Born, in 1970, in Moscow. In 1993, he completed his studies at the Russian Academy of Theatre Art.

He directed opera and theatre productions in Russia, Europe and USA. He has been the set designer for all his productions.

Dmitri Tcherniakov has been awarded several times the Golden Mask Russian National Theatre Prize as well as The International Opera Awards (‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Production’), The Franco Abbiati Italian music critic prize (2008) and the Spanish Prize National Campoamor Lyrics Awards (2014).

A notable event in 1998 was his production of the world premiere of V. Kobekin’s The Young David at the Novosibirsk State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet.

In 2000, the Mariinsky Theatre invited him to do a production of Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia. In 2002, at the Golden Mask Festival, his Invisible City was voted the best opera production of the 2000-2001 season, while he himself garnered a Golden Mask in the work by a director in opera nomination.

In the 2002/03 season, he directed Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress for the Bolshoi Theatre. In 2004, this production won him another Golden Mask, while his La Double Inconstance, by Pierre Marivaux, for the Novosibirsk Academic Globus Youth Theatre (2002), got a Golden Mask as best dramatic production of the 2002-03 season.

His recent work in opera includes: Aida (Novosibirsk Theatre of Opera and Ballet, 2004) and Glinka’s Life for a Tsar (Mariinsky Theatre, 2004). His Aida was awarded a Golden Mask as best opera production in the 2003/2004 season, while he personally won a Golden Mask in the work by a director in opera nomination. In 2005, he continued his cooperation with the Mariinsky Theatre with a production of Tristan and Isolde (it won a special music theatre jury prize — For music event of the 2004/05 season).

In the 2005/06 season, he did a production of Boris Godunov for Berlin State Opera (conductor — Daniel Barenboim).

The Bolshoi Theatre opened its 2006/07 season, with his production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. In 2008, he got a Golden Mask for this production in the work by a director in opera nomination.

In 2007, he did a production of Mussorgsky’s Khovanshchina for Munich’s Bavarian State Opera (conductor — Kent Nagano).

In 2008, he produced Prokofiev’s The Gambler (Berlin State Opera and La Scala co-production, conductor — Daniel Barenboim) and Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk for Deutsche Oper am Rhein (conductor John Fiore), Macbeth (Novosibirsk Theatre of Opera and Ballet and Paris National Opera co-production, conductor Teodor Currentzis).

In the 2009/10 season, he directed Berg’s Wozzeck for the Bolshoi Theatre (conductor Teodor Currentzis). In 2011, he got a Golden Mask for this production in the work by a director in opera nomination.

In 2010, he did a production of Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmelites for Munich’s Bavarian State Opera (conductor — Kent Nagano), and Mozart’s Don Giovanni (Bolshoi Theatre, Festival in Aix-en Provence/ France, Teatro Real/ Madrid and Canadian Opera Company/ Toronto co-production). Premiered on stage of Festival in Aix-en Provence in July 2010, and on 28 October at the Bolshoi Theatre.

In 2011– Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra with English National Opera (London; conductor Edward Gardner).

In the season 2011/2012 he staged Glinka’s Ruslan and Lyudmila for the Bolshoi Theatre (first premiere on the Historical Stage that opened after reconstrustion). This production brought him two Golden Mask prizes for the director’s and designer’s skill.

During 2012 he directed three new productions: Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezhand of the Maiden Fevronia at the Dutch National Opera (Amsterdam, conductor Marc Albrecht); Verdi’s Il Trovatore at La Monnaie (Brussels, conductor Marc Minkowsky); Janáček’s Yenufa at the Zurich Opera (conductor Fabio Luisi).

In 2013 Dmitri came back to the Berlin State Opera to direct The Tsar’s Bride (conducted by Daniel Barenboim) and later staged La Traviata for La Scala in Milan (with collaboration of maestro Daniele Gatti).

In 2014 he debuted at Metropolitan Opera/ New York with Borodin’s Prince Igor (conductor Gianandrea Noseda); staged The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezhand of the Maiden Fevronia for Gran Teatre del Liceu/ Barcelona and Netherlands Opera/ Amsterdam, as well as Il Trovatore for the Mikhailovsky Theatre St Petersbourg and La Monnaie/ Brussels (conductor Mikhail Tatarnikov).

His musical theatre engagements of 2015-16 include staging of Wagner’s Parsifal (Berlin State Opera, conductor Daniel Barenboim), Berg’s Lulu (Bavarian State Opera in Munich, conductor Kirill Petrenko), Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District (English National Opera, conductor Mark Wigglesworth and Opera Lyon with Kazushi Ōno), Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta/ The Nutcracker (Paris National Opéra, conductor Alain Altinoglu), Pelléas et Mélisande by Debussy (The Zurich Opera House, conductor Alain Altinoglu), Eötvös’ Senza sangue (Without blood)/ Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle (Hamburg State Opera, under the button of Péter Eötvös).

2017 – Prince Igor (Dutch National Opera, conductor Stanislav Kochanovsky), The Snow Maiden (Paris National Opéra, conductor Mikhail Tatarnikov), Carmen (Aix-en Provence Festival, conductor Pablo Heras-Casado).

2018 – Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde (Berlin State Opera, conductor Daniel Barenboim).

2019 – Berlioz’s Les Troyens (Paris National Opéra, conductor Philippe Jordan), Prokofiev’s Betrothal in a Monastery (Berlin State Opera, conductor Daniel Barenboim), Janáček’s Die Sache Makropulos (Zurich Opera House, conductor Jakub Hrůša), Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Tale of Tsar Saltan (La Monnaie/ Brussels, conductor Alain Altinoglu).

Engagements of 2020 included: Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sadko (Bolshoi Theatre, conductor Timur Zangiev), Verdi's Il trovatore (Oper Köln, conductor Will Humburg).

Among his other awards:

The International K.S. Stanislavsky prize

The Oleg Tabakov Foundation prize

The Triumph Youth prize

‘Best Designer of the Year’ (Opernwelt Magazine)

Casta Diva Award