Igor Zelensky resigns as director of the Bavarian State Ballet
Created: 04/03/2022Updated: 04/03/2022 10:18 p.m
By: Michael Schleicher
Igor Zelensky leaves Munich.
He has directed the Bavarian State Ballet since 2016. © Wilfried Hösl
Igor Zelensky resigns as director of the Bavarian State Ballet.
The house announced late Sunday evening that the 52-year-old would leave Munich for "private, family matters".
The Bavarian State Ballet needs a new director.
Igor Zelensky leaves the house.
The ensemble was informed about this late on Sunday evening – at the end of the ballet festival week.
The 52-year-old Russian has been at the helm of the State Ballet since 2016 – he is stepping down today, Monday, April 4, 2022.
The reason for this is “private, family matters”, the house reports.
"Leading a ballet company requires absolute concentration and capacity," explains Zelensky.
"At the moment, however, private family matters require my full attention and time, which is not compatible with running a ballet company.
Therefore, after careful consideration, I decided to become the ballet director of the Bavarian State Ballet with the 4.
to resign on April 1, 2022 and to retire from all related duties.
My family needs all my support now.”
"Respect" for Zelensky's decision
Serge Dorny, artistic director of the Bavarian State Opera, says he has "great respect for this difficult decision and wishes Igor Zelensky and his family all the best".
In recent years, Zelensky has managed to further strengthen the international reputation of the Bavarian State Ballet.
The successor to the Staatsballett should be clarified in the next few weeks
Bavaria's Minister of Art, Markus Blume, agrees.
"The many performances by world-famous ballet stars that Mr. Zelensky brought to Munich will be remembered.
I wish him all the best for his private and professional future," said the CSU politician, according to the announcement.
In the coming weeks, Blume now wants to regulate the successor.
In the transitional period, ballet mistress Judith Turos and ballet master Thomas Mayr will lead the company.
