Mandragora

On June 19, the New Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre hosted the premiere of the mystical opera "Mandrake," the first musical performance in the world to be completed using AI. The production became the central cultural event of the SPIEF and the Stars of the White Nights festival, marking a new stage in the development of the synthesis of art and technology. Composer Pyotr Dranga and Vladislav Kreinin, Senior Vice President and Director of Marketing and Communications at Sber, discuss the creation of the opera and whether we should be afraid of AI in the arts.

The new production was not even listed in the theater's program, as the performance was held behind closed doors and was only available to guests of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. However, a release from Sberbank claimed that the premiere was included in the program of the XXXIII Stars of the White Nights Festival, describing it as "the most anticipated event of the SPIEF." This claim seems more plausible, as the cultural event resembled a business project rather than a traditional theater premiere, with the renowned Russian theater serving as one of the performers.…

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky began writing the opera "Mandrake" in 1869-1870, but he never finished it. Only one fragment, the Chorus of Flowers and Insects, has survived. Now, 155 years later, composer and People's Artist of Russia Pyotr Dranga, together with artificial intelligence (AI), has been able to recreate and "complete" the production. This is the first opera in the world to be completed using AI. The premiere took place on June 19 at the New Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, the city where Tchaikovsky lived and worked.

"Mandrake" is a work that Tchaikovsky conceived together with his friend, Professor of Botany Sergei Rachinsky. The only fragment of the opera that Tchaikovsky wrote is the outstanding "Choir of Flowers and Insects on Ivan's Night." Rachinsky described the full plot of "Mandrake" in a letter to the composer's brother, Modest Tchaikovsky.

On March 6 and 7, the Mariinsky Theatre will host the first performances of Pyotr Tchaikovsky's unfinished mystical opera "Mandrake." It was completed with the assistance of composer Pyotr Dranga and artificial intelligence. The neural network was used to restore the libretto, as well as in the creation of the set design and costumes.

19 июня 2025 года в Санкт-Петербурге на Новой сцене Мариинского театра состоится премьера мистической оперы «Мандрагора», основанной на либретто Сергея Рачинского и музыке Петра Чайковского. Нереализованная авторами XIX века идея нашла свое воплощение в XXI веке благодаря композитору Петру Дранге и нейросетевым моделям от Сбера — Symformer, Kandinsky и GigaChat. В масштабном действе заняты более 170 артистов — большой симфонический оркестр, солисты Мариинского театра, мужские и женские хоры, миманс. Декорация представляет собой человеческую голову высотой 10 метров, внутри которой с помощью видеомэппинга возникают фантастические миры «Мандрагоры».

The results of the Bema International Event Marketing and Integrated Communications Awards were recently announced. Sber, Sber Immersive, and SberMarketing's "Mandrake Opera at the Mariinsky Theatre" case won two awards: gold in the "Best Event Direction and Production" category and silver in the "Best Cultural/Educational Project" category.

On June 19, 2025, the New Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg will host the premiere of the mystical opera "Mandrake," based on the libretto by Sergei Rachinsky and the music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The idea, which was not realized by the authors of the 19th century, has been brought to life in the 21st century by the composer Pyotr Drange and the neural network models from Sberbank, such as Symformer, Kandinsky, and GigaChat. The grand production features over 170 artists, including a large symphony orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre soloists, male and female choirs, and mimans.…

The results of the Bema International Event Marketing and Integrated Communications Award were announced recently. Sber, Sber Immersive, and SberMarketing's "Mandrake Opera at the Mariinsky Theatre" case won two awards: gold in the "Best Direction and Production of an Event" category and silver in the "Best Cultural/Educational Project" category.

The details of the project's implementation were shared by the case participants, experts from Sber Immersive and the SberMarketing Technology Center.

В парке "Зарядье" в рамках Московской недели моды представили коллекцию костюмов, вдохновленных оперой Чайковского "Мандрагора". В этот вечер музыка, написанная нейросетями по мотивам единственного фрагмента оперы Петра Ильича Чайковского, звучала в живом исполнении. На показе, превращенном в перформанс, за музыкальное сопровождение отвечали симфонический оркестр Петра Дранги DYP orchestra и солистка Мариинского театра Цветана Омельчук.

The decision of the experts of the authoritative online media Designers from Russia summed up and consolidated the success of the event held last summer on the Floating Bridge in Moscow. SberMarketing organized the show, and Sber's technologies helped to form its creative basis, allowing for the creation of truly unique images.

During the Moscow Fashion Week, a catwalk show of the theatrical images of the AI-opera "Mandrake" was held on the Floating Bridge in Zaryadye. The premiere of this opera took place in 2025 at the Mariinsky Theatre. In the year of the 185th anniversary of the birth of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the project united two eras — composer and musician Pyotr Dranga embodied and completed the unfinished idea of the maestro 150 years later.

Moscow, August 30, 2025, 09:01 — IA Regnum. A runway show of costumes from the AI opera Mandragora, based on an unfinished work by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, took place on Friday on the Floating Bridge in Zaryadye Park as part of Moscow Fashion Week. The event has become a symbol of the synthesis of classical art, modern fashion and digital technologies.