Winterfest 19 - Festival for contemporary circus in the Salzburg Volksgarten David Dimitri is the new artistic director
The Salzburg Winterfest has announced David Dimitri as the new artistic director. The Swiss Dimitri comes from a big circus family, is himself a world-famous artist and tightrope walker and is already known to the Winterfest audience from his two performances "La Famiglia Dimitri" and "‘L’homme cirque". His experience spans from a leading role in the Cirque du Soleil to the conception of, and advisory roles on, shows, theatre productions (such as the Metropolitan Opera under direction of Jean Pierre Ponelle) and film projects. David Dimitri is an superb aficionado of Nouveau Cirque, and what's more, he has been travelling for years around Europe, America and Canada with his own repertoire.
“We are very proud that, with David Dimitri, we were able to recruit one of the biggest players on the European and international circus scene as the new artistic director of the Winterfest. He knows the people, he knows the scene and he knows all the newest developments. But he is also a creator and visionary, and aside from contemporary circus he also works on projects in theatre, dance, music, clown performance and contemporary magic. We are full of anticipation about the collaboration with this particular master of enchantment. Because we know that he can take the Winterfest further at the highest level, innovatively, poetically, artistically and creatively,” says Michael Bilic, chairman of the Winterfest board.
Photo: David Dimitri © Erika Mayer
Statement by David Dimitri The wonderful challenge of influencing the future of contemporary circus in Salzburg as the artistic director of the Winterfest and to assemble refined and poetic content, as well as new and spectacular content, fills me with great joy and motivation. In the last 15 years I've had the opportunity to get involved with over 50 circus festivals all over the world. I was able to advise cultural institutions and help young artists to find their feet in the professional circus world. The Winterfest is recognised internationally as one of the most renowned circus arts festivals. I want to develop this unique cultural platform into an international hub; to a resource centre for contemporary circus arts. One of my priorities will be to get to know Salzburg better. That is why I'm looking forward to the exchange and collaboration with the cultural scene in Salzburg.
Biography of David Dimitri David Dimitri was born in in 1963, as the son of Clown Dimitri in Zürich. His youth was spent in the world of theatre. His grandparents on both sides were sculptors, architects and painters. His parents founded the Teatro Dimitri in the 70s in southern Switzerland. The Dimitris always had interesting characters to visit, such as Gunther Grass, Marcel Maceau, Yehudi Menuhin, and Max Frisch. As a 7 year old he appeared in the circus ring for the first time at the Circus Knie. Having decided to become a circus artist, in 1977 David Dimitri travelled alone at age 14 to Budapest for four years, to graduate from the state circus school. Afterwards he move to New York and completed dance training at the renowned Juilliard School. Following this were appearances at the Metropolitan Opera house, MGM Las Vegas, Big Apple Circus, Cirque du Soleil and Circus Knie.
David Dimitri worked on film, opera and theatre projects together with John Huston, Franco Zeffirelli, Philippe Petit (Man On Wire), and Les Colporteurs, among others. In 1997 he was artistic director of the Circus Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin. He completed projects for Disney, the Schweizer Post, Fondation Beyeler, Gmuzynska Gallery, Dominique Levy Gallery, and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. He was artistic and technical advisor on the Bayerischen Rundfunk TV programme “Stars in der Manege” (en: Stars in the Circus Ring). He also produced many charitable events for the Schauspielhaus theatre and the opera house in Zurich for the benefit of the “Fondazione Dimitri" foundation.
In 2005 he traversed the Frankfurt football stadium on a tightrope as part of the Confederations Cup. In 2006, together with his sisters Masha and Nina and his father, THE "Clown Dimitri", he created the circus production "La Famiglia Dimitri", which was hosted at the Winterfest in 2007. (In 2009 this piece played for 6 weeks in the New Victory Theater on Broadway.) In 2007 David Dimitri created his own one-man circus “‘L’homme cirque”. With this show he appeared in over 2000 performances in 150 cities worldwide, 27 of which were in Salzburg.
Between touring with shows and tightrope walks he further developed the world of the Dimitris as president of the Fondazione Dimitri. For many years he had been planning a tightrope walk in the city of Salzburg together with Georg Daxner, which never came to fruition. For more than two years David Dimitri has also been leading the Theater Dimitri in Zurich, a cultural centre with two theatres, a circus and a college for physical theater and circus arts. Since August 2019, he has been the new artistic director of the Winterfest.
www.winterfest.at
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