Photo: Maria Seletskaya
Maria Seletskaya, a former dancer turned conductor, has been named the Music Director of the National Ballet of England, as officially announced on the theater's website, vlassicalnews.ru reports.
Mrs Seletskaya, a Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet graduate from Estonia, initially trained at the Tallinn Ballet School and later continued her dance education at Tallinn University. Her dancing career took her to prestigious companies such as the Estonian National Ballet, Berlin State Ballet, Zurich Ballet, and Royal Ballet of Flanders.
In 2018, a setback in Antwerp led her to conclude her dance career. Concurrently, she delved into piano and violin studies. Embracing a new path, Seletskaya pursued conducting, mastering music theory, harmony, and orchestration at Berklee College of Music. In 2022, she earned a master's degree in orchestral conducting under Maestro Arvo Folmer at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater.
Her journey as an assistant conductor began at the Stuttgart Ballet, where she debuted as a conductor in 2017. Subsequently, she contributed her talents to the National Ballet of Canada, the Royal Danish Ballet, and the Paris Opera Ballet.
The latest chapter in her career unfolded on November 7, as the English National Ballet appointed Maria Seletskaya as its Music Director for the 2024/25 season.
Russkiy Mir
