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{{short description|Opera house in Vienna, Austria}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = Vienna State Opera
| image = [[File:Wien - Staatsoper (1).JPG|240px]]
| image_caption = |
| logo_image = Wiener Staatsoper Logo 2024.png
| location = [[Vienna]], Austria
| coordinates = {{Coord|48|12|10|N|16|22 |06.5|E|type:landmark_region:AT-9}}
| mapframe-marker = music
| type = [[Opera house]]
| broke_ground = 
| built = 
| opened = 25 May 1869
| owner = City of Vienna
| architect = [[August Sicard von Sicardsburg]]<br />[[Eduard van der Nüll]]
| builder = [[Josef Hlávka]]
| former_names = Vienna Court Opera<br />(''Wiener Hofoper'')
| cost = 
| seating_type = 
| seating_capacity = 1,709 seated, 567 standing
| publictransit = {{rint|vienna|U}} {{rint|vienna|U1}} {{rint|vienna|U2}} {{rint|vienna|U4}} {{stl|Wiener Linien|Karlsplatz}}, {{rint|vienna|tram}} {{rint|vienna|tram|1}} {{rint|vienna|tram|2}} {{rint|vienna|tram|D}} {{rint|vienna|tram|62}} {{rint|vienna|tram|71}} Opernring, {{rint|vienna|bus}} 59A
| website = {{URL|https://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/en/|wiener-staatsoper.at}}
}}

The '''Vienna State Opera''' ({{Langx|de|link=no|Wiener Staatsoper}}, {{IPA|de|ˈviːnɐ ˈʃtaːtsˌʔoːpɐ|IPA}}) is a historic [[opera house]] and opera company based in [[Vienna]], Austria. The 1,709-seat [[Renaissance Revival architecture|Renaissance Revival]] venue was the first major building on the [[Vienna Ring Road]]. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by [[August Sicard von Sicardsburg]] and [[Eduard van der Nüll]], and designs by [[Josef Hlávka]]. The opera house was inaugurated as the "Vienna Court Opera" (''Wiener Hofoper'') in the presence of [[Franz Joseph I of Austria|Emperor Franz Joseph I]] and [[Empress Elisabeth of Austria]]. It became known by its current name after the establishment of the [[First Austrian Republic]] in 1921. The Vienna State Opera is the successor of the old Vienna Court Opera<ref>{{Cite web|title=The 'Sunken Chest': The Building of the Vienna Court Opera on the Ring |url=https://www.habsburger.net/en/chapter/sunken-chest-building-vienna-court-opera-ring |access-date=9 June 2020 |website=Die Welt der Habsburger |language=en}}</ref> (built in 1636 inside the [[Hofburg]]). The new site was chosen and the construction paid by [[Franz Joseph I of Austria|Emperor Franz Joseph]] in 1861.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The History of Opera in Vienna |url=https://concert-vienna.com/blogs/viennese-things/the-history-of-opera-in-vienna |access-date=9 June 2020|website=Concert Vienna |language=en}}</ref>

The members of the [[Vienna Philharmonic]] are recruited from the Vienna State Opera's orchestra. The building is also the home of the [[Vienna State Ballet]], and it hosts the annual [[Vienna Opera Ball]] during the carnival season.

==History==
[[File:Vienna State Opera House under construction-1865.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Vienna State Opera House under construction, 1865]]

===History of the building===
====Construction====
The opera house was the first major building on the Vienna [[Ringstrasse]] commissioned by the Viennese "city expansion fund". Work commenced on the house in 1861 and was completed in 1869, following plans drawn up by architects [[August Sicard von Sicardsburg]] and [[Eduard van der Nüll]]. It was built in the [[Neo-Renaissance]] style by the Czech architect and contractor [[Josef Hlávka]].

[[File:Hofoper 1869-05-25 Don-Juan.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Play bill for the opening performance of the new ''Opernhaus'', announcing the opening performance of ''[[Don Giovanni]]'' on 25 May 1869]]
[[File:Wiener Hofoper 1869.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Coeval watercolour painting of the opening performance ([[Kunsthistorisches Museum]])]]

The Ministry of the Interior had commissioned a number of reports into the availability of certain building materials, with the result that stones long not seen in Vienna were used, such as [[Wöllersdorf-Steinabrückl|Wöllersdorfer]] Stein, for plinths and free-standing, simply-divided buttresses<!--not sure of this word - dictionary gives "staves" (archaic)-->, the famously hard stone from [[Kaisersteinbruch]], whose colour was more appropriate than that of [[Kelheim]]erstein, for more lushly decorated parts. The somewhat coarser-grained Kelheimerstein (also known as [[Solnhof]] Plattenstein) was intended as the main stone to be used in the building of the opera house, but the necessary quantity was not deliverable. [[Breitenbrunn, Austria|Breitenbrunner]] stone was suggested as a substitute for the Kelheimer stone, and stone from [[Jois]] was used as a cheaper alternative to the Kaiserstein. The staircases were constructed from polished Kaiserstein, while most of the rest of the interior was decorated with varieties of [[marble]].

