Director, Switzerland/Spain

Calixto Bieito is a Spanish opera and acting director and comes from Mirando de Ebro (Burgos). From 2011-2012 he was artistic director of the Barcelona Internacional Teatre, 1999-2011 of the Teatre Romea in Barcelona, 2010-2012 he directed the Festival Internacional de las Artes de Castilla y León and the Barcelona Internacional Teatre (bit). Bretón’s Zarzuela “La verbena de la Paloma“ (1996) at the Teatro Tivoli in Barcelona was his first encounter with the musical theatre, followed by Schönberg’s “Pierrot Lunaire“ (1998) at the Teatre Lliure in Barcelona. Calixto Bieito was guest at many European opera houses such as the Hanover State Opera, ENO London, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Komische Oper Berlin, Vlaamse Opera Antwerp / Ghent, Staatsoper München, Theater Basel, Zurich Opera House and others. Calixto Bieito has also dealt with sacred music and concertante performances. These included Britten's “Requiem”, Verdi's “Messa da Requiem”, Gesualdo's “Madrigale”, Xenakis' “Oresteia” or Bach's “St. John's Passion”. Calixto Bieito leads the audience through his artworks by a "spirit of presence". His interest lies not only in many of the core works and some outsiders of the repertoire, but primarily in contemporary production. In 2009, he was awarded the European Cultural Prize by the Basle Cultural Foundation Pro Europa 2009. Other awards followed: the Italian Franco Abbiati Prize 2012, Premios Líricos Campoamor 2014, Premios Liricos Opera XXI 2018. Since 2017 he is Artistic Director of the Teatro Arriaga in Bilbao.