Aviel Cahn, designated general director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin as of summer 2026, alongside Senator for Culture Sarah Wedl-Wilson, presented plans for the theater’s future musical direction.
Cahn noted that in the first years of his tenure, there will not be a new General Music Director, and that he will instead rely on a team of conductors.
As Principal Guest Conductors, the young conductors Maxime Pascal and Michele Spotti will set important artistic standards with the Deutsche Oper Berlin Orchestra. As Conductor in Residence, Titus Engel will complement the musical leadership team more dynamically and diversely.
In a statement, Cahn said, “I am very pleased that we could attract Maxime Pascal and Michele Spotti, two enormously renowned and vastly different conductors, to commit to our theatre. Pascal has deep roots in the 20th-century repertoire, while Spotti is a younger representative of great Italian Romantic tradition. I have been working with Titus Engel for many years. Few conductors in the German-speaking opera world are as open and as innovative as he is.”
“Throughout the past two years, I have frequently exchanged with the orchestra about potential successors for the General Music Director Sir Donald Runnicles, who will be leaving one season earlier than planned, during the summer of 2026,” the designated general director added. “Both sides would like to take more time and get to know different artists on a deeper level. For the first two to three seasons, we are looking forward to this inspiring, exciting, team-based solution that offers a range of creative experiences and leaves in the same time the field open to other conductors.”
Pascal said, “I am deeply honored and proud to continue building a strong relationship with the orchestra, singers, chorus and teams of Deutsche Oper Berlin in the pursuit of musical excellence. Opera has fascinated me from the very beginning of my career as the total sensory experience of sound and vision. It is therefore a defining milestone in my artistic journey to join this institution, a true jewel of Europe’s musical life.“
Meanwhile, Spotti noted, “Berlin has always been a city of artistic exploration and musical dialogue. I feel honoured by the opportunity to bring the richness of the Italian repertoire, but not only, to the vibrant stage of Deutsche Oper Berlin.”
Finally, Engel said, “I am really looking forward to realizing exciting and innovative opera projects and concerts at the Deutsche Oper and to help build the bridge between the great and venerable institution and the dazzling life of the Berlin scene.”
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