[[File:Staatsoper (ca.1898).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The ''Hofoper'', {{Circa|1898}}]]

The decision was made to use [[dimension stone]] for the exterior of the building. Due to the monumental demand for stone, stone from [[Sóskút]], widely used in [[Budapest]], was also used. Three Viennese masonry companies were employed to supply enough masonry labour: Eduard Hauser (still in existence today), Anton Wasserburger and Moritz Pranter. The foundation stone was laid on 20 May 1863.

====Public response====
The building, however, was not particularly well-received by the public. For one, it lacked the grandeur of the Heinrichshof, a private residence destroyed during World War II and later replaced in 1955 by the Opernringhof. Additionally, the opera house’s construction was overshadowed by an unexpected issue: the level of the Ringstraße in front of the building was raised by a metre after construction had already commenced, the latter was likened to "a sunken treasure chest" and, in analogy to the military disaster of 1866 (the [[Battle of Königgrätz]]), was deprecatingly referred to as "the 'Königgrätz' of architecture". Eduard van der Nüll committed suicide, and barely ten weeks later Sicardsburg died from tuberculosis so neither architect saw the completion of the building. The opening premiere was ''[[Don Giovanni]]'', by [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]], on 25 May 1869. [[Franz Joseph I of Austria|Emperor Franz Josef]] and [[Elisabeth of Bavaria|Empress Elisabeth]] (Sissi) were present.

===Gustav Mahler===
{{See also|Repertory of the Vienna Court Opera under Gustav Mahler}}
[[File:Photo of Gustav Mahler by Moritz Nähr 01.jpg|thumb|upright=1|Gustav Mahler was artistic director of the ''Hofoper'' from 1897 to 1907.]]
[[Gustav Mahler]] was one of the many conductors who have worked in Vienna. During his tenure (1897–1907), Mahler cultivated a new generation of singers, such as [[Anna von Mildenburg|Anna Bahr-Mildenburg]] and [[Selma Kurz]], and recruited a stage designer who replaced the lavish historical stage decors with sparse stage scenery corresponding to modernistic, [[Jugendstil]] tastes. Mahler also introduced the practice of dimming the lighting in the theatre during performances, which was initially not appreciated by the audience. However, Mahler's reforms were maintained by his successors.

===WW II bombing and redesign===
[[File:Wien Goetterdaemmerung 1944-06-30.JPG|thumb|upright=1.2|Play bill of the last performance in the old building: ''[[Götterdämmerung]]'', 30 June 1944]]

Towards the end of World War II, on 12 March 1945, the opera was set alight by an American bombardment.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} The auditorium and stage were destroyed by flames, as well as almost the entire décor and props for more than 120 operas with around 150,000 costumes. The front section, which had been walled off as a precaution, however, remained intact including the [[foyer]], with [[fresco]]es by [[Moritz von Schwind]], the main stairways, the vestibule and the tea room.  The State Opera was temporarily housed at the [[Theater an der Wien]] and at the [[Vienna Volksoper]].

Lengthy discussion took place about whether the opera house should be restored to its original state on its original site, or whether it should be completely demolished and rebuilt, either on the same location or on a different site. Eventually the decision was made to rebuild the opera house as it had been, and the main restoration experts involved were Ernst Kolb (1948–1952) and Udo Illig (1953–1956).

The Austrian [[Chancellor of Austria|Federal Chancellor]] [[Leopold Figl]] made the decision in 1946 to have a functioning opera house again by 1949. An architectural competition was announced, which was won by Erich Boltenstern. The submissions had ranged from a complete restructuring of the auditorium to a replica of the original design; Boltenstern decided on a design similar to the original with some modernisation in keeping with the design of the 1950s. In order to achieve good acoustics, wood was the favoured building material, on the advice of, among others, [[Arturo Toscanini]]. In addition, the number of seats in the parterre (stalls) was reduced, and the fourth gallery, which had been fitted with columns, was restructured so as not to need columns. The façade, entrance hall and the "Schwind" foyer were restored and remain in their original style.

In the meantime, the opera company, which had at first been performing in the Volksoper, had moved rehearsals and performances to [[Theater an der Wien]], where, on 1 May 1945, after the liberation and re-independence of Austria from the Nazis, the first performances were given. In 1947, the company went on tour to London.

