Moscow, Russia –  15 June, 2012. For the first in Latvia’s history the country was visited by the Symphony Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre, led by Valery Gergiev. One of Russia’s oldest classical music ensembles, the orchestra performed at the Dzintari Concert Hall in the city of Jurmala on June 12, 2012. The concert celebrated Russia Day and was supported by the Russian Embassy in Latvia, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Latvian Ministry of Culture. The event received significant financial support from URALCHEM.

The president of the Republic of Latvia, Andris Berzins, and the First Lady, Dace Seysuma, were among the guests at the event. The audience received a warm welcome from Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Latvia, Alexander Veshnyakov.

The organizers of the concert expressed their special thanks to URALCHEM, whose financial support provided Latvian music lovers with a unique opportunity to hear two world famous pieces of the dramatic symphony, "Romeo and Juliet" and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 4, performed by the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra. The best students and teachers of the Latvian Academy of Music (named after Jāzepa Vitola) were provided with free tickets to the concert.

Dmitry Konyaev, CEO of URALCHEM, OJSC commented, “Support of important projects in the field of international cultural co-operation is one of URALCHEM’s main areas of charitable activity. Maestro Valery Gergiev is among those great artists, who maintains the highest level of excellence in the world of classical music and is inextricably linked with the strong traditions of Russian musical composition and performance. Today, the skills of Valery Gergiev and the famous Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra are in demand around the whole world.”

The history of the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra dates back to the beginning of the XVIII century.  The orchestra’s excellence has been noted by the many world famous conductors who have worked with it throughout its history: Berlioz, Wagner, von Bülow, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Nikisch, Rachmaninoff, etc. In Soviet times, the brilliant traditions of orchestral music were kept going by such conductors as Vladimir Dranishnikov, Arius Pazovsky, Evgeny Mravinsky, Konstantin Simeonov and Yuri Temirkanov. Since 1988, the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra has been led by Valery Gergiev. The orchestra has performed symphonic programs in Europe, America, Japan and Australia.