Kirill Kourlaev was born in Moscow, Russia. He was educated at the School of Classical Ballet in Moscow, at the Ballet Conservatory St Pölten (Austria) and at the Ballet School of the Wiener Staatsoper. In 2001 he joined the Wiener Staatsopernballett and was appointed Demi-soloist in 2004. In 2009 he was promoted to Soloist of the Ballett der Wiener Staatsoper und Volksoper. In 2012 he was promoted to First Soloist of the Wiener Staatsballett.

His repertory includes James in Pierre Lacotte’s La Sylphide, Johann in Roland Petit’s Die Fledermaus, Don José in Davide Bombana’s Ballett: Carmen, Oberon in Jorma Elo’s Ein Sommernachtstraum, Blaubart in Stephan Thoss’ Blaubarts Geheimnis, Espada in Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote, Karenin in Boris Eifman’s Anna Karenina and Kommissar in Eifman’s Giselle Rouge, Der Engel in John Neumeier’s Josephs Legende, Lanquedem in Manuel Legris’ Le Corsaire, Hilarion and Bauernpaar in Elena Tchernichova’s Giselle, Grand Pas in Vladimir Malakhov’s Die Bajadere, Gefährte des Prinzen and Spanischer Tänzer in Rudolf Nureyev’s Schwanensee, Pas de quatre in Peter Wright’s Dornröschen, Drosselmeyer in Gyula Harangozó’s Der Nussknacker, Kronprinz Rudolf and Ungarischer Offizier in Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling, Lescaut in MacMillan’s Manon, Inspektor in Maurice Béjart’s Le Concours, Tybalt and Graf Paris in John Cranko’s Romeo und Julia and Frédéri in Roland Petit’s L’Arlésienne. He achieved Third Place in the ÖTR-Contest in Vienna (2000).