The Bavarian State Culture Minister, Wolfgang Heubisch, recommended this at the Bavarian State Minister’s meeting on June 19 and it was approved that same day. 

Heubisch praised him as “one of the most able managers in the opera world today.” He became general director in August 2008 and his tenure originally ran until 2013. Considered to be one of the top five opera houses in the world, this year it counted more than 513,000 attendees and the percentage of seats sold remained steady at 92%.

Despite shocking many in the audience with sometimes audacious stagings by avant-garde directors, Bachler is credited with expanding the artistic vision of the company and enhancing the Staatsoper’s already high international recognition. Culture Minister Heubisch’s engagement of Kent Nagano as music director was considered by many as a major coup. However, with Nagano’s upcoming departure, Bachler secured the services of young Kirill Petrenko to succeed Nagano in September of 2013.

Frank Cadenhead