Eno Peci
Eno Peci was born in Tirana (Albania). He was educated at the Ballet Academy in his hometown and at the Ballet School of the Vienna State Opera. In 2000 he joined the Ballet of the Vienna State Opera. In 2003 he was appointed demi-soloist and in 2009 soloist of the Ballett der Vienna State Opera und Volksoper.
His most important roles include Herzog Albrecht and Hilarion in Elena Tschernischova‘s »Giselle«, the title roles in John Cranko’s »Onegin«, Renato Zanella’s »Spartacus« and Ivan Cavallari’s »Tschaikowski Impressionen«, Rotbart in Rudolf Nureyev’s »Swan Lake«, Espada in Nureyev’s »Don Quixote«, Abderachman in Nureyev’s »Raymonda«, Prinz Florimund in Peter Wright’s »The Sleeping Beauty«, The King in Martin Schläpferʼs »The Sleeping Beauty«, Drosselmeyer in Gyula Harangozó’s »The Nutcracker«, Don José in Davide Bombana’s »Ballett: Carmen«, Bluebeard in Stephan Thoss' »Bluebeard's Secret«, Ulrich in Roland Petit’s »Die Fledermaus«,Tybalt in John Cranko’s »Romeo and Juliet«, Lenski in Cranko’s »Onegin«, Lescaut in Kenneth MacMillan’s »Manon«, Colonel »Bay« Middleton in MacMillan’s »Mayerling«, TV-Choreographer in Maurice Béjart’s »Le Concours«, Touchstone in John Neumeier’s »Wie es Euch gefällt«, Potiphar in Neumeier's »Joseph's Legend«, Monsieur Duval in Neumeier's »Lady of the Camellias«, Karenin in Boris Eifman’s »Anna Karenina«, Balletmaster in Eifman’s "Giselle Rouge", J. S. jr. in Renato Zanella's »Aschenbrödel«, Soldier in Jo Strømgren's »Nussknacker«, Miller in Léonide Massine's »The Tricorn «, Frédéri in Roland Petit's »L’Arlésienne«, Oberon in Jorma Elo's »Ein Sommernachtstraum«, Widow Simone in Frederick Ashton’s »La Fille mal gardée« and Death in Edward Clug’s »Peer Gynt«. Furthermore, he danced main roles in George Balanchine's »Theme and Variations«, »Stravinsky Violin Concerto« and »Jewels«, Jerome Robbins’ »The Concert«, »In the Night« and the solo »A Suite of Dances«, John Neumeier's »Le Pavillon d’Armide« and »Le Sacre«, Jiří Kylián's »Petite Mort« and »Bella Figura«, William Forsythe's »Slingerland pas de deux« and »The Second Detail«, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker's »Große Fuge« as well as works by Ben van Cauwenbergh, Twyla Tharp, Rudi van Dantzig, Nils Christe, Renato Zanella, Hans van Manen, András Lukács, Helen Pickett, Jiří Bubeníček, Thierry Malandain, Mauro Bigonzetti, Christopher Wheeldon, Liam Scarlett, Maurice Béjart and Martin Schläpfer.
He created the title role in Renato Zanella’s »Petruschka« as well as roles in Zanella’s »Spartacus«, »Sensi« and »Duke’s Nuts«, Patrick C. Delcroix’ »Silence sans reproche«, Natalia Horecna’s »Contra Clockwise Witness«, Antony McDonald’s & Ashley Page’s »Ein Reigen« and in Daniel Proietto's »Blanc«. Guest performances have taken him to many European countries and overseas.
In 2009 Eno Peci started his career as a choreographer. He made his debut with »Cut« at »choreo.lab 09« of the Ballettclub Wiener Staatsoper & Volksoper. This was followed by »Exitium« (2012) and »Pavillon 12/2« (2014) for »Young Choreographers« of the Ballettclub. For the Vienna State Ballet he created »Herzblume« (2013) and »Petruschka« (2017) at the Volksoper Vienna. In 2018 and 2020 he did the choreographies for the opening ceremony of the Vienna Opera Ball for the Vienna State Ballet and the Ballet Academy of the Wiener Staatsoper.
Eno Peci has been working closely with the Swiss »Origen Festival Cultural« in Riom since 2014. He has also created several works for the »Gala des Étoiles« at the Grand Théâtre in Luxembourg since 2015. In 2017 he created for the Moscow Stanislavsky Theatre »Déjà-vu« and »Apocalypse« on the occasion of the opening of the Julier Theatre in Julierpass (Switzerland). In 2019, »Swan Lake«, a commissioned work for the Chemnitz Ballet, premiered with Eno Peci responsible for choreography and staging (Act 1 and 3, Act 2 and 4 after Lev Ivanov). In the same year he created for the 6th Chemnitz Ballet Charity Gala the Pas de deux »RAIN«. In 2021, his version of »Daphnis et Chloé« (music: Maurice Ravel) celebrated its premiere there. Further creations were created for the 2018 »World Star Gala« at the Volkstheater in Vienna and in 2019 for the Gala D'Etoiles Internationales »Viva Maïa« at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes. Some of his pieces have been danced by the National Ballet of Kosovo in Prishtina and the Choreo Center Europe & Europaballett, among others. In 2020, Peci's piece »ZWEISAMKEIT« premiered for the Györi Ballet in Györ. In 2021 the premiere of »Angel« (music: Violinkonzert by Alban Berg) took place at the Slovenian National Theatre Opera and Ballet in Ljubljana. This was followed in March 2023 by »MUZG«, his first full-length premiere for the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Tirana. For the Vienna Philharmonic's Summer Night Concert on 8 June 2023 in Schönbrunn Palace Park, Eno Peci choreographed a »shadow ballet« to Maurice Ravel's »Boléro« with members of the Youth Company of the Ballet Academy of the Vienna State Opera. In January 2024, Eno Peci had the world premiere of his piece »4« at Zabeel Theatre in Dubai, with the recomposed music by Max Richter of Vivaldis »The Four Seasons«.
In 2008 Eno Peci was appointed to an honourable ambassador of the Republic of Albania, in 2017 he received with »The Key of Tirana« another important honour of his home country. In 2018 he was honoured by the president of Albania with the title »Knight of the Order of Skanderbeg«. On 13 December 2019 he received the »Österreichisches Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst«. On 16 July 2023, Eno Peci was awarded the prestigious International Premio Capri Danza in the »alla carriera« category.