Tchaikovsky in St. Petersburg
2011–2012
Carnegie Hall burst onto the international stage when Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky—the world's most illustrious and popular musician—stepped out to conduct at its first Opening Night in 1891. His vivid, powerful music and flowing melodies had already swept the world, leading the way for a striking new dynasty of composers that included Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich.
In October 2011, Valery Gergiev and his Mariinsky Orchestra commemorated that performance by performing his symphonies, one through six—all part of a focus on the composer and his successors in honor of Carnegie Hall’s 120th anniversary season.