(MENAFN) Russia’s Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of renowned conductor Valery Gergiev, conducted the first comprehensive acoustic rehearsal at the newly constructed Sirius Concert Hall in Sochi. This rehearsal took place on Saturday as part of the Sirius Summer Music Festival, which runs from July 15 to August 24.

The performance, featuring selections from the orchestra’s evening program, was also showcased at the Medal Plaza in Olympic Park. The event provided musicians and acoustics experts a crucial opportunity to evaluate the hall’s sound quality ahead of its official opening scheduled for October 2025.

Gergiev expressed great admiration for the venue’s acoustic qualities, saying they not only satisfied but genuinely impressed the orchestra. He emphasized the hall’s versatility, noting its ability to support productions with a full orchestra pit and flexible seating arrangements.

The conductor also praised the Chamber Hall, which is already operational and can accommodate up to 75 musicians—a rare capacity for chamber halls worldwide. Gergiev suggested it could host large chamber works such as Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.

According to Gergiev, the Sirius Concert Hall is set to become a premier cultural destination for theater and classical music enthusiasts, particularly during the summer and autumn seasons.

Construction of the Sirius Concert Hall began in 2020 and includes two state-of-the-art performance spaces with acoustics designed by Yasuhisa Toyota, a globally acclaimed sound engineer.

Elena Shmeleva, chair of the Council of the Sirius Federal Territory and director of the Talent and Success Foundation, said the rehearsal marks the start of a new chapter for Russian arts, highlighting the hall as part of a broader initiative to foster artistic excellence and international cooperation.

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