Michiel Dijkema

The Dutch opera stage director / set designer Michiel Dijkema studied classical piano at the Sweelinck Conservatory Amsterdam and at the Utrecht School of Arts. Subsequently he studied opera stage directing at the Academy of Music “Hanns Eisler” Berlin.

During his study Michiel Dijkema staged student productions in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Berlin. Since 2005 he directed / designed among many others Pelléas et Mélisande by Debussy and Orfeo ed Euridice by Gluck for the Dutch National Touring Opera (Nationale Reisopera), Carmen by Bizet for the German Landestheater Eisenach and Staatstheater Meiningen, La Cenerentola by Rossini for the Estonian National Opera Tallinn,  La Périchole by Offenbach for the State Operetta Dresden, Die Fledermaus by Strauss for the Novaya Opera Moscow, L'Opera Seria by Florian Leopold Gassmann for the Staatsoper Hannover, Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni and I Pagliacci by Leoncavallo for the Staatstheater Darmstadt, The Bartered Bride by Smetana for the Staatstheater Wiesbaden and Der fliegende Holländer by Wagner for the Staatstheater Wiesbaden.

Michiel Dijkema won several international opera directing prizes: the second European Opera-directing Prize 2005, the first Peter-Konwitschny-Nachwuchsregiepreis for his concept of Carmen (Landestheater Eisenach) and in 2007 the Eesti Teatrikunsti Muusikalavastuste Award for his production of La Cenerentola (Estonian National Opera). In June 2011 the set design of Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Staatstheater Wiesbaden) won the first Wizard-Award 2011 in Berlin.

Among his future engagements are productions for the Theater Kiel, for the Staatsoper Hannover, for the Oper Leipzig, for the Volksoper Vienna and for the Musiktheater im Revier Gelsenkirchen. (November 2013)