Due to the appalling conditions at Theater an der Wien, the opera company leadership tried to raise significant quantities of money to speed up reconstruction of the original opera house. Many private donations were made, as well as donations of building material from the Soviets, who were very interested in the rebuilding of the opera. The mayor of Vienna had receptacles placed in many sites around Vienna for people to donate coins only. In this way, everyone in Vienna could say they had participated in the reconstruction and feel pride in considering themselves part owners.

However, in 1949, there was only a temporary roof on the Staatsoper, as construction work continued. It was not until 5 November 1955, after the [[Austrian State Treaty]], that the Staatsoper could be reopened with a performance of [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]]'s ''[[Fidelio]]'', conducted by [[Karl Böhm]].<ref>Tim Smith, [https://web.archive.org/web/20061004182905/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/shows/viennaopera50/index.html "Vienna State Opera 50th Anniversary Reopening Gala: An Illustrious History"], p. 4, [[PBS]]. Retrieved 12 April 2013</ref> The American Secretary of State, [[John Foster Dulles]], was present. The state broadcaster [[Österreichischer Rundfunk|ORF]] used the occasion to make its first live broadcast, at a time when there were only c. 800 televiewers in the whole of Austria. The new auditorium had a reduced capacity of about 2,276, including 567 standing room places.<ref name="plan">{{cite web|title=Seating plan and admission prices|url=http://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/Content.Node/pageparts/stop_sitzplan.html|publisher=Vienna State Opera|language=de|access-date=17 July 2013}}</ref> The ensemble, which had remained unified until the opening, crumbled in the following years, and slowly an international ensemble formed.

===History of the Company After the Second World War ===
In 1945, the Wiener Mozart-Ensemble was formed, which put on guest performances and became known particularly for its singing and playing culture<!--I think what is intended by the German text is the "workplace culture"-->. The Austrian conductor [[Josef Krips]] was the founder and mentor, who had only survived the Nazi era (given his Jewish heritage) thanks to luck and help from colleagues. At the end of the war, Krips started the renovation of the Staatoper, and was able to implement his aesthetic principles, including the departure from the Romantic Mozart ideal with a voluminous orchestral sound. Instead, qualities more associated with chamber music were featured, as well as a clearer, lighter sound, which would later come to be known as "typically Viennese". Singers who worked with Krips during this time were [[Erich Kunz]], [[Elisabeth Schwarzkopf]] and [[Wilma Lipp]], among others.

As early as 1947, the Mozart-Ensemble was playing guest performances at the [[Royal Opera House]] in London, with Mozart's ''Don Giovanni''. [[Richard Tauber]], who had fled from the Nazis, sang ''Don Ottavio''; three months later he died, and was remembered for singing with "half a lung" in order to fulfil his dream, many other artists became associated with the Mozart-Ensemble, for example [[Karl Böhm]], but their role was still greatly peripheral, in a straightforward or assisting role.<!--not sure of this translation: "indem sie die Arbeit anderer lediglich fortführten"--> This was the beginning of Krips' worldwide career, which would take him to the most prominent houses in the world. Until his death in 1974, Krips was regarded as one of the most important ''Maestri'' (conductors/music directors) of the Staatsoper.

On 1 July 1998, a historical broadcast took place, as Austria undertook its first presidency of the [[European Union]]. ''Fidelio'' was broadcast live from the Vienna State Opera to the 15 capital cities of the EU.

<gallery mode="packed">
File:StateOperaViennaNightBackside.jpg|Rear of the opera house, showing the stage wings
File:Vienna state opera stairs.jpg|A marble staircase between the main entrance and the first floor
File:Vienna State Opera - Inside.jpg|One of the lobbies
File:Wien - Staatsoper, Teesalon.JPG|Emperor's private room
File:Wien - Staatsoper, Zuschauerraum.JPG|The auditorium
File:Wien - Staatsoper, Zuschauerraum mit Bühne.JPG|View from the auditorium to the stage
File:Viyana Devlet Operası Binasının Dışı.jpg|Exterior of the building
File:Vienna - Vienna Opera Backstage - 9706.jpg|Backstage area
</gallery>

== Today ==
=== The company ===
The Vienna State Opera is closely linked to the [[Vienna Philharmonic]], which is an incorporated society of its own, but whose members are recruited from the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera.

The {{Lang|de|Wiener Staatsoper}} is one of the busiest opera houses in the world producing 50 to 60 operas in a [[Repertory theatre|repertory]] system per year and ten ballet productions in more than 350 performances.<ref>[http://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/Content.Node/home/aktuelles/neuigkeiten/Spielplan_16-17.de.php 2016/17 season], Vienna State Opera</ref> It is quite common to find a different opera being produced each day of a week. The {{lang|de|Staatsoper}} employs over 1000 people. As of 2008, the annual operating budget of the {{lang|de|Staatsoper}} was 100&nbsp;million euros with slightly more than 50% as a state subsidy.

