Jossi Wieler

Jossi Wieler was born in Switzerland and grew up there. Studied directing in Israel. 1979, first production at the Israeli National Theatre. Since 1982 he has directed at prominent theatres in Germany and Switzerland, and repeatedly at the Salzburg Festival. In 1884 he was voted Director of the Year for his production of Elfriede Jelinek’s »WOLKEN.HEIM.« His theatrical productions received numerous invitations to national and international festivals. In Tokyo he directed two productions with Japanese theatre ensembles. In 2002 he received the Konrad-Wolf Prize of the Berlin Academy of Arts, adding the »Preis der deutschen Kritik« in 2005 and the Nestroy Prize in 2009. Many of his productions were invited to the Berliner Theatertreffen festival. Since 1994 he also directs music theatre, together with Sergio Morabito. They staged over 25 new productions at Stuttgart Opera. The Wieler/Morabito production of Handel’s »Alcina« was also presented in Edinburgh, Budapest, San Francisco and Lyon. Their »Ariadne auf Naxos« at the 2001 Salzburg Festival was voted »Production of the Year«. In San Francisco and Stuttgart they directed the co-production of »Doktor Faust«, which was voted »Production of the Year« in 2005. Their Stuttgart »Alceste« received this award in 2006, as did their »La sonnambula« in 2012. Their production of »Rusalka« at the Salzburg Festival was taken up by London’s Royal Opera House and the Grand Théâtre de Genève. Wieler and Morabito were voted »Director Team of the Year« in 2002 and were awarded the Deutscher Theaterpreis »Der Faust« in 2006 and 2012 in the category »Best opera production«. From 2011-2018 Jossi Wieler was the general manager of Stuttgart Opera, with Eva Kleinitz as opera director and Sergio Morabito as chief dramaturge. Under their management, Stuttgart Opera was voted »Opera House of the Year« in 2016. Jossi Wieler was also awarded the Baden-Württemberg Culture Prize in 2015 and the state’s Order of Merit in 2016.