Theatre director specializing in contemporary opera. One of the most sought-after directors of our time.
Klaus Guth was born in 1964 in Frankfurt and initially studied philosophy, German literature, and theatre studies at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, then went on to study theatre and opera direction with Cornel Franz at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts. After completing his studies, he directed several productions in Munich, Mannheim, and Hamburg, which immediately caught the attention of critics and audiences.
Guth made his debut at the Salzburg Festival in 1999 — Luciano Berio's 'Cronaca del luogo' brought him international recognition. The following year, Guth staged Gluck's 'Iphigénie en Tauride' at the festival, and from then on became a regular guest in Salzburg. His Mozart-Da Ponte trilogy ('Le nozze di Figaro', 'Don Giovanni', and 'Così fan tutte'), created for the festival, caused a huge stir and was later revived on the stages of many theatres across Europe and America.
At the Frankfurt Opera, he staged Debussy's 'Pelléas et Mélisande', Richard Strauss's 'Daphne' and 'Der Rosenkavalier'; at the Theater an der Wien, he produced Monteverdi's trilogy ('L'Orfeo', 'Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria', 'L'incoronazione di Poppea'), and also created several staged oratorio versions — Handel's 'Messiah' and Schubert's 'Lazarus, oder Die Feier der Auferstehung'. Guth has staged 'Luisa Miller' in Munich, 'Der fliegende Holländer' at the Bayreuth Festival in 2003, and as a guest director at the Zurich Opera — Wagner's 'Parsifal' and Schubert's 'Fierrabras'.
Particular acclaim has come for his productions of Wagner's operas: 'Lohengrin' at La Scala in Milan, 'Tristan und Isolde' at the Zurich Opera, 'Tannhäuser' in Vienna, and the tetralogy 'Der Ring des Nibelungen' at the Hamburg State Opera.
Guth is known for his work in contemporary music theatre and has directed several world premieres, including Chaya Czernowin's 'Pnima... ins Innere' (Munich Biennale, 2000), Peter Ruzicka's 'Celan' (Dresden Semperoper, 2001), and Helmut Oehring/Henry Purcell's 'AscheMOND oder The Fairy Queen' (Berlin State Opera, 2013).
In the director's view, life is too short to repeat oneself — which is why he almost never stages the same opera twice. There are only three works he has revisited: 'Salome', 'Der fliegende Holländer', and 'Così fan tutte'. According to Guth, he would like to restage Wagner's Ring cycle at some point because he was too young the first time he directed it to fully grasp its depth.
Klaus Guth was born in 1964 in Frankfurt and initially studied philosophy, German literature, and theatre studies at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, then went on to study theatre and opera direction with Cornel Franz at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts. After completing his studies, he directed several productions in Munich, Mannheim, and Hamburg, which immediately caught the attention of critics and audiences.
Guth made his debut at the Salzburg Festival in 1999 — Luciano Berio's 'Cronaca del luogo' brought him international recognition. The following year, Guth staged Gluck's 'Iphigénie en Tauride' at the festival, and from then on became a regular guest in Salzburg. His Mozart-Da Ponte trilogy ('Le nozze di Figaro', 'Don Giovanni', and 'Così fan tutte'), created for the festival, caused a huge stir and was later revived on the stages of many theatres across Europe and America.
At the Frankfurt Opera, he staged Debussy's 'Pelléas et Mélisande', Richard Strauss's 'Daphne' and 'Der Rosenkavalier'; at the Theater an der Wien, he produced Monteverdi's trilogy ('L'Orfeo', 'Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria', 'L'incoronazione di Poppea'), and also created several staged oratorio versions — Handel's 'Messiah' and Schubert's 'Lazarus, oder Die Feier der Auferstehung'. Guth has staged 'Luisa Miller' in Munich, 'Der fliegende Holländer' at the Bayreuth Festival in 2003, and as a guest director at the Zurich Opera — Wagner's 'Parsifal' and Schubert's 'Fierrabras'.
Particular acclaim has come for his productions of Wagner's operas: 'Lohengrin' at La Scala in Milan, 'Tristan und Isolde' at the Zurich Opera, 'Tannhäuser' in Vienna, and the tetralogy 'Der Ring des Nibelungen' at the Hamburg State Opera.
Guth is known for his work in contemporary music theatre and has directed several world premieres, including Chaya Czernowin's 'Pnima... ins Innere' (Munich Biennale, 2000), Peter Ruzicka's 'Celan' (Dresden Semperoper, 2001), and Helmut Oehring/Henry Purcell's 'AscheMOND oder The Fairy Queen' (Berlin State Opera, 2013).
In the director's view, life is too short to repeat oneself — which is why he almost never stages the same opera twice. There are only three works he has revisited: 'Salome', 'Der fliegende Holländer', and 'Così fan tutte'. According to Guth, he would like to restage Wagner's Ring cycle at some point because he was too young the first time he directed it to fully grasp its depth.
