MA Top 30 Professional: Sebastian Ritschel

Artistic and Opera Director
Regensburg Theater

Sebastian Ritschel, often credited as the man who brought Stephen Sondheim to Germany, thrives on introducing both audiences and performers to the unknown.

“Artists grow when they are confronted with challenges, and audiences are enriched when they open themselves to something unfamiliar,” he says.

After many years as a freelance opera director, Ritschel led the opera and music theater divisions at the Landesbühnen Sachsen (State Theaters of Saxony) before becoming artistic and opera Director at Regensburg Theater in 2022.

Ritschel believes programming and innovative formats are key to revitalizing institutions. Under his direction, Regensburg Theater has become one of Germany’s most adventurous multi-genre stages.

There, he has premiered Peter Eötvös’s Valuschka (2024) and revived Alexander Zemlinsky’s Der Kreidekreis, which was named by Opernwelt as the “Best Rediscovery of 2024.” The previous year, his production of Joseph Beer’s Der Prinz von Schiras received the BR-Klassik Operetta Prize.

“Opulent melodies, daring harmonies, jazzy elements, and a vibrant fusion of Eastern and Western influences,” Ritschel says of Beer’s operetta. “All of this keeps the work remarkably fresh and alive today.”

Among his proudest achievements are the European premieres of Sondheim’s Putting It Together (2022) and Merrily We Roll Along (2025). “Sondheim’s music embodies everything I seek in musical theater: intellectual depth, emotional authenticity, and the courage to challenge conventional forms,” he says.

The audience and critical response, he says, has been overwhelming. “It was fascinating to see how Sondheim’s sharp wit, intricate structures, and profound humanism resonated even in translation.”

Ritschel enjoys blurring the lines between artistic disciplines and is convinced that such cross fertilization strengthens the arts. His 2023 urban-space project Wahrheiten merged drama, musical theater, choral music, orchestra, dance, and performance art into an immersive journey through Regensburg’s old town.

“Theater flourishes through a multitude of voices and perspectives,” he says. “The more open we are to different backgrounds, ideas, and approaches, the richer and more meaningful our work becomes.”