Peter Theiler has been appointed Interim Intendant of the Essen Aaltomusiktheater and the Essen Philharmonic for the 2027-8 season.

The supervisory board of Essen theatres announced the news and noted that the current artistic director, Dr. Merle Fahrholz will end his tenure until the end of the 2026-2027 season.

In a statement Theiler said, “Opera is not a dying art form. It is vibrant music theatre of cultural and political significance. Every era must listen to, reread, and reinterpret opera anew so that it retains its artistic power and social relevance. Its magic arises in the shared moment: many people, many emotions, one space, one sound that connects us. The Aalto Theatre and its orchestra, the Essen Philharmonic, exemplify this power. It is not only an architectural gem but also an artistic center that brings together stagecraft, orchestral sound, and a diverse audience. For Essen and the Ruhr region, this theatre is an indispensable place of cultural identity, artistic excellence, and shared experience.”

Theiler most recently served as artistic director of the Dresden Semperoper and previously at the Nuremberg State Theatre and the Gelsenkirchen Music Theatre im Revier. He has also worked with the Grand Théâtre de Genève and Frankfurt Opera.

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