ISTANBUL / ANKARA

Cemi'i Can Deliorman, chief conductor of Türkiye's Presidential Symphony Orchestra (CSO), led a concert at the historic Bolshoi Theatre on Sunday for the opening of the Moscow Easter Festival.

Deliorman, who has conducted 18 concerts over the past year with the orchestra at the historical Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, frequently features Turkish compositions alongside classical staples in his programs.

Held for the first time at the Bolshoi Theatre, the 24th Moscow Easter Festival officially opened on Sunday night with a concert by the United Symphony Orchestra of the Mariinsky and Bolshoi Theatres.

Deliorman conducted the opera Ruslan and Lyudmila onstage alongside the festival's founding conductor, Valery Gergiev.

Speaking to Anadolu, Deliorman said: “Sharing the stage with the legendary Maestro Gergiev at the opening of the Easter Festival was an unforgettable experience. I am honored and grateful.”

Festival also celebrates 185th anniversary of Tchaikovsky's birth

According to the Bolshoi Theatre website, Gergiev founded the Moscow Easter Festival in 2002 in collaboration with the Moscow government. In 2003, with the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin, it became a national event.

The fact that the festival is being held on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre for the first time in its history adds a special significance to this prominent cultural event.

This year’s edition also celebrates the 185th anniversary of Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s birth, with events being held across the country as part of the organization.