Max Koch
Max Koch studied directing at the University for Music and Theatre in Hamburg and musicology at Bayreuth University. After graduating he has worked as a director's assistant, director, and stage manager for houses including the Bayerische Staatsoper, Oper Frankfurt, the Bregenz, Erl in Tirol and Castle Ettlingen festivals and the Lautten Compagney in Berlin with directors including Nadja Loschky, Philipp Stölzl, Claus Guth, Johannes Erath, Nico and the Navigators, Stefan Herheim, Simon Stone, Lydia Steier and Brigitte Fassbaender. Productions directed by him include Das Hinterhaus based on the mono-opera The Diary of Anne Frank in Hamburg's Theaterquartier, Karl Jenkin's The Armed Man in Bayreuth's parish church, a metamorphosis of works: Birkenau 18/10 at the Staatstheater in Nürnberg and the first performances in Germany of Moritz Eggert's chamber opera Caliban, which was also performed at the 2019 summer festival in Erl, Tirol. His production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas (Lautten Compagney Berlin) went on a very successful tour of Germany and Switzerland. He, Thorben Schumüller and Tamara Quick adapted Verdi's La traviata for Youth Opera Baden Württemberg in 2022. He also dreamt up and staged the traditional Dinner on Stage at the Bayerische Staatsoper in 2022 and Songs of Love and War in Bavaria's Staatsbibliothek. Last season he directed a music theatre installation: Hell ist die Nacht for the Mozartfest in Würzburg and the world premiere of no-mads – in colaboration with the Ensemble Modern and composer Cong Wei. Max Koch was awarded scholarships by the Ruhrtriennale, the Richard Wagner Verband Bayreuth, the Mozartfest in Würzburg's Mozartlabor and the Akademie Musiktheater heute.