergiev's association with the Kirov Opera started in the year 1977. At Kirov, he started working as an assistant conductor to Yuri Temirkanov. Valery Gergiev started his career with War and Peace, composed by Sergei Prokofiev. His run as a successful conductor continued as he went on to join Armenian State Orchestra as a chief conductor in 1981.

Valery Gergiev's recognition touched a high point when he was elected by the Kirov musicians as their chief conductor, as a replacement of Temirkanov. This recognition was solely for his musical skills since he was neither a Communist Party Member nor a Russian himself.

Gergiev closely followed the western world and made a number of trips to Germany and America. He made appearances in New York and London as guest conductors during 1993. London's Covent Garden and

New York City' Metropolitan Opera are two most important ones.

During the time 1993 and 1995, he gained significant foothold into the Western Music World. Netherland's Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra had him as the principal conductor in 1995. Two years later, he became Metropolitan's chief guest conductor. At home, he held the chief conductor's role at Kirov Ballet. Gergiev worked hard during the period of economic crisis in Russia to keep the Kirov Opera alive. He also worked to renovate the Mariinsky Theatre, which housed the Kirov.