Cast

Hamburg Ballett

Hamburg is and has always been a city of dance, with the first ballet performances dating back as early as 1765. In 1963, the leading ensembles of the world, including the New York City Ballet and the London Royal Ballet, performed at the Hamburg State Opera. Just ten years later, a unique ballet history ­ began in 1973 when the then 34-year-old John Neumeier was appointed as Ballet Director. For 51 years, Neumeier would lead the Hamburg company, ­ later also as its Artistic Director, bringing it to worldwide acclaim and making it what it is today: the internationally renowned Hamburg Ballet. Beginning in ­ August 2024, Demis Volpi will be taking over as the new Artistic Director of the 61-member ensemble.

The Hamburg Ballet is inseparably linked to the rich repertory of choreographies by John Neumeier, which often address literary, historical, or religious themes. The ensemble has gained fame far beyond the borders of the Hanseatic city through numerous guest performances, making it Germany’s flagship ballet company. In his first year as the Artistic Director, Demis Volpi will expand the repertoire by presenting works of Pina Bausch, Aszure Barton, William Forsythe and Justin Peck that have never yet been seen in Hamburg. Three of Volpi's own works will also be featured.

In the 2024/25 season, the Hamburg Ballet will present more than 80 performances on the stage of the Hamburg State Opera, in addition to guest appearances in Baden-Baden, Germany, and other European cities. The tradition of lecture demonstrations (Ballett-Werkstatt), providing the audience with fascinating insights into the creative and rehearsal work of a ballet ensemble, will continue under Demis Volpi. The current season marks the 50th anniversary of the dance festival "Hamburg Ballet Days" and, consequently, the 50th edition of the Nijinsky Gala, featuring celebrated stars from around the world alongside the Hamburg ensemble.

The School of the Hamburg Ballet, founded by John Neumeier in 1978, has become an integral part of the company and is housed in the Ballet Center in Hamburg­ Hamm, including its affiliated boarding school. A significant number of today's ensemble received their training at the ballet school.

Performances

• Ballet Workshop
• A Streetcar Named Desire
• Romeo and Juliet
• Epilogue
• Death In Venice
• The Odyssey
• Saint Matthew Passion
• Nijinsky
• Demian
• THE TIMES ARE RACING
• SLOW BURN
• Nijinsky Gala L
• The Seagull
• Lady of the Camellias
• Surrogate Cities
• The Nutcracker
• Wonderland
• Nijinsky Gala LI

Pianist

Mari Kodama

Mari Kodama is consistently praised for her virtuosity in a wide range of repertoire, including orchestral, chamber and solo works by composers of all periods. She is also known for her natural musicality, tonal expressiveness with a clear form, and as a benchmark Beethoven interpreter.

She performs with leading orchestras worldwide, including Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. At the same time, she is the artistic director of the "Forest Hill Musical Days" in San Francisco as well as the festival "Tra Luce & Sogno" in Postignano, Italy for which she could win artists such as Christian Gerhaher, Matt Haimowitz and Gerold Huber, among others. She enjoys a worldwide reputation especially for her Beethoven interpretations in the complete recording of all sonatas and piano concertos, which she has presented in recent years.

Mari Kodama was born in Osaka and raised in Germany and Paris. At the Conservatoire National in Paris, she studied piano with Germaine Mounier and chamber music with Genevieve Joy-Dutilleux. She has also worked with Tatiana Nikolaeva and Alfred Brendel. Mari Kodama was appointed as a Steinway Artist.

Find further information about Mari Kodama here.

Performances

• Death In Venice

photo: Sergio Veranes