Music of Saint Petersburg Tour

Music of Saint Petersburg is a city highlight tour with a special focus on the past and present musical life of the Russian cultural capital. On this tour you will learn about the prominent Russian composers most of whom used to live and work here. Just to name a few: Michael Glinka, the unchallenged founder of Russian classical music, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Anton Rubinstein, the talented composer and pianist who initiated the first Russian conservatory in 1862; one of the first graduates of this conservatory was Peter Tchaikovsky.

Many streets of Saint Petersburg have inherited the names of famous composers: Glinka street, Tchaikovskogo street, prospect Rimskogo-Korsakova, Rubinsteina street; the Big Philharmonic Hall is named after Dmitry Shostakovich who lived in the city during first months of the 900-day siege of Leningrad. One of his most breath-taking pieces, the Seventh (Leningrad) Symphony, was written and performed in the besieged city.

Along the way you will visit the Necropolis of Master of Arts, the final resting place of many Russian composers along with writer Feodor Dostoevsky and other prominent Russian artists, actors, ballet dancers and choreographers.

We suggest you to combine the Music of Saint Petersburg tour with a backstage tour of the Mariinsky Theatre (former Kirov Theatre of Opera and Ballet). Valery Gergiev, the director and chief Conductor of Mariinsky Theatre, works hard to keep alive the best of the Russian classical music traditions. You can also attend Russian Music Seasons — a unique classical music concert in the magnificent historical palaces of St. Petersburg! Please note that advance booking is required for the backstage tour of Mariinsky Theatre and for the Russian Music Seasons concert.