| 1953 |
2 May, born Moscow, raised Vladikavkaz, Ossetia
(Caucasus) |
| 1961 |
enters music school, Vladikavkaz (now the Valery
Gergiev Music Academy) |
| 1972-76/77 |
Leningrad Conservatory, under Ilya Musin |
| 1976 |
wins All-Soviet Conducting Prize |
| 1977 |
wins 1st prize in Herbert von Karajan Conducting
Competition, Berlin |
| 1977 |
becomes assistant conductor to Temirkanov, Kirov
Theatre, Leningrad |
| 1978 |
makes debut with Kirov, conducting Prokofiev’s
War and Peace |
| 1981-85 |
becomes chief conductor, Armenian State Orchestra |
| 1988 |
makes London debut, with LSO |
| 1988 |
succeeds Temirkanov at Kirov as chief conductor
and artistic director, elected by the musicians |
| 1989 |
takes first big Kirov tour in West, to Schleswig-Holstein
festival |
| 1991 |
makes European opera debut, Bayerische Staatsoper,
with Boris Godunov |
| 1991 |
makes American opera debut, San Francisco Opera,
with War and Peace |
| 1992 |
Leningrad renamed St Petersburg, Kirov renamed
Mariinsky |
| 1992 |
launches Mikkeli Festival |
| 1992 |
1992 launches Stars of the White Nights Festival,
St Petersburg |
| 1993 |
makes debut at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden,
London (Eugene Onegin) |
| 1993 |
Friends of the Kirov launches in London, with
Plácido Domingo as President |
| 1993 |
1993 makes debut at the Metropolitan
Opera, New York (Otello) |
| 1995 |
becomes principal conductor, Rotterdam Philharmonic
Orchestra |
| 1996 |
appointed artistic and general director Mariinsky
Theatre by the Russian Govt, responsible for both opera and
ballet companies |
| 1996 |
launches Peace for the Caucasus festival, highlighting
the conflict between Georgia and Ossetia |
| 1996 |
launches Red Sea Festival at Eilat |
| 1997 |
appointed Principal Guest Conductor, Metropolitan
Opera, New York |
| 1997 |
makes debut with the Vienna Philharmonic at Salzburg
(Boris Godunov) |
| 1998 |
tours China with Kirov Orchestra — the first
Russian orchestra to visit for 40 years |
| 1998 |
founds Mariinsky Academy for Young Singers, sponsored
by Alberto Vilar |
