Bregenz Festival welcomes new artistic director

Bregenz, 30.9.24. A new era dawns at Bregenz on 1 October, when Lilli Paasikivi officially begins her term as artistic director of the Bregenz Festival. The former artistic director of the Finnish National Opera in Helsinki will take over from Elisabeth Sobotka, who moved to the Berlin Staatsoper in September 2024.

“We are very happy to be able to welcome Lilli Paasikivi here at Lake Constance after an intensive, one-and-a-half-year preparation period, and are looking forward to a tremendous first summer with her,” the president of the festival, Hans-Peter Metzler, declared. Lilli Paasikivi’s inaugural season as artistic director opens on 16 July 2025 with the Festspielhaus production of the opera Œdipe, composed by George Enescu, who was born in present-day Romania in 1881. Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber returns as the opera on the lake stage, opening for its second run on 17 July 2025. The full programme of the 2025 season will be presented on 21 November 2024.

“I’m delighted to be able to start work here in Bregenz at last with the dedicated and highly professional Bregenz Festival team and to begin preparations not only for the upcoming season but also for next year’s,” Lilli Paasikivi said. The first new opera production on the lake stage under the new artistic director will be La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi, to be mounted here for the first time in the summer of 2026 and 2027. The opening night is scheduled for 22 July 2026. 

Born in Finland in 1965, Lilli Paasikivi has considerable and wide-ranging experience in the world of classical music. As well as having had an international career as a singer appearing at leading opera houses and concert venues, she has been involved in organising and founding two summer festivals in Finland. From 2013 to 2023 she was artistic director of the Finnish National Opera in Helsinki. A prominent feature of her tenure there was bringing together very different art forms as well as developing innovative programmes that experimented with new technologies. 

The 2025 Bregenz Festival runs from 16 July to 17 August. For tickets and information, please visit www.bregenzerfestspiele.com or call tel. 0043 5574 4076.