Ilya Kuznetsov

• Honoured Artist of Russia (2009)
• Recipient of the Golden Sofit, St Petersburg’s most prestigious theatre prize (2000–2001 season) for “Best role in ballet” for the ballet Sounds of Empty Pages and the role of the Hooligan in the ballet The Young Lady and the Hooligan

Born in Samara.
Graduated from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in 1995 (class of Vladilen Semyonov).
Joined the Mariinsky Ballet Company in 1995.
Soloist since 1997.

His repertoire includes:
Giselle (Count Albrecht, Hans);
Le Corsaire (Conrad);
La Bayadère (Slave) – choreography by Marius Petipa, revised version by Vakhtang Chabukiani;
The Sleeping Beauty (Prince Charmant, Carabosse) – revival of the 1890 production;
Swan Lake (Prince Siegfried, von Rothbart);
Raymonda (Abderakhman, Jean de Brienne);
Don Quixote (Espada);
The Firebird (Ivan Tsarevich) – choreography by Michel Fokine;
The Fountain of Bakhchisarai (Chirei, Vaslav);
Spartacus (Harmodius) – choreography by Leonid Yakobson;
Romeo and Juliet (Romeo, Tybalt);
Walpurgis Night (Bacchus);
The Legend of Love (Vizier);
Leningrad Symphony (Youth) and The Young Lady and the Hooligan (Hooligan), both to music by Dmitry Shostakovich;
George Balanchine’s ballets Apollo (Apollo), Serenade, Symphony in C (II Movement), Jewels (Sapphires) and La Valse;
Carmen (José) – choreography by Roland Petit;
Carmen-Suite (José, Torero) – choreography by Alberto Alonso;
In the Night (Third Movement) – choreography by Jerome Robbins;
Études – choreography by Harald Lander;
Manon (Des Grieux) – choreography by Kenneth MacMillan;
The Nutcracker (Nutcracker Prince) – staging by Mihail Chemiakin, choreography by Kirill Simonov;
Le Poème de l’extase – choreography by Alexei Ratmansky;
John Neumeier’s ballets Now and Then and Sounds of Empty Pages;
Trois Gnossienes – choreography by Hans van Manen;
and Aria Suspended (soloist) – choreography by Peter Quanz.

Has toured with the Mariinsky Ballet Company to Azerbaijan and China.