On March 14th, the Paris Salle Pleyel has announced their 2012/13 concert season. The Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Valery Gergiev along with the pianist Denis Matsuev and cellist Mario Brunello will perform there a pair of all-Shostakovich concerts on January 7th & 8th, 2013.

With these two concerts, Valery Gergiev inaugurates the cycle of complete symphonies and instrumental concertos (cello, piano, violin) by Dmitri Shostakovich. In each program, Valery Gergiev has combined scores of young and mature Shostakovich’s works. This cycle of eight concerts will continue in the season 2013/14.

In addition to the Shostakovich cycle, during the season 2012/13 at the Salle Pleyel in Paris, Valery Gergiev will present the complete cycle of symphonies by Johannes Brahms and Karol Szymanowski with the London Symphony Orchestra, Denis Matsuev (piano), Janine Jansen and Leonidas Kavakos (violin) — four concerts on week-ends of October 6th & 7th, December 15th & 16th, 2012.

Previously at the Salle Pleyel, Valery Gergiev conducted the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra in January 2010 in the complete cycle of Tchaikovsky’s symphonies. In the season 2010/11, Valery Gergiev presented there the complete cycle of Mahler’s symphonies performed by the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra. Salle Pleyel is a permanent residency for the LSO in Paris and Valery Gergiev had conducted a number of concerts with the Orchestra there, notably, the complete cycle of Prokofiev’s symphonies and selected instrumental concertos during the season 2008/09. This week, Valery Gergiev will conduct the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra on tour there (Saturday, March 17th, works by Dutilleux, Sibelius and Prokofiev).

On March 14th, the Edinburgh International Festival has announced their program for the Summer 2012. This year, the Mariinsky Ballet and Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev presents Prokofiev’s Cinderella choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, which received its premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre in March 2002. Four performances only: August 30th & 31st, September 1st (mat & eve).

Valery Gergiev, who was named the Edinburgh International Festival’s Honorary President last year, brings the London Symphony Orchestra to the Festival this year: they will perform the complete cycle of symphonies by Brahms and Szymanowski, which will be the first performance ever of works by Brahms and Szymanowsky performed by the LSO and Valery Gergiev before they present the complete cycle in London and take it on tour to Paris. Four concerts at the Edinburgh Usher Hall: August 16th, 17th, 18th & 19th.