Conductor Stephan Zilias Extends Contract at the Staatsoper Hannover

Having been Music Director since 2020, Zilias will now stay in the position until 2026

German conductor Stephan Zilias has extended his contract at the Staatsoper Hannover, where he has been Music Director since the 2020/21 season. He will remain in the position until the close of the 2025/26 season, after which he intends to devote more time to guest conducting.

In the present season, Zilias makes his Theater an der Wien debut with a production of Knussen’s Where the Wild Things Are, and will also debut at Finland's Savonlinna Festival in a production of Lohengrin. He has a close relationship with Deutsche Oper Berlin and in the current season, he returns for Fidelio, having been previously invited as a guest conductor for Antikrist, Oceane, Rienzi, La bohème, and a gala concert.

Previously, he has appeared at the Staatstheater Nuernberg, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Zürcher Kammerorchester, Berner Symphonieorchester, Bremen Philharmonic, and Orchestre Symphonique de Mulhouse. He is also a regular guest of the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn.

Zilias studied piano and conducting in Cologne, Düsseldorf, and London, and began his conducting career working as an assistant to Markus Stenz (Cologne Opera), Edward Gardner (English National Opera), and Thomas Hengelbrock (Baden-Baden Whitsun Festival).

"I consider my job a privilege and am deeply grateful for all the artistic and human experiences that I am able to have every day," Zilias said. "In intensive discussions with [dramaturg] Bodo Busse, I discovered that there are many overlaps and common interests, which is why I am very pleased to be able to help shape his inaugural season."

"From the summer of 2026, I would like to devote more time to being a guest and at the same time spend more time with my family," Zilias continued. "Until then, there are still a lot of big tasks waiting for me, which I will take on with unwavering commitment and creativity and which I am looking forward to with all my heart."