Univ.-Prof. Roland Schwab, Stage Director
Ordinariate for Directing | Stage Performance
schwab@mdw.ac.at

Roland Schwab grew up in Munich. After studying physics and German language and literature, he began studying musical theatre directing at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre under Prof. Götz Friedrich in 1992. During his studies, he already assisted Götz Friedrich, Harry Kupfer and Ruth Berghaus at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Hamburg State Opera and the Zurich Opera House. In 1997, a guest performance brought him to the Berliner Ensemble, where he staged Frank Alert meets Brecht. Following his studies - which he completed with honours - Roland Schwab was first assistant to Christine Mielitz (Der Ring des Nibelungen) at the Staatstheater Meiningen from 1998 and later became head stage manager. His first opera productions from this period caused a national sensation (Così fan tutte, Le Nozze di Figaro). In the years that followed, he worked at several theatres in Germany and abroad. Important works include A Rake's Progress at the Dortmund Opera, Guillaume Tell at the Saarland State Theatre, Oberst Chabert  at the Bonn Opera, Otello at the Aalto Music Theatre, Aida at the Danish National Opera, Ulenspiegel at the International Bruckner Festival in Linz and Lohengrin and Der Rosenkavalier at the Felsenreitschule in Salzburg.

His work for the Deutsche Oper Berlin (Mozart Fragments, Tiefland, Don Giovanni), for the Bavarian State Opera (Mefistofele) and most recently for Tristan und Isolde at the Bayreuth Festival has attracted particular attention. Roland Schwab has received several nominations for his productions in the critics' polls of the magazines "Opernwelt" and "Die Deutsche Bühne". He has been teaching music theatre directing and music drama to students at the Department of Voice and Musical Theatre since the winter semester 2023.

schwab-roland.de

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)-06.08.2025