Vladimir Kekhman is an outstanding theatre figure. He headed the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg in 2007 and quickly brought it to a leading position in Russia. He used to be the theatre’s General Director, currently he is its Artistic Director. Since 2015, he has combined working at the Mikhailovsky Theatre and the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre, where he was first appointed General Director and has held the post of Artistic Director since December 2017. Vladimir Kekhman’s successful creative strategy of includes respect for the audience's interests and attraction of prominent figures of musical and theatrical art to the creative process. Paying equal attention to opera and ballet at the Mikhailovsky Theatre, in different years, Vladimir Kekhman entrusted the posts of opera management to famous singers – Elena Obraztsova, Neil Shicoff, Paata Burchuladze; the ballet troupe has been led by Farukh Ruzimatov, Mikhail Messerer, Nacho Duato. The Mikhailovsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra is considered an ensemble of the highest level, it is gladly worked with by such conductors as Vladimir Jurowski, Daniel Barenboim, Daniele Rustioni, Peter Feranec, Roland Böer, and Pavel Balev.
Vladimir Kekhman has actively participated in organizing the most important social and cultural events held at the Mikhailovsky Theatre: the Help the Tiger! concert as part of the interstate Tiger Summit, the Dresden – St. Petersburg gala concert in honour of the 50th anniversary of the twinning relations between the cities, the Dresden Opera Ball, the Give Life! charity marathon. The successful holding of the events was marked by commendations by the President and the Government of the Russian Federation. He is awarded with the "For Contribution to Russian Culture" badge of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. For active participation in charitable activities and assistance in the restoration of Orthodox holy sites, he has been awarded the orders of the Russian Orthodox Church: the Order of St. Seraphim of Sarov, the Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, the Order of St. Prince Daniel of Moscow.
In 2020, when all theatres were closed due to the pandemic, he managed to preserve the entire artistic and administrative staff of both theatres without cutting wages. He carefully prepared the theatres for the opening of the season in compliance with all the sanitary requirements of Rospotrebnadzor and city authorities. In the fall of 2020, the audience returned to the Mikhailovsky Theatre and NOVAT. In January 2021, Vladimir Kekhman offered to open a vaccination centre at the Mikhailovsky Theatre, which received the first cultural workers a
few weeks later. The initiative of opening the vaccination centre was taken up by other cultural institutions in the country.
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