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Opera director at the Darmstadt State Theatre
Nicola Raab has been the new opera director at the Darmstadt State Theatre since January. She succeeds Sören Schuhmacher, who had been artistic director since 2019 and headed the opera division since March 2024. He will become artistic director of the Hagen Theatre from the 2025/2026 season.
As a director of great sensitivity, meticulous character development, and visual flair, Nicola Raab has achieved international acclaim. She has created highly regarded productions at leading European opera houses, most recently Puccini's Edgar at the Opéra Nice Côte d'Azur and Bellini's Norma at the Festival della Valle d'Itria. Nicola Raab has received prestigious awards for her work: her production of Written on Skin for the Teatro Comunale Bolzano was awarded the Premio Franco Abbiati by the Guild of Italian Music Critics in 2016. In 2013, she received the Arets Reumert Prize for the best Danish opera production for Otello at the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen.
“Working with a permanent ensemble of singers, helping to shape the season, and having a place where 30 years of experience as a freelance music theatre director can come together is something that excites me. I am particularly pleased to be able to work with wonderful people every day in this magnificent theatre building,” says Nicola Raab about her new role as opera director in Darmstadt.
“Nicola Raab has directed in many opera houses across Europe, from Finland to Portugal, as well as in Moscow, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Mexico City. She is a fascinating director and will demonstrate this in Darmstadt and elsewhere. I find her broad international experience, her intuition, and her extensive network incredibly valuable for a diverse and exciting music theatre at the Darmstadt State Theatre and for the contemporary development of theatre structures,” said Karsten Wiegand, Artistic Director of the Darmstadt State Theatre.
(DARMSTADT – ST)
Nicola Raab. Photo: Mats Bäcker
