Glyndebourne today announces the appointment of a new general director. German-born Sebastian F Schwarz replaces David Pickard – who left the opera company to run the BBC Proms – and will take up his new role in May 2016.
Schwarz, 41, is currently deputy artistic director of Theatre an der Wien in Vienna, a position he has held for eight years. He studied in Berlin and Venice, and has worked with a variety of opera companies including Wexford Festival Opera and Staatsoper Hamburg.
Gus Christie, Glyndebourne’s executive chairman, said: “Sebastian’s pedigree and background will bring a fresh perspective and I am confident that he will build on our rich and varied operatic history.”
Robin Ticciati, music director of Glyndebourne, said: “I am extremely excited about what Sebastian Schwarz will bring, especially his own personal artistic vision and his inspiring approach to what he believes opera can be in the 21st century.”
Schwarz is a sought after voice specialist and a regular member of juries of international voice competitions. He also lectures at the Vienna University of Performing Arts and teaches masterclasses across Europe and beyond. Away from the music world, his hobbies include beekeeping.
While the summer season is inevitably the main focus of Glyndebourne’s activities, the annual autumn tour and an active education programme mean that the festival is a 12-month operation. The tour receives Arts Council funding, but the main festival is financially independent and receives no public subsidy.
“Glyndebourne stands for excellence in performance and provides an unmistakably English way of experiencing some of the world’s best opera. It is with the greatest joy that I follow the call to this superb company to continue to share my passion and enthusiasm for this most complete of all performing art forms,” said Schwarz.
