Robert Simma, Stage Director, Head of Artistic Management
Lecturer for Musically Dramatic Performance
simma@mdw.ac.at

Rober Simma was born in Vienna. After initially studying theatre and musicology, he turned his attention to musical theatre direction and completed his studies at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Since then, he has been working as a freelance director. In addition to projects in Vienna and the surrounding area (Traismauer, Krems, Baden, Oberschützen, Eisenstadt, Mödling, Jennersdorf, etc.), his directing work has taken him to Helsinki, Tokyo, Pozzuolo, Pordenone, Krakow, and other locations.

Productions of Così fan tutte, Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflöte, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Djamileh, La Serva Padrona, Il Segreto di Susanna, Zanetto, Die Fledermaus, Häuptling Abendwind, Salon Pitzelberger, Die lustige Witwe, L’Infedeltà delusa, La Cenerentola, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Gianni Schicchi, Rigoletto, Ernani, Hänsel und Gretel, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Rusalka, premiere of Der Lachschrittmacher, premiere of Der Schlüssel zur Musik, Der gestiefelte Kater, Cendrillion, etc. For eleven years now, he has been staging all children's opera productions at the J:OperaJennersdorf festival.

Since 1986, Robert Simma has been head of the artistic management at the Department of Voice and Musical Theatre at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. 

His teaching activities include a lectureship in basic musically dramatic training at the Department of Voice and Musical Theatre (mdw) and the direction of the course in opera and operetta at the Vienna Adult Education Centre. In 2011, he also held a visiting professorship for musically dramatic performance at the Department of Voice and Musical Theatre (mdw). Since autumn 2014, he has held a teaching position for musically dramatic performance at the Vienna Conservatory Private University.

In 2005, he founded the association JOA – Junge Oper Austria to promote young singing talents. In 2011, he received an award from the province of Burgenland for his successful work in the field of children's opera. In 2012, he founded the Oper Schloss Rohrau festival with performances of Haydn's opera L'isola disabitata. His next projects include productions of Die Zauberflöte, Hänsel und Gretel and Il Mondo della luna.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)-17.12.2025