Vladimir Kekhman studied at the Samara State Pedagogical University (Department of Foreign Languages). He launched his business career when still a student and later held leading positions in several companies. In 1995, he organized José Carreras’s concert in the St Petersburg Philharmonic Society. In May 2007, he was appointed General Director of the Mikhailovsky Theatre. In 2009, he graduated from the Management Department of the St Petersburg State Theatre Academy.
Under Vladimir Kekhman’s supervision, the Mikhailovsky Theatre has become one of the leading Russian houses. Successful creative strategy and a number of new opera and ballet productions were realized here with contribution of outstanding musicians, directors and choreographers: Elena Obraztsova, Farukh Ruzimatov, Nacho Duato (Spain), Mikhail Messerer, Daniele Rustioni (Italy), Peter Feranec (Slovakia), Vladimir Jurowski, Andriy Zholdak (Ukraine), Dmitri Tcherniakov, Mikhail Tatarnikov, George Tsypin, Zinovy Margolin, Gleb Filshtinsky, Andrey Moguchy, Vasily Petrenko, Vasily Barkhatov, and Jürgen Flimm (Germany) among many others. The Mikhailovsky Theatre has won several prizes of the Golden Mask Russian National Highest Theatre Award and of the Golden Soffit St Petersburg Highest Theatre Award.
Due to Vladimir Kekhman, the geography of the Mikhailovsky tours has extended. Lately, the Theatre has toured to Italy, Germany, Japan, Canada, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Belarus, and several Russian cities. The Ballet Company has toured to London three times and was named the Best Foreign Dance Company at the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards in the UK. Vladimir Kekhman organised the first Mikhailovsky Ballet Tour to New York, which was meant to become a great success and made the Mikhailovsky one of the leading ballet companies in the world.
Vladimir Kekhman was an active participant of many social and culture events: Help the Tiger concert within the framework of the international Tiger Summit, Dresden — St Petersburg Gala Concert, and the Charity Marathon organised by the Give Life Foundation. Due to his social activity, Vladimir Kekhman received letters of gratitude from the Russian Government and the President of Russia.
In 2015, due to the initiative of Vladimir Kekhman, the Mikhailovsky Theatre entered into a contract of collaboration with the State Hermitage.
In May 2017, he celebrated 10 years in performing arts.
Nowadays, Vladimir Kekhman holds the leading positions both at the Mikhailovsky Theatre and at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre: in 2015, he was appointed director general of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre; since December 2017, he has been artistic director of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Vladimir Kekhman was awarded with three orders of Russian Orthodox Church (Order of St Seraphim of Sarov, Order of St Sergius of Radonezh, and Order of St Prince Daniel of Moscow) for his charity activity and support of Orthodox churches reconstruction.