Bayreuth Festival is pleased to announce the appointment of Ulrich Jagels as the new Commercial Director, succeeding Holger von Berg.
Ulrich Jagels, a business graduate, previously worked for the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival Foundation, Rundfunk Orchester und Chöre gGmbH Berlin (roc berlin), Städtische Theater Chemnitz gGmbH, and most recently as Administrative Director of Oper Leipzig. There, he was responsible for several construction projects with an estimated total volume of 30 million euros—including the elaborate renovation of the Musikalische Komödie, one of the few German theaters specifically for the operetta genre. “I see the move from Richard Wagner’s birthplace to arguably the most famous festival in the world as a special career step”, said Ulrich Jagels. “Now I am particularly looking forward to the atmosphere and the associated challenges on the Festival Hill and in the city of Bayreuth, which enabled Wagner to create this special festival venue. I have great respect for the efforts it always takes to interpret his work and bring it to musical and scenic performance”. Bayreuth Festival looks forward to working with him and hopes that in Ulrich Jagels, they have not only an excellent business administrator but also an empathetic director who can help the institution achieve the necessary good and stable working environment. Art Minister Bernd Sibler welcomed the decision of the Bayreuth Festival GmbH shareholders’ meeting: “Ulrich Jagels knows how to manage cultural institutions. I am very pleased that he is now moving from Oper Leipzig to the Green Hill in Bayreuth. With his understanding of artistic processes and Richard Wagner’s work, as well as his experience with large construction projects, he brings a complete package of competencies to successfully tackle the upcoming projects of Bayreuth Festival. I wish him all the best for his new role.”
(c) Kirsten Nijhof