Makhar Vaziev leaves La Scala to head the Bolshoi Ballet Company

Makhar Vaziev will leave his position as head of the La Scala Ballet Company and take over at the Bolshoi Ballet on 18 March 2016.

The Director of the Bolshoi Theatre, Vladimir Urin, had already announced last July that the current director, Sergei Filin, would not have his contract renewed, which expires on 17 March.

54-year-old Vaziev is a graduate of the Vaganova Academy and was made a Principal of the Mariinsky Ballet in 1989. From April 1995 to March 2008 he was the Director of the Mariinsky Ballet, after which he took over at La Scala where he has been for the past seven years.

Vaziev, who only recently renewed his contract in Milan, told Kommersant,

I have talked about leaving with La Scala’s General Manager Alexander Pereira as my contract expires well after March next year. I’d like to resolve the issue as calmly as possible. It will not be easy for me.

Gramilano Editor

Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Carla Fracci.

Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.

He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.