Peter Theiler Reveals Results of Final Season as Artistic Director of the Semperoper Dresden

 At a press junket held on 28 June 2024 together with Wolfgang Rothe, the Commercial Director of the Semperoper Dresden, Peter Theiler announced the results of his final season as Artistic Director. 

In the current 2023/24 season, the Saxon State Opera Dresden has achieved gross ticket sales of just under EUR 17,690,669 (as of 23 June 2024) for the 249 performances in its core business. This figure is around EUR 100,000 higher than expected. The cost recovery ratio is now running at 35 per cent.

By the end of the season on 10 July 2024, the Semperoper Dresden expects a total number of visitors (including those in its non-core businesses) of around 315,611 guests, with an occupancy rate of around 90 percent. This means that visitor numbers have increased by around 8 per cent on the previous year. A complete overview of all figures relating to Peter Theiler’s tenure as Artistic Director of the Semperoper Dresden will be available at the start of the new season on 29 August 2024.

Swiss-born Peter Theiler began his directorship in Dresden at the start of the 2018/19 season under the motto »Tradition and Modernity«. Despite the difficulties around the pandemic, his tenure of the past six years will be remembered for major new productions and the many outstanding artists who have performed at the Semperoper. Audiences flocked to more than 1,500 performances, including 44 new opera and nine ballet productions, which included world premieres (three in opera and five in ballet) as well as 27 German or Dresden premieres. Thus, Peter Theiler’s directorship of the Saxon State Opera in Dresden will be remembered as a time of numerous premieres, helping to cement the institution’s international standing and reputation for artistic excellence.

At the end of the 2023/24 season, the Saxon State Opera is in fantastic shape for designated Artistic Director Nora Schmid, who takes over the reins on 1 September 2024. With the premiere production of his favourite opera, »Benvenuto Cellini« by Hector Berlioz, Peter Theiler is said goodbye to his many fans last Saturday (29 June 2024) after an illustrious 28-year career, which included six seasons as Artistic Director of the Semperoper Dresden. As part of the official farewell ceremony that took place before the premiere, the Saxon State Minister for Culture and Tourism, Barbara Klepsch, honoured the achievements of the outgoing Artistic Director in the presence of numerous guests.

In her laudation, she said: »Peter Theiler leaves behind a vibrant cultural institution undertaking numerous collaborative projects and with a fantastic international reputation. His hard work and commitment are reflected in the numerous successful performances that have taken place during his tenure as well as the many great artists he has brought to Dresden’s opera house. My heartfelt thanks go to Peter Theiler for leading our Semperoper through the very difficult and challenging phase of the coronavirus pandemic.«   

On the City of Dresden website, Mayor of Culture Annekatrin Klepsch has already thanked him for his great work at the Semperoper over six seasons: »As Artistic Director of Saxon State Opera, Peter Theiler has led one of Dresden’s cultural flagships through some stormy years. He has overseen the creation of many exciting artistic productions and projects, and now hands over to his successor a dynamic and impressive ensemble that promises continued success in the years to come. I would like to thank him for his commitment to Dresden.«