The company's 2019 production of [[Olga Neuwirth]]'s opera ''Orlando'' marked the first production of an opera by a female composer in the history of the Vienna State Opera.<ref>{{cite news |title=After 150 years, Vienna opera house stages first opera by a woman |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/24/vienna-opera-house-virginia-woolf-orlando-olga-neuwirth |access-date=24 November 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=24 November 2019}}</ref>

===Herbert von Karajan===
[[File:Herbert von Karajan 1963.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Herbert von Karajan, artistic director of the Vienna State Opera from 1957 to 1964]]
[[Herbert von Karajan]] introduced the practice of performing operas exclusively in their original language instead of being translated into German. He also strengthened the [[musical ensemble|ensemble]] and regular principal singers and introduced the policy of predominantly engaging guest singers. He began a collaboration with [[La Scala]] in Milan, in which both productions and orchestrations were shared. This created an opening for the prominent members of the Viennese ensemble to appear in Milan, especially to perform works by [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]] and [[Richard Strauss]].

===Ballet companies merge===
At the beginning of the 2005–2006 season, the ballet companies of the Staatsoper and the [[Vienna Volksoper]] were merged under the direction of Gyula Harangozó, which led to a reduction in the number of performers in the resulting ensemble. This has resulted in an increase in the number of guest stars engaged to work in the ballet. The practice of combining the two ballet companies proved an artistic failure, and Harangozó left when his contract expired in 2010.

From the 2010–2011 season a new company was formed called ''Wiener Staatsballet'', [[Vienna State Ballet]], under the direction of former [[Paris Opera Ballet]] principal dancer [[Manuel Legris]]. Legris eliminated Harangozós's policy of presenting nothing but traditional [[narrative ballet]]s with guest artists in the leading roles, concentrated on establishing a strong in-house ensemble and restored evenings of mixed bill programs, featuring works of [[George Balanchine]], [[Jerome Robbins]], [[Jiří Kylián]], [[William Forsythe (choreographer)|William Forsythe]], and many contemporary choreographers, as well as a reduced schedule of the classic ballets.

===140th anniversary season===
2009 marked the 140th anniversary of the Vienna Opera House. To celebrate this milestone an idea designed to reach out and embrace a new audience was conceived. A giant 50 sqm screen was placed on the side of the opera house facing [[Kärntner Straße]]. In four months live broadcasts of over 60 famous operas were transmitted in this way, including performances of ''[[Madama Butterfly]]'', ''[[The Magic Flute]]'' and ''[[Don Giovanni]]''. This successful venture brought a new wave of operatic excitement to the many tourists and locals who experienced this cultural event. During daytime the screen displays a replica of the Opera House's façade, as it obstructs a considerable part of the building, along with information about upcoming performances.

=== The opera house and children ===
[[File:Staatsoper Wien DSC 5273w.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|View from the ''Ring'', on the roof the tent for children's performances (demounted in 2015 and now replaced by a [[:de:stadtTheater walfischgasse|special theatre]])]]

The Vienna State Opera is particularly open to children: under Holender's direction (he has three children of his own), the opera house has become well known for its children's productions, which are performed in a tent on the roof of the Staatsoper. Recent examples include ''[[Peter Pan (1950 musical)|Peter Pan]]'', ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Das Traumfresserchen|de}}'' (''The Dream Gobbler''), ''[[The 35th of May, or Conrad's Ride to the South Seas|Der 35. Mai]]'' (''The 35th of May''), [[C. F. E. Horneman]]'s ''Aladdin'', ''[[Bastien und Bastienne]]'' and ''Wagners Nibelungenring für Kinder'' (''Wagner's [[Der Ring des Nibelungen|Ring]] for children''). In addition to this, there is a production of ''The Magic Flute'' every year for 9- and 10-year-olds, decorated like the [[Vienna Opera Ball|Opernball]].

The opera house also has an opera school for boys and girls between the ages of eight and fourteen, which takes place in the afternoons after regular school. The children are introduced to music theatre and the prospect of becoming opera singers. The company recruits singers for children's roles in its productions from this opera school. Twice every season there is a special matinée performance of the opera school. In 2006, the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, they performed a 20-minute miniature opera ''Der kleine Friedrich'' arranged from songs of Mozart by [[Janko Kastelic]] and Claudia Toman.

