One of the most sought-after opera directors of his generation, Stefan Herheim assumes overall responsibility for the MusikTheater an der Wien, the stagione opera house of the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, from the 2022/23 season.

Following training as a cellist and singer and numerous engagements, including at the opera in his native city of Oslo, Herheim studied opera direction under Götz Friedrich at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg.

The repertoire that Herheim has brought to many opera stages and leading festivals in cooperation with such conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Adam Fischer, Daniele Gatti, Mariss Jansons, Andris Nelsons, Antonio Pappano and Simon Rattle ranges from early Baroque opera to contemporary musical theatre.

He has won numerous international awards and has emerged as “director of the year” three times from the critics’ surveys organised by Opernwelt magazine.

Herheim regularly teaches at European universities and also acts as a judge at international competitions. Since 2018, he has been a professor at the Norwegian National Academy of Opera.

At this year's Opera Awards 2022 ceremony at the Teatro Real Madrid, Stefan Herheim was awarded the prize in the director category. 

Selection of productions directed by Stefan Herheim
 

Theodora (Handel) – MusikTheater an der Wien, 2023

Amahl and the Night Visitors (Menotti) – MusikTheater an der Wien, 2022
The Cunning Little Vixen (Janáček) – MusikTheater an der Wien, 2022
Peter Grimes (Britten) – Bavarian State Opera, 2022
Der Ring des Nibelungen (Wagner) – Deutsche Oper Berlin, 2020-2021
Pelléas et Mélisande (Debussy) – Glyndebourne Festival 2018
Barbe-bleue (Offenbach) – Komische Oper Berlin, 2018
Wozzeck (Berg) – Deutsche Oper am Rhein, 2017
La Cenerentola (Rossini) – Norwegian National Opera, 2017
The Queen of Spades (Tchaikovsky) – Dutch National Opera, 2016
Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart) – Hamburg State Opera, 2015
Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) – Bregenz Festival 2015
Les Vêpres siciliennes (Verdi) – Royal Opera House Covent Garden, 2013
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner) – Salzburg Festival 2013
Manon Lescaut (Puccini) – Graz Opera, 2012
Serse (Handel) – Komische Oper Berlin, 2012
La Bohème (Puccini) – Norwegian National Opera, 2012
Salome (Strauss) – Salzburg Easter Festival 2011
Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky) – Dutch National Opera, 2011
Lulu (Berg) – The Royal Danish Opera Copenhagen, 2010
Tannhäuser (Wagner) – Norwegian National Opera, 2010
Der Rosenkavalier (Strauss) – Stuttgart State Opera, 2009
Lohengrin (Wagner) – Berlin State Opera, 2009
Rusalka (Dvořák) – The Royal Theatre of la Monnaie Brussels, 2008
Parsifal (Wagner) – Bayreuth Festival 2008 - 2012
Don Giovanni (Mozart) – Aalto-Theater Essen, 2007
Carmen (Bizet) – Graz Opera, 2006
Das Rheingold (Wagner) – Latvian National Opera, 2006
La Forza del destino (Verdi) – Berlin State Opera, 2005
Giulio Cesare (Handel) – Norwegian National Opera, 2005
Madama Butterfly (Puccini) – Volksoper Vienna, 2004
Don Carlo (Verdi) – Landestheater Linz, 2003
The Abduction from the Seraglio (Mozart) – Salzburg Festival 2003 - 2006
I Puritani (Bellini) – Aalto-Theater Essen, 2002
Marlowe – The Jew of Malta (Werner), Munich Biennale, 2002
Così fan tutte – Folkoperan Stockholm, 2002
Tannhäuser (Wagner) – Landestheater Linz, 2001
Falstaff (Verdi) – Oldenburgisches Staatstheater, 2000
Über Frauen - über Grenzen (various) – Munich Biennale, 2000
Così fan tutte (Mozart) – Vanemuine Theater Estonia, 2000
The Magic Flute (Mozart) –Oldenburgisches Staatstheater, 1999