Wolfgang Götz

Career Trajectory

Beginning his professional journey as assistant to Claudio Abbado at the Salzburg Easter Festival in 1996, Wolfgang Götz has evolved into a commanding figure in European opera and musical theatre, combining rigorous classical training under Sergiu Celibidache with a pragmatic commitment to ensemble work and theatrical storytelling. His dual leadership roles—as Director of Studies at the Salzburger Landestheater and Artistic Director of the Salzburg Festival and Theatre Children's Choir—have positioned him as both a custodian of operatic tradition and an innovative voice in contemporary musical theatre, conducting everything from Mozart to *Priscilla – Queen of the Desert*. His career exemplifies the European tradition of the Kapellmeister: a musician equally at home shaping young voices, conducting complex operatic scores, and realizing the theatrical vision of ambitious directors.