Overview

• Matthias Rädel officially took over as General Manager on July 18, succeeding Ulrich Jagels and transferring administrative duties from Katharina Wagner.
• Katharina Wagner’s contract renewal last year was contingent on structural reforms and she will now concentrate solely on artistic direction.
• Wagner has endorsed Rädel’s mandate to modernize distribution strategies and establish a dedicated marketing department.
• Rädel is also charged with overseeing demanding renovation works at the Green Hill venue in preparation for the season’s opening.
• The festival begins this Friday with Matthias Davids’s new staging of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, which emphasizes humor and offers an element of escapism.