Nazarbayev names Gergiev as honored personality of Kazakhstan

ASTANA, May 2 (Itar-Tass) -- Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev
named an outstanding conductor and an art director of the Mariinsky Ballet
and Opera Theatre, Valery Gergiev, as an honored personality of
Kazakhstan. The Kazakh president has stated about this decision at the
Kazakhstan central concert hall, where a famous conductor from St.
Petersburg gave a concert of the Symphony Orchestra of the Mariinsky
Theatre.
The title of an honored personality of Kazakhstan is conferred on
prominent statesmen and public figures, representatives of science,
culture, production and social workers for major merits to the republic.
Nazarbayev signed a special decree to award Gergiev with this title
"taking into account the fact that Gergiev educates Kazakh musicians and
loves Kazakhstan."
The concert was held during the 10th Moscow Easter Festival. More than
100 concerts of symphonic, choral and chamber music are on the festival
agenda in the cities of Russia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.
Denis Matsuyev and Yekaterina Semenchuk performed as soloists at a
concert, which was held under the conductorship of Gergiev in Astana.
The Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra will arrive in Almaty on Monday to
give two concerts in the city, Gergiev underlined.