Birmingham Hippodrome to Present Wagner's THE RING

Birmingham Hippodrome will present Wagner's epic Ring Cycle conducted by Valery Gergiev with his world-famous Mariinsky Opera, making their Hippodrome debut, in four performances over five nights in November 2014.

Marking the UK-Russia Year of Culture in 2014, Birmingham Hippodrome is celebrating the occasion by hosting this world-class company in the UK's second largest city. This will be the largest Midlands event in the UK-Russia Year of Culture programme and the first fully-staged Ring Cycle in Birmingham in decades. Gergiev will be bringing soloists from his outstanding company of singers, brimming with young talent. More than 250 artists will be travelling from St Petersburg to Birmingham, along with 10 trucks of scenery.

Adding further international prestige to the city's acclaimed cultural scene, the Mariinsky Opera's Ring Cycle will be one of the biggest productions to visit the Hippodrome reaffirming the venue's commitment to presenting the finest artists and musicians from around the world.

Announcing this major event, Stuart Griffiths, Chief Executive of Birmingham Hippodrome said:

"This is a great coup for Birmingham Hippodrome and for the city, underlining our reputation for presenting world-class opera. Wagner's Ring Cycle is probably the greatest operatic work ever written and, in the UK, is rarely performed in its entirety. This production has only ever been performed in the UK twice before so we are very excited to welcome the Mariinsky Opera with its distinguished Artistic & General Director, Maestro Valery Gergiev."

The Mariinsky Opera's Ring Cycle was the first full production of Wagner's work by a Russian company since 1914, and Russia's first to be sung in the original German. It marked the 300th anniversary of the foundation of St Petersburg in 2003.

As Maestro Gergiev explains:

"I'm delighted to be bringing our Ring Cycle to Birmingham. In Ossetia, where I come from, our own folk tales parallel the myths that inspired Wagner. I believed that we could create a new visual approach to the Ring that had an international resonance."

Package subscriptions will be available from late November 2013 with a priority period for Friends of Birmingham Hippodrome. For further information visit: www.birminghamhippodrome.com/TheRing