Olga Borodina spends much of her fall with the repertoire of Berlioz, beginning with concert performances of the composer’s dramatic choral symphony Roméo et Juliette in St. Petersburg (October 19) and Vienna (October 25). Valery Gergiev leads both performances with the orchestra and chorus of the Mariinsky Theatre, which is where October 19’s performance takes place. Olga’s appearance in Vienna will be at the city’s ornate Konzerthaus. Further performances of the work, as well as Berlioz’s opera La Damnation de Faust, can be heard in London this November.

October sees Maxim Vengerov in Belarus, Israel, and Turkey both in concert and in his capacity as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. On October 12, Maxim makes his Minsk debut as part of the 8th International Yuri Bashmet Festival. In the festival’s closing concert, he will perform romantic miniatures as well as Brahms’s Scherzo in C Minor, Bach’s Chaconne in D Minor, and Franck’s Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major.

Following a recital in Haifa with pianist Vag Papian on October 26, Maxim travels to Turkey. As part of his work with UNICEF as a Goodwill Ambassador, he will perform on October 28 and continue work with the foundation the following day.

Olga Borodina returns to the Vienna Staatsoper’s much-loved production of Verdi’s Aida, October 9–18. Presented as part of the Staatsoper’s celebration of Verdi in the year of his bicentennial, the production stars Olga as Egyptian princess Amneris opposite Marcello Giordani as Radames and Kristin Lewis in the title role. Dan Ettinger conducts the performances.

Olga made her debut at the Staatsoper earlier this year in the same production, directed by Nicolas Joel. Of that performance, Kurier wrote that she is “an almost ideal Amneris with a vocally expressive, powerful, and richly-colored mezzo.” She also recently sang the role at the Metropolitan Opera.

Maxim Vengerov spends September 23 and 24 in Bucharest for the city’s annual George Enescu Festival, celebrating the Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor, and teacher. Like the festival’s namesake, Maxim is heard in a plurality of contexts, serving as both conductor of and soloist for the Bucharest Virtuosi Orchestra.

On September 23, Maxim leads an all-Mozart program in which he can be heard as soloist for the composer’s Violin Concertos Nos. 3 and 5 in addition to his Symphony No. 40. On September 24, he joins fellow violinist Vlad Stanculeasa for Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra in D Minor before reprising September 23’s program.

Olga Borodina’s fall season continues with a jubilee concert in her hometown at the Mariinsky Theatre, celebrating the legendary mezzo-soprano’s 50^th birthday. Heard earlier this year at the gala opening of Mariinsky II in what the New York Times dubbed “a melting, genuinely seductive performance of ‘Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix,’” Olga returns to the theater’s main auditorium on September 22.

Joined by the Mariinsky Chorus and Orchestra with conductor Tugan Sokhiev, Olga will be featured in a program that includes Act I from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Act II from Borodin’s Prince Igor, and Act IV of Bizet’s Carmen.