=== "Standing room only" audience ===
[[File:Wien Staatsoper Innenansicht.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|View of the [[orchestra pit]] and [[safety curtain]] The curtain ''Play as Cast'' was designed by [[Tacita Dean]], and installed during the season 2004–2005.]]
Eighty minutes before each performance, cheap standing room tickets are sold ({{€|10|link=yes}}).<ref name="plan" /> These are popular with all age groups, and now have an almost legendary regular clientele, which is merciless in showing its [[Booing|displeasure]] with a performance loudly and unambiguously, but is even louder in voicing approval.<ref>[http://www.abendblatt.de/kultur-live/article107169977/Vom-Reiz-der-billigen-Plaetze.html "Vom Reiz der billigen Plätze"] by Helmut Söring, ''[[Hamburger Abendblatt]]'', 31 October 2006 {{in lang|de}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Wien ist anders – Ist Wien anders?|first=Phillipp|last=von Hornau|year=2012|page=631|language=de}}</ref>

=== ''Der Neue Merker'' ===

Every performance at the Vienna State Opera is reviewed by an independent company in the opera publication ''Der Neue Merker''<ref>For "Merker", see [[Meistersinger]]</ref> (''The New Judge'') which is printed in about 2000 copies. This is unusual in that most opera magazines prefer to concentrate on new productions and premieres. There is an online version<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://onlinemerker.com/|title=Startseite|date=16 February 2018}}</ref> parallel to the publication, which receives (as of March 2007) an average of 10,000 visitors a week, and therefore is one of the most successful German-language opera portals.

=== Opera ball ===
[[File:Vienna Opera Ball 27 February 2014 05.JPG|thumb|upright=1.2|Debutants entry at the Vienna Opera Ball]]
For many decades, the opera house has been the venue of the [[Vienna Opera Ball]]. It is an event, which takes place annually on the last Thursday in [[Carnival in Germany, Switzerland and Austria|Fasching]]. Those in attendance often include visitors from around the world, especially prominent names in business and politics. The opera ball receives media coverage from a range of outlets.

The opera ball in 1968 was the occasion for a protest, at which the organisation was criticised for being "elite" (due to the high prices), "conceited" (due to the opulent display of wealth for the newspapers and cameras) and "reactionary" (for upholding an allegedly outdated culture). There was violence between the demonstrators and the police.

=== Safety curtain ===
"Safety Curtain" is an exhibition series conceived by the non-profit art initiative [[museum in progress]], which has been transforming the [[safety curtain]] of the Vienna State Opera into a temporary exhibition space for contemporary art since 1998.<ref>Cf. [http://www.mip.at/projects/eiserner-vorhang Exhibition page "Safety Curtain"], [[museum in progress]]</ref> A jury ([[Daniel Birnbaum]] and [[Hans-Ulrich Obrist]]) selects the artists whose works are attached to the safety curtain by means of magnets and are shown during the course of a season. Artists up to date: [[Pierre Alechinsky]], [[Tauba Auerbach]], [[John Baldessari]], [[Matthew Barney]], Thomas Bayrle, [[Tacita Dean]], [[Cerith Wyn Evans]], [[Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster]], [[Richard Hamilton (artist)|Richard Hamilton]], [[David Hockney]], Christine & Irene Hohenbüchler, [[Joan Jonas]], Martha Jungwirth, [[Jeff Koons]], [[Maria Lassnig]], Oswald Oberhuber, [[Giulio Paolini]], [[Rirkrit Tiravanija]], [[Rosemarie Trockel]], [[Cy Twombly]], [[Kara Walker]], [[Carrie Mae Weems]] and [[Franz West]].<ref>Kaspar Mühlemann Hartl, museum in progress; Dominique Meyer, Vienna State Opera (Ed.): ''CURTAIN – VORHANG. A Living Museum Space – The Vienna State Opera Safety Curtain'', Vienna: Verlag für moderne Kunst 2017. {{ISBN|978-3-903228-11-5}}.</ref>

