Tobias Kratzer

Tobias Kratzer was born in Bavaria. After studying art history and philosophy in Munich and Bern, he received training in theatre and opera direction at Bavaria’s August-Everding Theatre Academy.  

In 2008, he won a number of special prizes including First Prize at the International Ring Award Competition in Graz. Since then, he has directed numerous productions including a cycle featuring Meyerbeer’s three historical grand operas: Les Huguenots (Nuremberg and Nice), Le Prophète (Karlsruhe), and L’Africaine (Frankfurt).  

His productions of Die Meistersinger von Nürnburg and Gotterdämmerung (Bremen, Weimar, and Karlsruhe) were nominated for Best Production of the Year on several occasions and his production of The Csárdás Princess (Kálmán) received a nomination for The Austrian prize for musical theatre. In 2018, Die Deutsche Bühne named him “Director of the Year” and he also won the Faust Prize for Best Opera Director for his production of Gotterdämmerung in Karlsruhe.  

His other productions include a version of Rigoletto for five pianos and chamber orchestra, a stage version of St John Passion and a trilogy based around the theme of Revolution comprised of Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Le nozze di Figaro and Fidelio at the Värmland Opera in Karlstad. More recently, he has directed Lucio Silla at La Monnaie in Brussels, Les Contes d’Hoffmann in Amsterdam, Bastien et Bastienne and Una tragedia fiorentina in Halle, La forza del destino in Frankfurt, Der Zwerg at Berlin’s Deutsche Oper, Aida in Tallinn, and Tannhäuser at the 2019 Bayreuth Festival. During the 2019-2020 season, he directed Guillaume Tell at the Lyon Opera and made his Royal Opera House debut in London with Fidelio. 

In 2020, the international magazine Opernwelt named him “Director of the Year”, and his production of Tannhäuser “Production of the Year”.