Kirill Serebrennikov (1969) was born in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, and studied in physics. During his studies, he began his career as a self-taught director and costume designer and managed to work his way up to become one of Russia’s most important theatre directors. By now, he has also become a much sought-after international director. He directs theatre, opera, film and television and still designs his own costumes and sets. As an opera director, he works in opera houses all over Europe, including Zurich, Hamburg, Vienna, Stuttgart and Berlin. He also enjoys a high international profile as a film director. His films are shown at the Cannes Festival, among others. In addition, Serebrennikov is regularly invited to present his theatre productions at international festivals and has received numerous awards for his work.