John Neumeier retired as the Chief Choreographer and Ballet Director of the Hamburg Ballet for 51 years at the end of 2023/2024 season and relayed the baton to Demis Volpi, who was not even born when he took on the position.
According to the Hamburg Ballet website, Mr. Neumeier was born in 1939 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the United States, where he started dance training and created his first choreographic works. He continued his ballet training in Copenhagen and at The Royal Ballet School in London.
In 1963, John Cranko invited him to join the Stuttgart Ballet, where he progressed to soloist and continued his choreographic development.
In 1969, Mr. Neumeier became Director of Ballet Frankfurt.
In 1973, the Hamburg Ballet was created and he was appointed Director and Chief Choreographer of the company.
Mr. Neumeier's works, such as Romeo and Juliet, are internationally highly acclaimed and loved by artists and audiences alike. They continue to be performed by many dance companies. He also created many works for major ballet companies as a guest choreographer. Although he retired from the director position with the Hamburg Ballet, he told The New York Times that he would carry on working independently.
German-Argentine Mr. Volpi succeeded Mr. Neumeier effective 1 August, 2024. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1985. He trained in Buenos Aires, at Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto and at the John Cranko School in Stuttgart, Germany. He then danced professionally as a member of the corps de ballet of the Stuttgart Ballet.
In 2006, Mr. Volpi started his choreographic development for the Stuttgart Ballet and he soon became known for his narrative ballet style. He was awarded the Erik Bruhn Prize in 2011, followed by numerous other awards. In 2013, he became the resident choreographer of the company. He has also created abstract ballet and since 2014 he has directed opera.
Before his appointment with the Hamburg Ballet, he was Ballet Director & Principal Choreographer the Ballett am Rhein in Düsseldorf, Germany, from 2020 to 2024.
Click here for Mr. Volpi's statement about his first season with the Hamburg Ballet and the details of the company's 2024-2025 season.