Matthew Wild
Director
© Nathna Kruger
Matthew Wild's back at Oper Frankfurt, where he made his debut in 2024 with a wonderful new Tannhäuser (revival later this season!), to stage Tchaikovsky's Mazeppa and Martinů's Greek Passion. Born in South Africa. he's one of the most sought-after directors of his generation. During the 2025/26 season he made his debuts, highly praised by audiences and press, at De Norske Opera in Oslo (Le nozze di Figaro), Theater Bonn (Il barbiere di Siviglia) and Theater Bielefeld (Peter Grimes, nominated for a 2025 DER FAUST Theatre Prize). Plans inclulde his debuts at the Staatsoper in Hannover (John Kander's Spiderwoman's Kiss) and at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein (Manon Lescaut). Other recent successes included Larson's Rent at Theater St. Gallen, Hermann's La Cage aux Folles at the Staatstheater in Kassel, Verdi's Macbeth at Hungarian National Opera and Humperdinck's Königskinder at the Tirol Festival in Erl. His showered with rave reviews production of Gershwin's Porgy & Bess at the Theater an der Wien was nominated in four categories for 2022 Austrian Theatre Prizes, including best overall production. Earlier projects in Europe were Mozart's Don Giovanni and Puccini's La bohème at the Konzert Theater in Bern, Janáček's Katja Kabanowa at Hessen's State Theatre in Wiesbaden and Boesman's Julie for Norrlands Operan and Malmö Opera. Matthew Wild was Artistic director of Cape Town Opera from 2015 - 2021, their reputation as a top touring ensemble confirmed by many of their own productions. He made his debut at South Africa's Fugard Theatre in 2013, where he staged successful musicals including The Rocky Horror Show and Cabaret. Before directing his first opera in 2009 he studied acting and English at Cape Town University, worked as an actor, playwrite and directed plays.