Frankfurt Opera Announces New General Music Director

28-year-old German conductor Thomas Guggeis will assume the role for 5 years, beginning in 2023

Guggeis will succeed Sebastian Weigle in the position, who was first appointed in 2008.

In his new position, Guggeis will conduct thirty-five performances in the opera house each season, including two or three new productions and revivals. He will also take over the artistic management of the Museumskonzerts — symphony concerts performed by the Frankfurt Opera and Museumsorchester in the Alte Oper.

He gained international attention in March 2018 when he took over a new production of "Salome" from Christoph von Dohnányi at the Staatsoper Berlin. In the autumn of 2020, Guggeis returned as Staatskapellmeister, becoming the youngest conductor to hold this honorary position.

From 2018-2020, Guggeis was the First Kapellmeister of the Staatsoper Stuttgart, where he conducted, amongst others, pieces such as La Bohème, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Madama Butterfly, Der Prinz von Homburg and Der Freischütz. In addition to his position in Stuttgart, he also worked at the Berlin State Opera as Daniel Barenboim's assistant.

His further conducting engagements include the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Swedish Radio Symphony, the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, the Munich Symphony Orchestra, and the Munich Chamber Orchestra.

Operatically, Guggeis has led performances at the Badische Staatstheater Karlsruhe and the Chamber Opera Munich, where he held the position as Kapellmeister for several seasons.

“I am delighted to be able to work together with the opera and museum orchestra, the ensemble and opera choir as well as the management team of the Oper Frankfurt under Artistic Director Bernd Loebe, so we can continue to create the innovative music theater at the highest level,” said Guggeis of his appointment.

"I have been following Thomas Guggeis' career closely since he jumped in to take over from Christoph von Dohnányi in 2018 for Salome in Berlin," said Bernd Loebe, Frankfurt Opera's Intendant. "Despite his young age Thomas Guggeis is not just a talent anymore, he is extraordinarily advanced in everything expected of a conductor in such an important position.

"He has a musical idea for every work, which he can implement technically and effortlessly, bringing it to life with emotion and empathy for orchestra and soloists alike. We think in a similar way, question many things and ourselves, take every detail seriously, and love music," added Loebe.