Andreas Homoki
Biography
Recent highlights include Das Rheingold, Salome, Simon Boccanegra, Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Iphigénie en Tauride, Sweeney Todd and Nabucco for Zurich Opera House, Schwanda, der Dudelsackpfeifer for the Komische Oper Berlin and Nabucco for Teatro Real. Since beginning his tenure in Zurich, Homoki has staged acclaimed productions of Der fliegende Holländer (a co-production with Teatro alla Scala and Norwegian National Opera), Lady Macbeth of Mtensk, Fidelio, Martinů's Juliette, Lohengrin (a co-production with the Wiener Staatsoper), Wozzeck and I puritani, Médée and Lehar Das Land des Lächelns. Most recently, he staged the world premiere of Heinz Holliger’s Lunea and a new production of Forza del destino.
Born in Germany into a Hungarian family of musicians, Homoki observed Harry Kupfer’s productions at the Komische Oper Berlin whilst a student at university. He later assisted Kupfer, including on productions at the Salzburg Festival, before becoming an assistant director at the Cologne Opera between 1987 and 1992 where he worked regularly with Willy Decker. Homoki made his directorial debut in 1992 with a production of Die Frau ohne Schatten in Geneva, which was awarded the French Critics’ Prize when transferred to the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, in 1994. He made his debut at Komische Oper Berlin in 1996 with Falstaff.
During the subsequent years as a freelance opera director, Homoki’s productions included Reimann’s Das Schloss and Aida in Hanover, Der Wildschütz, Der Freischütz and Die Zauberflöte in Cologne, Rigoletto in Hamburg, Orfeo ed Euridice in Geneva and Lyon, La traviata and Macbeth in Leipzig, Elektra, Der Rosenkavalier and Verdi’s Requiem in Basel, Hänsel und Gretel at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Carmen, Capriccio and Lulu in Amsterdam, and Idomeneo, Arabella and Manon Lescaut at the Munich State Opera.
In 2002 Homoki succeeded Harry Kupfer as Principle Director of the Komische Oper Berlin, followed shortly by his appointment as General Director in 2004. During his tenure in Berlin, Homoki’s productions included The Bartered Bride, Eugene Onegin, Der Rosenkavalier, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, La bohème, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and The Cunning Little Vixen and a revival of his acclaimed My Fair Lady. He also staged two world premières during his tenure: the children’s opera Robin Hood by Frank Schwemmer, and Christian Jost’s Hamlet. In 2007 the Komische Oper was voted ‘Opera House of the Year’ by Opernwelt.
During his time in Berlin, Homoki gained international prominence with his new productions of Tannhäuser at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Roméo et Juliette and Die Königskinder for the Bavarian State Opera, Le nozze di Figaro and La fanciulla del West at the New National Theatre Tokyo, Turandot and La traviata in Dresden, Faust at the Hamburg State Opera and David et Jonathas at the Festival International d'Art Lyrique d'Aix-en-Provence.
Homoki has been a Member of the Berlin Academy of Arts since 1999.