Born, in 1970, in Moscow. In 1993, he completed his studies at the Russian Academy of Theatre Art. He has directed operas and plays for theatres in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Vilnius, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Omsk, Samara and elsewhere. For nearly all the productions he directs, he is also scenographer and costume designer, and he also does the sets and costumes for productions by other directors (Der fliegende Hollander, Perm State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, 1993; Cosi fan tutti, Ludwigsburg Festival, Germany, 1999).
A notable event in 1998 was his production of the world premiere of V. Kobekin’s The Young David at the Novosibirsk State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet.
In 2000, the Maryinsky Theatre invited him to do a production of Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia. In 2002, at the Golden Mask Festival, his Invisible City was voted the best opera production of the 2000-2001 season, while he himself garnered a Golden Mask in the work by a director in opera nomination.
In the 2002/03 season, he directed Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress for the Bolshoi Theatre. In 2004, this production won him another Golden Mask, while his La Double Inconstance, by Pierre Marivaux, for the Novosibirsk Academic Globus Youth Theatre (2002), got a Golden Mask as best dramatic production of the 2002-03 season.
His recent work in opera includes: Aida (Novosibirsk Theatre of Opera and Ballet, 2004) and Glinka’s Life for a Tsar (Maryinsky Theatre, 2004). His Aida was awarded a Golden Mask as best opera production in the 2003/2004 season, while he personally won a Golden Mask in the work by a director in opera nomination. In 2005, he continued his cooperation with the Maryinsky Theatre with a production of Tristan and Isolde (it won a special music theatre jury prize — For music event of the 2004/05 season).
In the 2005/06 season, he did a production of Boris Godunov for Berlin State Opera (conductor — Daniel Barenboim).
The Bolshoi Theatre opened its 2006/07 season, with his production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. In 2008, he got a Golden Mask for this production in the work by a director in opera nomination.
In 2007, he did a production of Mussorgsky’s Khovanshchina for Munich’s Bavarian State Opera (conductor — Kent Nagano).
In 2008, he produced Prokofiev’s The Gambler (Berlin State Opera and La Scala co-production, conductor — Daniel Barenboim) and Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk for Deutsche Oper am Rhein (conductor John Fiore), Macbeth (Novosibirsk Theatre of Opera and Ballet and Paris National Opera co-production, conductor Teodor Currentzis).
In the 2009/10 season, he directed Berg’s Wozzeck for the Bolshoi Theatre (conductor Teodor Currentzis). In 2011, he got a Golden Mask for this production in the work by a director in opera nomination.
In 2010, he did a production of Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmelites for Munich’s Bavarian State Opera (conductor — Kent Nagano).
Among his other awards:
The International K.S. Stanislavsky prize
The Oleg Tabakov Foundation prize
The Triumph Youth prize
The Franco Abbiati Italian music critic prize
’Best Designer of the Year’ (Opernwelt Magazine)