Dmitry Bertman, theater director: biography, personal life, creativity

Theater director Bertman Dmitry Alexandrovich, the creator of the unique "Helikon-Opera" theater, is known all over the world for his productions. His performances are distinguished by lightness, elegance, originality, improvisation and great respect for musical material.

Opera prodigy

Dmitry Bertman was born on October 31, 1967 in Moscow. Already since childhood, my mother wrote him to music school in a piano class and several times a week led to theaters. Dmitry Bertman, whose family had a lot of acquaintances in the theatrical environment, remembered his first play "Bunny-zazyka" in the Youth Theater, which he watched with great emotional empathy. And during the intermission my mother took him behind the scenes and the boy was surprised to see that Baba Yaga was Uncle Volodya, who often visited their house. Dmitry says that since then he ceased to be an ordinary spectator, and now he understood that the theater is a convention, a game, and enjoyed watching the actors do it.

Little Dmitry had a toy - a mock-up of the theater on a rotating circle, and on it, as a child, the future director played his first productions. Already in the fifth grade, he knew that he wanted to be only an opera director. The best pastime for a teenager was a secret visit to Pokrovsky's rehearsals at the Bolshoi Theater. Every day he went to the theater. Stanislavsky knew all the plays by heart, remembered all the artists. So, from the very childhood, Dmitry's fate was sealed.

Study

At the age of 16, Dmitry Bertman, whose biography seemed to be predetermined, makes a fateful decision - submits an application to GITIS. Although before going to enter the Moscow State University, I went there for preparatory lectures, and only after that I intended to go to directing courses. Everyone around said that it was unrealistic to direct a director at the age of 16 and the reception committee was very skeptical. But the examination on explication was able to convince professionals of the unconditional talent of the entrant. Throughout his years of study, Bertman was particularly concerned, and he had to prove his right to exist in the profession on a daily basis.

Already in the years of study, Dmitry is looking for any opportunity to stage performances. He works in the provincial theaters of Syktyvkar, Odessa, Tver. He leads an amateur group in the House of the Medic, teaching singing in the choir of doctors and nurses, and for this he receives a rehearsal room in which the first performances of the future famous troupe are born.

Theater of Life: "Helikon-Opera"

Already at the last courses of the institute around Dmitri there is a small team of like-minded people who put the opera on four people - the Mavro by I. Stravinsky. And after graduation, the idea of own theater arose. And the unprecedented thing happened - a young 23-year-old man creates his own opera house! Gradually, the troupe has an interesting repertoire of works of composers of the 20th century. These were extremely difficult times for the country as a whole and for theaters in particular. But Bertman did not want to back down, he was eagerly urging sponsors to invest in records and staging. They are joined by a choir of 12 people, which allows you to put the "Pagliacci" Leoncavallo and attract a wider audience.

In 1993, "Helikon-Opera" received the status of a state theater and began to actively develop. Initially, the troupe consisted of 30 staff units, today more than 300 people work in the theater. The audience appreciated the director's search for Bertman and fell in love with a new unusual theater. The director was called a revolutionary and a hooligan, he puts classics, but always finds a new reading, and this is very attracting viewers and criticism.

The theater is based on the charisma of Bertman, he is extremely sociable person and the theater has become more a club of fans of his work, outstanding artists, celebrities, politicians come here. For example, Valentina Matviyenko watched several performances seven times, brought many friends and official delegations.

Today the repertoire of Helikon Opera consists of classics: Aida, Boris Godunov, Carmen, The Queen of Spades, Sadko and contemporary works: Gershwin-Gala, Doctor Haaz, Multik- opera". On the premiere of the premiere theater in the New York Metropolitan Opera, it is impossible to buy tickets, the theater is actively touring the world with unchanged public announcements.

For a long time the theater huddled in other people's premises, but thanks to the incredible and heroic efforts of Dmitry Bertman in November 2015, "Helikon-Opera" moved into its own building on the Great Nikitskaya. Now the theater has a modern stage and a lot of opportunities for further creative searches.

Director's work

Bertman Dmitry Alexandrovich, in addition to "Helikon-Opera" actively works in many theaters of the world. Over 20 years of creative activity, he has staged about 90 performances in the best theaters. Among his finds are "The Naked King" in Rome, "Faust" in Tallinn, "Nabucco" in Dijon, "The Mermaid" in Toronto, "Othello" in Sweden. Bertman's creative method provokes tremendous interest in the world, he is invited to festivals, to the jury of competitions.

Since 1994, Bertman begins to teach abroad, and since 1996, RATI conducts his own studio, he heads the department of directing.

Creative achievements and awards

The main achievement of Dmitry Bertman is an incredibly successful modern modern opera theater in the whole world. In "Helikon-Opera" is always sold out, the audience with pleasure watching the creative finds of the director. Theater tours in London, Paris, Stockholm, New York attract a huge number of spectators, critics say the formation of a new Russian opera, created by Bertman.

Bertman's talent has repeatedly received well-deserved awards. He has several "Golden Masks" as the best director of the musical theater, twice awarded "Nail of the Season" - theater awards, presented to several foreign awards and prizes, and is also the owner of the Order of Friendship. In 1998, Dmitry Bertman became Honored Artist of Russia, in 2005 he became People's Artist of Russia.

Private life

Dmitry Bertman, whose personal life arouses keen interest among journalists, is so busy with work that he probably has no time to think about his family. He is very sociable, in his house, which reflects the ebullient and inquisitive nature of the host, there are always many guests.

If there are people who are obsessed with work, it's Dmitri Bertman, his personal life is a theater for him, he reads a lot, travels, visits performances of his colleagues and works - that makes up his life.