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 management
Contact
Season 26/27 and Highlights
BERLIN STATE OPERA
Spontini - La Vestale
PREMIERE Sept 26
OPERNHAUS ZÜRICH
Strauss - Elektra
PREMIERE Nov 22
VIENNA STATE OPERA
Berlioz - La Damnation de Faust
PREMIERE Dec 17
-
OPERNHAUS ZÜRICH
Puccini - La fanciulla del west
PREMIERE Feb 25TEATR WIELKI OPERA NARODOWA
Offenbach - Les Contes d'Hoffmann
PREMIERE Jun 4
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.
Lydia Steier will make a significant impact in the 2026/27 season with two new productions: she will direct Richard Strauss's Elektra at the Zurich Opera and Berlioz's La Damnation de Faust at the Vienna State Opera. Her production of Spontini's La Vestale will also open the season at the Berlin State Opera. Other productions of hers include Puccini's La Fanciulla del West at the Zurich Opera and Les Contes d'Hoffmann at the Polish National Opera in Warsaw.
-
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 2024/25 season, she made her debut at the Vienna State Opera with Tannhäuser and continued her collaboration with the Hanover State Opera with the world premiere of Israel in Munich.
In recent seasons, she has presented productions at, among other venues, the Opéra National de Paris ( Salome, La Vestale ), the Oper Frankfurt ( Aida, Oedipus Rex/Iolanta ), dem Theater an der Wien ( Candide ), the Semperoper Dresden ( Les Troyens ), at the Salzburg Festival ( The Magic Flute ), at the Komische Oper Berlin ( Giulio Cesare ), as well as in Geneva, Basel, Tokyo, and Cologne. Her most recent works include Der Rosenkavalier at the Zurich Opera, Les Contes d'Hoffmann at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, and the world premiere of Iain Bell's Medusa at La Monnaie/De Munt in Brussels. Her production of Stockhausen's Donnerstag was awarded by the Opernwelt It was chosen as "Production of the Year 2015/16," and several productions were nominated for the FAUST Theatre Prize. In 2024, it was awarded by the Opernwelt Awarded "Director of the Year".
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.
2026/27
—
Any changes or reductions must be approved by ARSIS Artist Management. Please do not use older material.
