Alexandrov Yuri Isaakovich

National Artist of Russia

Art director of the Saint-Petersburg State Chamber Music Theatre.

In 1974 Yury Alexandrov graduated from Leningrad State Conservatory as a pianist (professor L. B. Umanskaya’s student) and got a degree on the faculty of musical directing (assistant professor M.D. Slutskaya’s student). Graduation work- Don Pasquale in Grand Academic State Theatre of Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Since 1978 Yury Alexandrov has been working as a production director in Marinskiy theatre. His creative work is very diverse, having no rigorous definition of the term opera. He easily improvises with classical opera texts. His work is most distinguished by the unique aesthetics, originality of concepts, paradoxicality and freshness of solutions. Following ideas in his productions is at the same time fascinating and difficult: they are full of allegories and metaphors. Metaphor is one of Yury Alexandrov’s main techniques, revealing the director’s philosophically and artistically rich inner world.

His productions for Mariinskiy theatre always become major events in the cultural life of Saint-Petersburg. Among them Donizetti's “Il campanello di note” and “Don Pasquale”, Gluck's “The Queen of May”, Banevich's “The Story of Kai and Gerda”, “Mozart's Don Giovanni”, Stravinsky's “Mavra”, Mozart's “Le nozze di Figaro”, Tchaikovsky's “Mazepa”, Prokofiev's “Semyon Kotko” (awarded Russia's highest theatre prize, the Golden Mask, in 1999 in the categories "Best opera production", "Best opera director", "Best opera designer" and "Best opera conductor") and Verdi's Aida, Don Carlo and Otello, Shostakovich’s “Nose” , Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Tsar’s Bride”, etc.

Yuri Alexandrov has staged over two hundred productions at opera houses throughout Russia and abroad, among them are Mussorgsky’s Khovanshchina (Bolshoy theatre) and Donizetti’s L'elisir d'amore (The Elixir of Love) (Kolobov New Opera) in Moscow, Massenet’s Werther, Borodin’s “Prince Igor”, Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin”, Dinizetti’s “Viva la madre” in Turkey, Tchaikovsky’s “Tcherevichky” and ”Eugene Onegin” and Mozart’s “Don Juan” in Italy, Tchaikovsky’s “Queen of Spades” in the USA, Offenbach’s “Hoffman’s Tales” in Belorussia, Donizetti’s L'elisir d'amore in Latvia, Mozart’s “Don Juan” in Lithuania, Puccini’s “Turandot” and Donizetti’s “Luchia di Lammermur” and Rahmadiev’s “Abylay Khan” in Kazakhstan, etc.

Yury Alexandrov’s name is closely associated with the opening of Baiseitova National Opera and Ballet House in Astana, Kazakhstan in 2000. He is one of the founders of the theatre as well as the director of colorful operas such as “La traviata”, “Rigoletto”, Verdi’s Aida, Madam Butterfly, Puccini’s Tosca, Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, etc.

Yury Alexandrov was the first foreigner to pick up the Kazakhstan State Award and to be awarded the Dostyk order.

Especially fruitful for Yury Alexandrov was 2005/06 season. He staged 11 productions including Tchaikovsy’s Mazepa, at Metropolitan Opera (USA), Tchaikovsky’s “Tcherevichky” at renowned La Scala (Italy), Puccini’s “Turandot” at Arena di Verona, an unprecedented event in the theatrical world when a foreign director was invited to Italy to stage an Italian opera.

In 2007 Polish audience was taken aback by Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov” in its new original interpretation. The production was staged on the gigantic stage of the Hala Ludowa theatre (Wroclaw) allowing for 6000 spectators.

Yury Alexandrov’s latest production “Semen Kotko” took place on 22 April 2009 in Cagliari (Italy).

In 1987 Yury Alexandrov founded the Chamber Music Theatre. Initially conceived as a creative "laboratory", with time it developed into the professional St. Petersburg Chamber Opera Company, famed not only throughout Russia but abroad too. In spite of its young age the theatre has very rich creative biography. During its twenty two seasons the theatre has grown into a solid body with its unique original repertoire. The theatre’s company comprises gifted solo singers and musicians. Many of them are people’s artists of Russia, laureates of International and all-Russia competitions. All genres of opera are presented in its repertoire from comic and buffa operas to musical dramas. Considerable attention is paid to modern authors’ works.

Some productions in Saint-Petersburg can be seen only on the stage of “Saint-Petersburg Opera”. They are Donizetti’s “Pietro il Grande zar di tutte le Russie ossia Il Falegname di Livonia”, “Rita” and “Il Campanello di Notte”, Bortnyansky’s “The Falcon”, Cimarozo’s “The Secret Marriage”, Shostakovich’s “Gamblers-1942” “Antiformalist Rayok”, Cilea’s “Adrianna Lecouvreur”. Many of these works have been staged in Russia for the first time ever.

On February 28 2008 Yuri Alexandrov was conferred a title of People’s Artist of Russia.

In 2008 maestro became the head of department of Music Theatre in Saint-Petersburg Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory.