EUGENE ONEGIN To Have World Premiere Production From San Francisco Ballet And The Joffrey Ballet
Onegin marks the first co-commission between SF Ballet and the Joffrey and features an original score.
By: A.A. Cristi Feb. 24, 2025
San Francisco Ballet and The Joffrey Ballet have announced the world premiere commission of Yuri Possokhov's Eugene Onegin, based on Alexander Pushkin's classic novel and marking the first full-length co-production between the two renowned companies.
The world premiere of Eugene Onegin will lead San Francisco Ballet's 2026 repertory program at the War Memorial Opera House from January 23-February 1, 2026, and close the Joffrey's 2025-26 Season at the Lyric Opera House in Chicago, running from June 4-14, 2026.
SF Ballet's full 25/26 Season will be revealed later this spring. Today, the organization also announced tours to the Hollywood Bowl in July 2025 as part of its annual Tchaikovsky Spectacular with music and performance excerpts from Swan Lake; and to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA in October 2025 with Frankenstein. Additional touring will be announced with the full season.
More information about the Joffrey's 2025-26 season is available at https://joffrey.org/.
Considered a classic of Russian literature, Onegin and its protagonist have served as models for Russian literary heroes across time with a worldly and personal narrative style. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century Russian aristocracy, Onegin is a cautionary tale featuring richly realized characters exploring themes of idealism, regret, and the fragility of the human heart.
“We are thrilled to open San Francisco Ballet's 2026 repertory program with a world premiere story ballet from the company's resident choreographer Yuri Possokhov, and in partnership with the incredible Joffrey Ballet. Furthering our goal of contributing new work to the repertoire and with a shared commitment to excellence, coming together to bring Yuri's vision to life has been an exciting endeavor that we look forward to sharing with audiences in San Francisco, Chicago, and beyond,” said SF Ballet Artistic Director Tamara Rojo. “The extraordinary talents of our company are not to be missed, and we are equally excited to kick off a robust touring schedule this summer.”
The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director of the Joffrey Ballet Ashley Wheater MBE said, "It is an honor to collaborate with SF Ballet in bringing Pushkin's Onegin to the stage. This world premiere by Yuri Possokhov, a lifelong friend and cherished Joffrey choreographer, captures our vision of bold, innovative storytelling that speaks to today's audiences while expanding the ballet canon. From its inception, The Joffrey Ballet has pushed artistic boundaries, and this co-production marks an exciting new chapter in that legacy. Onegin's themes of love, regret, and redemption remain as powerful as ever, offering a timeless, deeply moving exploration of the heart's complexities.”
Possokhov was a principal dancer at SF Ballet for 12 years, and following his retirement, joined the company as Choreographer-in-Residence. Since then, he has created over 30 works for the world's leading ballet companies, including 14 for SF Ballet—Eugene Onegin marks his first full-length for the company since 2003's Don Quixote, co-choreographed with former artistic director Helgi Tomasson. Possokhov is a frequent guest choreographer at the Joffrey Ballet and will return following 2019's highly successful full-length commission of Anna Karenina, a co-production of the Joffrey and the Australian Ballet, and the world premiere of Andante, an intimate work for three dancers, earlier this month.
Onegin marks Possokhov's sixth collaboration with award-winning composer, performer, and conductor Ilya Demutsky, who will create a new and original score. The creative team for Eugene Onegin also includes librettist Valeriy Pecheykin, set designer Tom Pye, Costume Designer Tim Yip (an Oscar-winner in Art Direction for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), lighting designer Jim French, and projection designer Finn Ross.
SF Ballet's 25/26 Season touring engagements announced today, with more to come, include:
Tchaikovsky Spectacular with Fireworks
Hollywood Bowl | Los Angeles, CA | July 18-19, 2025
The charismatic Carlos Miguel Prieto leads the Hollywood Bowl's annual Tchaikovsky Spectacular with Fireworks made extra spectacular this year by the presence of the stunning dancers of San Francisco Ballet. The evening features music from Swan Lake, Symphony No.3, Capriccio Italien, and, as always, the 1812 Overture featuring the USC Marching Band and the Bowl's signature fireworks.
Frankenstein
Segerstrom Center for the Arts | Costa Mesa, CA | October 2-5, 2025
Based on Mary Shelley's 19th-century novel-turned-pop culture classic, the captivating must-see production from Liam Scarlett features sensational choreography, cinematic design, costumes, special effects, pyrotechnics, and a haunting original score from Lowell Liebermann. Scarlett's Frankenstein is a visceral portrayal of creation, ingenuity, and humanity.
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