AI-Generated Visuals Debut on the Mariinsky Theatre Stage
The Mariinsky Theatre hosted a concert titled "Theatre Music," becoming the first event in the venue's history to feature visuals created with generative AI. The performance marked the 150th anniversary of the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia.
The evening program featured works by Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Puccini, Verdi, Prokofiev, Bizet, Shchedrin, and other composers, with 15 performances involving more than 200 artists. The concert opened with the overture "Journey Through the Universe" and concluded with the finale from Rimsky-Korsakov's opera The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya.
The show's visual concept centered on two symbolic figures - the Chronicler and the Muse - representing the evolution of Russian theater. Each performance was accompanied by custom digital scenery created with GigaChat and Kandinsky AI models. The visuals were displayed on a large LED screen as part of a production developed by the SberStudios team, which drew inspiration from the combination of classical art and modern technology.
Organizers said such experiments could reshape audience expectations and expand the boundaries of traditional theater without compromising the historic character of the venue.
