Dmitry Bertman was born in Moscow in 1967. He studied at the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts in the class of Professor G. P. Ansimov and in 1990 became music theatre director of the Elizabet Buhne Theater in Salzburg, Austria.
In 1990 Dmitry Bertman established "Helikon Opera" Music Theatre, which later became a municipal one, and even sooner – one of the most popular theatre spots. Company started touring with visits to the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, Salzburg Festspielhaus, Montpellier Opera Berlioz and Paris Théâtre des Champs Elysées, and since then has toured the whole world. Dmitri Bertman's productions were presented at numerous international festivals, among them The Mermaid at Wexford, 1997; Cosi fan Tutte at Ludwigsburg, 1999; Die Fledermaus with Maestro Rostropovich at Evian, 2000; Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at Santander, 2001; Aïda at the Verdi Festival, Strasbourg, 2001; Les Contes d'Hoffmann and Lulu at Santander and at the Peralada Festivals, 2002; Norma at Santander Festival, 2004; La Clemenza di Tito at Merida Festival, 2004; Nabucco with Massy Opera, Duo Dijon and Helikon, 2004; Boris Godunov in San-Sebastian, 2010 and many other.
For years Dmitry Bertman is cooperating with the Canadian Opera Company. He also has directed various opera productions throughout the world, among them Volksoper Vienna, Nationaltheater Mannheim, Estonian National Opera, Latvian National Opera, Royal Swedish Opera, Vaneimune (Tartu, Eesti), Roma Opera, New Zealand Opera. From 1994 he has held master-classes at the Bern Opera Studio, teaching the methods of Stanislavsky, Mikhail Chekhov and Shaliapin. 6 times he has been a Jury member of Belveder Vocal Contest, Ottavio Ziino Opera Competition in Roma, New York International Opera Auditions and others.
He is Professor, the Head of the Russian Theatre Academy's Musical Theatre Department at his alma mater - the Russian Theatre Academy and the Artistic Director of "Helikon-Opera" for 20 years. He has staged more than 90 productions in Helikon-Opera and throughout the world. In 1997 Dmitry Bertman has been named the Honored Art Worker of Russia. He has won the prestigious Russian National Golden Mask award as the best opera director for Carmen in 1998, The Tsar's Bride in 1999 and Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk in 2001. In 2003 he has become the Officier des Palmes Academiques (France) and in 2004 - the Knight of the Maltese Cross. In 2008 the President of Republic of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves awarded Dmitri Bertman with Order of Santa Maria Land for his production of "Wallenberg" opera by Erkki Sven-Tüür in Estonian National Opera.
Now Dmitry Bertman carries the highest Russian Governmental title – The People's Artist of Russia and he is awarded with one of the highest Russian Governmental awards – the Order of Friendship - for his outstanding input into the Russian culture on the post of the Artistic Director of the "Helikon-Opera Music Theatre under Dmitry Bertman".
Dmitry Bertman's stage-directing work is in great demand all over the world. Among his recent works are "Il Re Nudo" by L. Lombardi in Rome Opera (2009), "Rusalka" by A. Dvorak in Canadian opera in Toronto (2009), "The Love for Three Oranges" in "Estonia" theatre in Tallinn (2010). The Swedish Royal Opera proposed to Dmitry Bertman to stage all Tchaikovsky's operas (only two productions are realized: "Eugene Onegin" in 2005 and "The Queen of Spades" in 2009). At the end of 2010 the successful premiere of "Andrea Chenier" by U. Giordano took place in The Swedish Royal Opera. In February 2011 Dmitry Bertman staged Verdi's "Otello" on stage of The Norrland's Opera in the Swedish city of Umeo.