Oper Frankfurt renews contracts of Loebe and Guggeis through 2032

The joint renewal will take Loebe’s tenure as intendant to 30 years, while securing the continuing leadership of music director Thomas Guggeis.

Oper Frankfurt’s intendant Bernd Loebe and general music director Thomas Guggeis will remain in their posts until 31 August 2032, following contract extensions announced on 22 October. The decision secures the company’s artistic leadership through the 2031/32 season.

Loebe’s contract, previously due to expire in August 2028, has been extended by four years. Having taken charge in September 2002, he will complete three decades at the helm of the Frankfurt company under the new agreement.

Three decades in Frankfurt

During Loebe’s tenure, Oper Frankfurt has combined the development of a permanent singing ensemble with guest artists and a repertoire encompassing established works, neglected operas and contemporary music. The company received Opernwelt’s Opera House of the Year distinction in his first season and again on several subsequent occasions, including three consecutive awards in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Loebe said the additional years would allow him to round off his work at the company and pursue further artistic ideas. He credited its achievements to the collective contribution of the ensemble, chorus, orchestra and artistic and technical staff.

Guggeis’s growing profile

Guggeis has served as general music director since the 2023/24 season, also taking artistic responsibility for the Frankfurt Museum Concerts. His renewal follows his selection as Conductor of the Year in Opernwelt’s 2026 critics’ survey. The Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra was also named Orchestra of the Year for the third consecutive time.

His Frankfurt commitments this season include new productions of Chausson’s Le roi Arthus, Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera and Martinů’s The Greek Passion, alongside revivals of Wagner’s Die Walküre and Das Rheingold. International engagements include a return to La Scala for Don Giovanni and a scheduled Bayreuth Festival debut with Tannhäuser in summer 2027.

Welcoming the extension, Guggeis also highlighted the importance of working with the city to secure adequate funding for the opera company and orchestra, linking the continuation of their artistic achievements to sustained financial support.