Lotte de Beer remains artistic director of the Volksoper Wien

Lotte de Beer will remain Artistic Director of the Volksoper Wien beyond her current contract. This was announced today by Andrea Mayer, State Secretary for Art and Culture. De Beer's second term of office begins with the 2027/28 season and runs until 2032.

"Lotte de Beer has given the Volksoper a new look since she took office - and by that I don't just mean the façade of the house, but also the diverse and artistically high-quality program," said Andrea Mayer, State Secretary for Art and Culture. "She will continue on the successful path she has begun - with invitations to new audiences, a high level of leadership and unforgettable program highlights. It is a stroke of luck for the opera city of Vienna that she is here and wants to stay."

"The Volksoper Wien is a unique place in the international theater landscape. I consider it a privilege to build bridges between artistic heritage and renewal, between our diverse audiences with their different views and ways of thinking and between nostalgia and utopia at this wonderful venue. At the Volksoper Wien - this most versatile of all theaters - we can laugh, cry, dream, reflect and search for what unites us, evening after evening," says current and future director Lotte de Beer. "Many of my goals have already been achieved, but some changes take time and trust. And so it is a pleasure for me to be able to lead the Volksoper for another five years until 2032. I would like to thank the selection committee and State Secretary Andrea Mayer for the trust they have placed in me."

"The Volksoper Wien will soon be concluding the most successful season in its history. Lotte de Beer is fully committed to her vision of opening up the opera house to as many people as possible. She achieves this with a great love of the theater, perfect craftsmanship and the art of enchanting the audience again and again. I look forward to continuing her work," says Christian Kircher, Managing Director of Bundestheater Holding.

The position of Artistic Director of the Volksoper Wien was posted in accordance with legal requirements, as the current term expires on August 31, 2027. Due to the long planning periods in the opera sector, it is customary internationally to act early.

There were 13 applications for the position, including 8 men, 4 women and one male-female double application. Five of the applications came from Austria, the rest from abroad. The search committee was made up of Holding CEO Christian Kircher, Section Head Theresia Niedermüller from the BMKÖS and the Rector of the mdw - University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Ulrike Sych. The recommendation to extend Lotte de Beer's contract was unanimous.