== Directors/General managers ==
In chronological order, the directors (or general managers) of the Staatsoper have been:
{{Div col|colwidth=20em|rules=yes}}
* [[Franz von Dingelstedt]] (1867–70)
* [[Johann von Herbeck]] (1870–75)
* [[Franz von Jauner]] (1875–80)
* [[Wilhelm Jahn]] (1881–97)
* [[Gustav Mahler]] (1897–1907)
* [[Felix Weingartner|Felix Weingartner, Edler von Münzberg]] (first term, 1908–11)
* [[Hans Gregor]] (1911–18)
* [[Richard Strauss]] / [[Franz Schalk]] (1919–24)
* Franz Schalk (1924–29)
* [[Clemens Krauss]] (1929–34)
* Felix von Weingartner (second term, 1935–36)
* {{Interlanguage link multi|Erwin Kerber|de}} (1936–40)
* [[Heinrich Karl Strohm]] (1940–41)
* [[Lothar Müthel]] (1941–42)
* [[Karl Böhm]] (first term, 1943–45)
* [[Franz Salmhofer]] (1945–54)
* Karl Böhm (second term, 1954–56)
* [[Herbert von Karajan]] (1956–1964)
* [[Egon Hilbert]] (1964–68)
* [[Heinrich Reif-Gintl]] (1968–72)
* [[Rudolf Gamsjäger]] (1972–76)
* [[Egon Seefehlner]] (first term, 1976–82)
* [[Lorin Maazel]] (1982–84)
* Egon Seefehlner (second term, 1984–86)
* [[Claus Helmut Drese]] (1986–91)
* [[Eberhard Wächter (baritone)|Eberhard Wächter]] (1991–92)
* [[Ioan Holender]] (1992–2010)
* [[Dominique Meyer]] (2010–2020)
* Bogdan Roščić (2020–present)<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/21/arts/music/vienna-state-opera-bogdan-roscic-of-sony.html | title=Sony Executive to Lead Vienna Opera | work=New York Times | author=Michael Cooper | date=21 December 2016 | access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref>
{{Div col end}}

==Artistic/Music Directors==
* [[Richard Strauss]] (1919–1924)
* [[Bruno Walter]] (1936–1938)
* [[Claudio Abbado]] (1986–1991)
* [[Seiji Ozawa]] (2002–2010)
* [[Franz Welser-Möst]] (2010–2014)
* [[Philippe Jordan]] (2020–present)<ref>{{cite press release | url=http://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/die-staatsoper/aktuelles/detail/news/philippe-jordan-ab-2020-musikdirektor-der-wiener-staatsoper/ | title=Philippe Jordan ab 2020 Musikdirektor der Wiener Staatsoper | publisher=Vienna State Opera | date=31 July 2017 | access-date=31 July 2017 | archive-date=1 August 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801033459/http://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/die-staatsoper/aktuelles/detail/news/philippe-jordan-ab-2020-musikdirektor-der-wiener-staatsoper/ | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/arts/music/philippe-jordan-will-lead-the-vienna-state-opera-can-he-bring-peace.html | title=Philippe Jordan Will Lead the Vienna State Opera. Can He Bring Peace? | work=New York Times | author=Michael Cooper | date=31 July 2017 | access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref>

==Prominent artists who have appeared at the Staatsoper==

===Singers===
{{Div col|colwidth=20em|rules=yes}}
* [[Theo Adam]]
* [[Ain Anger]]
* [[Giacomo Aragall]]
* [[Agnes Baltsa]]
* [[Polly Batic]]
* [[Gabriela Beňačková]]
* [[Ettore Bastianini]]
* [[Piotr Beczała]]
* [[Teresa Berganza]]
* [[Walter Berry (bass-baritone)|Walter Berry]]
* [[Jussi Björling]]
* [[Franco Bonisolli]]
* [[Montserrat Caballé]]
* [[Maria Callas]]
* [[José Carreras]]
* [[Enrico Caruso]]
* [[Mimi Coertse]]
* [[Franco Corelli]]
* [[José Cura]]
* [[Oskar Czerwenka]]
* [[Giuseppe Di Stefano]]
* [[Plácido Domingo]] (50th jubilee in May 2017)
* [[Otto Edelmann]]
* [[Anny Felbermayer]]
* [[Juan Diego Flórez]]
* [[Mirella Freni]]
* [[Ferruccio Furlanetto]]
* [[Elīna Garanča]]
* Nicolai Gedda
* [[Angela Gheorghiu]]
* [[Nicolai Ghiaurov]]
* [[Tito Gobbi]]
* [[Edita Gruberová]] (40th jubilee in September 2008, 50th jubilee in June 2018)
* [[Thomas Hampson (baritone)|Thomas Hampson]]
* [[Hans Hotter]]
* [[Gundula Janowitz]]
* [[Maria Jeritza]]
* [[Gwyneth Jones (soprano)|Gwyneth Jones]]
* [[Sena Jurinac]]
* [[Vesselina Kasarova]]
* [[Jonas Kaufmann]]
* [[Angelika Kirchschlager]]
* [[Alfredo Kraus]]
* [[Elisabeth Kulman]]
* [[Erich Kunz]]
* [[Selma Kurz]]
* [[Christa Ludwig]] (final operatic performance in ''Elektra'', 1994)
* [[Éva Marton]]
* [[Anna Moffo]]
* [[Anna Netrebko]]
* [[Birgit Nilsson]]
* [[Jessye Norman]]
* [[Jarmila Novotná]]
* [[Hasmik Papian]]
* [[Luciano Pavarotti]]
* [[Alfred Piccaver]]
* [[JJ (singer)|Johannes "JJ" Pietsch]]
* [[Lucia Popp]]
* [[Hermann Prey]]
* [[Leontyne Price]]
* [[Gianni Raimondi]]
* [[Ruggero Raimondi]]
* [[Maria Reining]]
* [[Leonie Rysanek]]
* [[Matti Salminen]]
* [[Elisabeth Schwarzkopf]]
* [[Renata Scotto]]
* [[Cesare Siepi]]
* [[Giulietta Simionato]]
* [[Bo Skovhus]]
* [[Nina Stemme]]
* [[Lise Davidsen]]
* [[Michail Svetlev (tenor)|Michail Svetlev]]
* [[Giuseppe Taddei]]
* [[Martti Talvela]]
* [[Richard Tauber]]
* [[Renata Tebaldi]]
* [[Bryn Terfel]]
* [[Rolando Villazón]]
* [[Eberhard Wächter (baritone)|Eberhard Wächter]]
* [[Otto Wiener (baritone)|Otto Wiener]]
* [[Fritz Wunderlich]]
* [[Heinz Zednik]]
{{Div col end}}

