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Christof Hetzer
When were you first enchanted by (musical) theatre in your life? And by what means?
My grandfather was commercial director at the Frankfurt Opera and my father is also a stage designer. Theatre and opera were always present in our home. At the age of 10, I saw a production by Bob Wilson for the first time and then one by Ariane Mnouchkine and was thrilled.
Why do people sing and why don't they speak?
Words that are sung have soul, come straight from the heart or from the gut, express anger or desire, despair or ecstasy.
What role can/should music theatre play in today's society?
Music theatre should be a place to dream, indulge or ponder, but also create the opportunity to think nothing and just surrender.
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Born in
Salzburg (Austria)
Education
With Erich Wonder in the masterclass for stage and costume design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna
Important Engagements
Der fliegende Holländer at the Bayreuther Festspiele, Tosca and Aida at the Opéra national de Paris, Tristan und Isolde at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Le nozze di Figaro at the State Opera Hamburg, Der fliegende Holländer at Malmö Opera, Parsifal and Gurre-Lieder at the Nationale Opera en Ballet in Amsterdam, Fin de Partie at the Teatro alla Scala a Milano
Formative collaboration with these artists
Erich Wonder, Bernhard Kleber, Florence von Gerkan and Frida Parmeggiani, Lotte de Beer, Hans Neuenfels, Pierre Audi, Stefan Herheim; and the collaborations with Anish Kapoor, Georg Baselitz and Tomás Saraceno
Debut and important works at the Volksoper Wien
From the 2022/23 season: Head of Design at the Volksoper Wien
Debut: Stage Design Die Dubarry (Season 2022/23)
Further Works: Die letzte Verschwörung (World Premiere by Moritz Eggert)
Significant prizes & honours
2011: Hein-Heckroth-Stage-Design-Prize
2013: nominated for International Opera Award (Category "Ausstattung")
* Use of the photograph only for the purpose of current reporting on the Volksoper Wien