DMITRY BERTMAN, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF "HELIKON-OPERA" 

Dmitri Bertman was born in Moscow in 1967. He studied at the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts  in the class of  professor G.P. Ansimov and in 1990 became music theatre director of the Elizabet Buhne Theater in Salzburg, Austria.

In 1990 Dmitri Bertman established “Helikon Opera” Music Theatre, which later became a municipal one, and even sooner – one of the most popular theatre spots. Company started touring  with visits to the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, Salzburg Festspielhaus, Montpellier Opera Berlioz and Paris Théâtre des Champs Elysées, and since then has toured the whole world. Dmitri Bertman’s productions were presented at numerous international festivals, among them The Mermaid at Wexford, 1997; Cosi fan Tutte at Ludwigsburg, 1999; Die Fledermaus with Maestro Rostropovich at Evian, 2000; Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at Santander, 2001; Aïda at the Verdi Festival, Strasbourg, 2001; Les Contes d’Hoffmann and Lulu at Santander and at the Peralada Festivals, 2002; Norma at Santander Festival, 2004; La Clemenza di Tito at Merida Festival, 2004; Nabucco with Massy Opera, Duo Dijon and Helikon, 2004; Boris Godunov in San-Sebastian, 2010 and many many others. See the full production list...

For years Dmiri Bertman is cooperating with the Canadian Opera Company, the result is always successful and mutually fruitful – “Caffee Cantate”, “Dido and  Aeneas”, “La Traviata” and “The House of the Dead” are the good proof for it. He also has directed various opera productions throughout the world, among them Volksoper Vienna, Nationaltheater Mannheim, Estonian National Opera, Latvian National Opera, Royal Swedish Opera, Vaneimune (Tartu, Eesti), Roma Opera, New Zealand Opera. From 1994 he has held master-classes at the Bern Opera Studio, teaching the methods of Stanislavsky, Mikhail Chekhov and Shaliapin. 6 times he has been a Jury member of Belveder Vocal Contest, Ottavio Ziino Opera Competition in Roma, New York International  Opera Auditions and others.

He is Professor, the Head of the Russian Theatre Academy’s Musical Theatre Department at his alma mater - the Russian Theatre Academy and the Artistic Director of “Helikon-Opera” for  20 years. He has staged more than 70 productions in Helikon-Opera and throughout the world. In 1997 Dmitri Bertman has been named the Honored Art Worker of Russia. He has won the prestigious Russian National Golden Mask award as the  best opera director for Carmen in 1998, The Tsar’s Bride in 1999 and Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk in 2001. In 2003 he has become the Officier des Palmes Academiques (France) and in 2004 - the Knight of the Maltese Cross. In 2008 the President of Republic of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves awarded Dmitri Bertman with Order of Santa Maria Land for his production of "Wallenberg" opera by Erkki Sven-Tüür in Estonian National Opera.

Now Dmitri Bertman carries  the highest Russian Governmental title – The People’s Artist of Russia and he is awarded with one of the highest Russian Governmental awards – the Order of Friendship - for his outstanding input into the Russian culture on the post of the Artistic Director of the “Helikon-Opera” Music Theatre under Dmitri Bertman”.