The Teatro alla Scala has found a replacement for Valery Gergiev in “The Queen of Spades.”

Timur Zangiev will replace the Russian conductor, who has been called upon to denounce the Russian invasion of Ukraine but has remained silent on the matter. Gergiev is a known supporter of Russian president Vladimir Putin and even aided in his recent election campaign efforts.

Zangiev has conducted at the Mariinsky Theatre as well as with the Russian National Orchestra and the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia. He has also performed with the Moscow State Philharmonic Society, the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra in the Great Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory, and with the Togliatti Philharmonic.

He will lead a cast that includes Najmiddin Mavlyanov, Roman Burdenko, Alexey Markov, Julia Gertseva, Asmik Grigorian, Elena Guseva, and Elena Maximova.

The production returns to the stage on March 5 and will run through March 15, 2022.