16 Facts About Klaus Zehelein

For fifteen years, from 1991 until 2006, Klaus Zehelein was artistic director of the Staatsoper Stuttgart.

Klaus Zehelein who says this results in thinned-out, merely sophisticated opera performances, missed out substantially in the Zehelein-Era in Stuttgart.

Klaus Zehelein studied German literature, musicology and philosophy in the Goethe University Frankfurt.

Klaus Zehelein began his professional activity at the Theater Kiel in 1967, then became chief dramaturge at the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater.

In Frankfurt Klaus Zehelein developed a practical but intellectually supported manner of interpreting and staging opera.

Klaus Zehelein moved to Hamburg in 1989 as artistic director of the Thalia Theater before being offered the position of artistic director at the Stuttgart opera.

Klaus Zehelein brought in Pamela Rosenberg as co-opera Intendant between 1991 and 2000 and Eytan Pessen as casting director from 2001 to 2006.

Klaus Zehelein worked with stage directors Ruth Berghaus, Martin Kusej, Nicolas Brieger, Christof Nel, Neuenfels, Peter Konwitchny, Joachim Schlomer, Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito.

Under Klaus Zehelein's direction the Stuttgart Opera was an ensemble based opera company.

Klaus Zehelein performed works of the composers Lachenmann, Jungy Pagh Pan, Hans Zender and Rolf Riehm.

Klaus Zehelein argued that as Richard Wagner wrote the four music-dramas of the Ring over many years, changing dramaturgical ideas in the process, each opera could be treated as a stand-alone work.

Klaus Zehelein invited four directors for his Ring, thus giving each opera dramatic independence.

Klaus Zehelein created the Forum Neues Musiktheater, an institute attached to the Stuttgart Opera.

Klaus Zehelein was guest professor at the Minnesota State University, the College international de philosophie in Paris, the Institute for theatre arts at the University of Giessen and from 1986 to 1992 in the University of Applied Arts Vienna.

Klaus Zehelein received the German critics prize for his dramaturgical work at the Oper Frankfurt in 1983.

Klaus Zehelein received the Order of Merit of Baden-Wurttemberg in 2001, for his work in the state.