VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The First International Mariinsky Far East Festival opened in Russia's Far East city of Vladivostok Saturday, with the attendance of performers from Russia, China and other countries.
Twenty-five performances and concerts will be presented during the 12-day event, which is dedicated to the 125th birthday of Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev.
The festival began with the premiere of a new adaptation of Prokofiev's famous opera "Betrothal in a Monastery" featuring leading soloists, the orchestra, and choir of the Mariinsky Theater, a time-honored theater of opera and ballet in Russia.
Valery Gergiev, a renowned Russian conductor and general director of the theater, said it is necessary for Primorsky region to establish truly interesting cultural cooperation between Russia and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
