David Hermann becomes professor of directing in the music theater program

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The Theater Academy at the Hamburg University of Music and Drama is pleased to announce the appointment of David Hermann to the professorship of the Music Theater Directing program. This marks the first time since Götz Friedrich—the program’s founder—that a director will once again lead this prestigious program.

David Hermann has established himself as one of the most distinguished opera directors of his generation. After completing his studies in directing at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin, he won the Ring Award in Graz in 2000. In 2018, he was nominated for “Director of the Year” at the International Opera Awards for the Krenek Trilogy at the Frankfurt Opera and won the “Rediscovery of the Year” category. In 2023, David Hermann received the German Theater Prize “Der Faust” for his production of the world premiere of Gordon Kampe’s “Dogville” at the Aalto Theater in Essen.

The German-French director has overseen and staged numerous world premieres at venues such as the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Staatsoper Stuttgart, the Staatstheater Nürnberg, the Opernhaus Zürich, the Theater Basel, the Opéra du Rhin in Strasbourg, the Opéra de Lyon, and the Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp, as well as at the Ruhrtriennale and the Munich Biennale.

For David Hermann, Hamburg is an attractive location: “I’m looking forward to working at the Theater Academy, which—with its three stages, proximity to the acting program, and interdisciplinary exchange with the departments of composition, voice, and instrumental studies—offers an exceptionally creative playground for future music theater professionals. The collaborations with other universities and the theaters in Hamburg also open up exciting opportunities for students.”

We look forward to welcoming David Hermann to his new position starting April 1!