Cornelius Meister extends his contract as Generalmusikdirektor in Stuttgart

Cornelius Meister, who has been Generalmusikdirektor of the Staatstheater Stuttgart since 2018, extended his contract until 2026. There he has conducted new productions of Richard Wagner's Lohengrin and Hans Werner Henze's Der Prinz von Homburg, which have also been released on DVD, as well as the premieres of Giuseppe Verdi's Don Carlos and Pietro Mascagni's/Salvatore Sciarrino's Cavalleria rusticana/Luci mie traditrici. Most recently, he conducted the first two parts of the new Stuttgart Ring of the Nibelung, Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, and recently, the premiere of the new production of Siegfried.

"Since taking up his post, he has been increasingly positioning the Staatsorchester Stuttgart as a concert orchestra, featuring Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann and Mahler cycles, among other repertoire. Collaborating with members of the Staatsoper and the Staatsorchester, Cornelius Meister has been active in chamber music and as a Lied piano partner too. Since 2018, under his direction, numerous new formats have emerged, such as an annual ’Composer in focus', family concerts, open rehearsals, educational concerts and interdisciplinary projects (including Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale in various venues around the city), participatory activities and online projects for all generations. In 2020, the Staatsorchester was awarded the special prize 'Innovation' by the German Orchestra Foundation", the Staatsoper Stuttgart announced.

Cornelius Meister commented at the press conference last Friday: "My family and I feel very much at home here. I look forward to many more fulfilling sessions with the wonderful Staatsorchester Stuttgart, the wonderful Staatsopernchor and the wonderful ensemble, and to continuing to serve the Staatsoper Stuttgart and its unique audience in the years to come,"

You can read the full press announcement here.