===Conductors===
{{Div col|colwidth=20em|rules=yes}}
* [[Claudio Abbado]]
* [[Kurt Adler]]
* [[Gerd Albrecht]]
* [[Ernest Ansermet]]
* [[Leonard Bernstein]]
* [[Bertrand de Billy]]
* [[Karl Böhm]]
* [[Semyon Bychkov (conductor)|Semyon Bychkov]]
* [[Riccardo Chailly]]
* [[André Cluytens]]
* [[Colin Davis]]
* [[Victor de Sabata]]
* [[Hubert Deutsch]]
* [[Antal Doráti]]
* [[Christoph von Dohnányi]]
* [[Gustavo Dudamel]]
* [[Wilhelm Furtwängler]]
* [[John Eliot Gardiner]]
* [[Daniele Gatti]]
* [[Gianandrea Gavazzeni]]
* [[Michael Gielen]]
* [[Leopold Hager]]
* [[Daniel Harding]]
* [[Nikolaus Harnoncourt]]
* [[Paul Hindemith]]
* [[Heinrich Hollreiser]]`
* [[Philippe Jordan]]
* [[Carlos Kleiber]]
* [[Erich Kleiber]]
* [[Berislav Klobučar]]
* [[Hans Knappertsbusch]]
* [[Clemens Krauss]]
* [[Josef Krips]]
* [[Rafael Kubelík]]
* [[Jan Latham-Koenig]]
* [[Erich Leinsdorf]]
* [[Lorin Maazel]]
* [[Charles Mackerras]]
* [[Ernst Märzendorfer]]
* [[Zubin Mehta]]
* [[Dimitri Mitropoulos]]
* [[Francesco Molinari-Pradelli]]
* [[Pierre Monteux]]
* [[Rudolf Moralt]]
* [[Lovro von Matačić]]
* [[Riccardo Muti]]
* [[Andris Nelsons]]
* [[Roger Norrington]]
* [[Daniel Oren]]
* [[Antonio Pappano]]
* [[John Pritchard (conductor)|John Pritchard]]
* [[Simon Rattle]]
* [[Hugo Reichenberger]]
* [[Fritz Reiner]]
* [[Hans Richter (conductor)|Hans Richter]]
* [[Mario Rossi (conductor)|Mario Rossi]]
* [[Nello Santi]]
* [[Michael Schønwandt]]
* [[Leif Segerstam]]
* [[Tullio Serafin]]
* [[Giuseppe Sinopoli]]
* [[Leonard Slatkin]]
* [[Georg Solti]]
* [[Horst Stein]]
* [[Pinchas Steinberg]]
* [[Igor Stravinsky]]
* [[Otmar Suitner]]
* [[Robert Stolz]]
* [[Richard Strauss]]
* [[Christian Thielemann]]
* [[Arturo Toscanini]]
* [[Silvio Varviso]]
* [[Marcello Viotti]]
* [[Antonino Votto]]
* [[Bruno Walter]]
* [[Felix Weingartner]]
* [[Alberto 
{{Div col end}}

