Lydia Steier
La Monnaie/De Munt
Lydia Steier's first libretto is more than successful; her direction is also rock solid.
New Notes (06.05.2026)La Monnaie/De Munt
Lydia Steier gives Medusa back her story and focuses on the deeply human dimension of the myth.
De Standaard (07.05.2026)Kurier (May 23, 2025)Music Theatre at the Vienna - Candide
Thanks to Steier's bold directorial decisions […], Candide at the MusikTheater an der Wien is a must-see!
Bachtrack, Ben McAteer (January 2024)Representation
Worldwide general managment
Contact
Season 25/26 and Highlights
LA MONNAIE / DE MUNT
Bell - Medusa (NEW SCORE, LYDIA STEIER LIBRETTO)
PREMIERE May 5
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OSTERFESTSPIELE SALZBURG
BERLIN PHILHARMONIC WITH KIRILL PETRENKO
Wagner - Rheingold
PREMIERE Mar 27
Biography
Lydia Steier is an American opera director known for her visually powerful and musically precise productions of both the classical repertoire and contemporary works. She works regularly at leading houses such as the Opéra National de Paris , the Salzburg Festival, the Berlin State Opera and the Vienna State Opera.
In the 2025/26 season she will open the Zurich Opera season with Der Rosenkavalier , return to the Staatsoper Unter den Linden with Les Contes d'Hoffmann and stage the world premiere of Iain Bell's Medusa at La Monnaie/De Munt in Brussels.
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Lydia Steier was born in Hartford, Connecticut. After studying voice at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio, she received a Fulbright scholarship to Germany, where she has since worked as an opera director.
In the 24/25 season, she made her debut at the Vienna State Opera with Tannhäuser and continued her collaboration with the Staatsoper Hannover with the premiere of Israel in Munich.
In recent seasons she has shown productions at the Opéra National de Paris ( Salome , La Vestale ), the Oper Frankfurt ( Aida , Oedipus Rex/Iolanta ), the Theater an der Wien ( Candide ), the Semperoper Dresden ( Les Troyens ), at the Salzburg Festival ( The Magic Flute ), at the Komische Oper Berlin ( Giulio Cesare ), in Geneva, Basel, Tokyo, and Cologne. Her production of Stockhausen's Thursday was chosen by Opernwelt as "Production of the Year 2015/16," and several productions were nominated for the FAUST Theater Prize. In 2024, she was named "Director of the Year" by Opernwelt .
Her career began with productions in Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Bremen, and Weimar, among others. International guest appearances have taken her to Hong Kong, Dublin, and New York.
From November 2026, Lydia Steier will take over as Artistic Director of the Ruhrtriennale for the years 2027 to 2029. She is the first woman in this position and has announced that she will further develop the festival with a strong focus on openness, diversity, and interdisciplinary art forms.
2025/26
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