===Directors, set designers, and costume designers===
Opera title and year of debut at the Vienna State Opera in parentheses:
{{Div col|colwidth=20em|rules=yes}}
* [[Gae Aulenti]] (''Il viaggio a Reims'', 1988)
* [[Boleslaw Barlog]] (''Salome'', 1972)
* [[Sven-Eric Bechtolf]] (''Arabella'', 2006)
* [[Ruth Berghaus]] (''Fierrabras'', 1990)
* [[Milena Canonero]] (''Il trittico'', 1979)
* [[Robert Carsen]] (''Jérusalem'', 1995)
* [[Giulio Chazalettes]] (''Attila'', 1980)
* [[Luciano Damiani]] (''Don Giovanni'', 1967)
* [[Dieter Dorn]] (''Die Entführung aus dem Serail'', 1979)
* [[August Everding]] (''Tristan und Isolde'', 1967)
* [[Piero Faggioni]] (''Norma'', 1977)
* [[Jürgen Flimm]] (''Der ferne Klang'', 1991)
* [[Götz Friedrich]] (''Moses und Aron'', 1973)
* [[Ezio Frigerio]], (''Norma'', 1977)
* [[Josef Gielen]] (''Madama Butterfly'', 1957)
* [[Peter J. Hall]] (''Le nozze di Figaro'', 1991)
* [[Karl-Ernst Herrmann]] (''Die Entführung aus dem Serail'', 1989)
* [[Václav Kašlík]] (''Idomeneo'', 1971)
* [[Jorge Lavelli]] (''Der Prozess'', 1970)
* [[Alfred Kirchner]] (''Khovanchina'', 1989)
* [[Harry Kupfer]] (''Die schwarze Maske'', 1986)
* [[Lotfi Mansouri]] (''La fanciulla del west'' 1978)
* [[Gian Carlo Menotti]] (''La Cenerentola'', 1981)
* [[Jonathan Miller]] (''Le nozze di Figaro'', 1991)
* [[Giancarlo del Monaco]] (''La forza del destino'', 1989)
* [[Hans Neuenfels]] (''Le Prophète'', 1998)
* [[Hermann Nitsch]] (''Hérodiade'', 1995)
* [[Adrian Noble]] (''Alcina'', 2010)
* [[Timothy O'Brien (theatre designer)|Timothy O'Brien]] (''Turandot'', 1983)
* [[Tom O'Horgan]] (''Les Troyens'', 1976)
* [[Laurent Pelly]] (''La fille du régiment'', 2007)
* [[Pier Luigi Pizzi]] (as stage designer: ''La forza del destino'', 1974; as director: ''Don Carlo'', 1989)
* [[Jean-Pierre Ponnelle]] (''Manon'', 1971)
* [[David Pountney]] (''Rienzi'', 1997)
* [[Harold Prince]] (''Turandot'', 1983)
* [[Gianni Quaranta]] (''Samson et Dalila'', 1988)
* [[Günther Rennert]] (''Il barbiere di Siviglia'', 1966)
* [[Luca Ronconi]] (''Il viaggio a Reims'', 1988)
* [[Ken Russell]] (''Faust'', 1985)
* [[Filippo Sanjust]] (''Ariadne auf Naxos'', 1976)
* [[Johannes Schaaf]] (''Idomeneo'', 1987)
* [[Otto Schenk]] (''Jenůfa'', 1964)
* [[Yuval Sharon]] (''Tri Sestri'', 2016)
* [[Franca Squarciapino]] (''Norma'', 1977)
* [[Peter Stein (director)|Peter Stein]] (''Simon Boccanegra'', 2002)
* [[Giorgio Strehler]] (''Simon Boccanegra'', 1984)
* [[Josef Svoboda]] (''Idomeneo'', 1971)
* [[István Szabó]] (''Il trovatore'', 1993)
* [[Carl Toms]], (''Faust'', 1985)
* [[Luchino Visconti]] (''Falstaff'', 1966)
* [[Antoine Vitez]] (''Pelléas et Mélisande'', 1988)
* [[Wieland Wagner]] (''Lohengrin'', 1965)
* [[Margarete Wallmann]] (''Tosca'', 1958)
* [[Anthony Ward]] (''Alcina'', 2010)
* [[Herbert Wernicke]] (''I vespri siciliani'', 1998)
* [[Peter Wood (director)|Peter Wood]] (''Macbeth'', 1981)
* [[Franco Zeffirelli]] (''La bohème'', 1964)
{{Div col end}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Opera}}
* [[Carltheater]]
* [[Ringtheater]]
* [[Theater am Kärntnertor]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Vienna State Opera}}
* {{official website|https://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/en/}} {{in lang|de|en}}
**[https://archiv.wiener-staatsoper.at (Archives)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20161110102548/https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/beta/partner/wiener-staatsoper Wiener Staatsoper at Google Cultural Institute]

{{Vienna State Opera directors}}
{{Vienna orchestras}}
{{Theatre in Austria}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Vienna State Opera| ]]
[[Category:Opera houses in Vienna]]
[[Category:Josef Hlávka buildings]]
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[[Category:Music venues completed in 1869]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Innere Stadt|State Opera]]
[[Category:Theatres completed in 1869]]
[[Category:1869 establishments in Austria]]
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