Gerd Uecker (born 15 September 1946) is a German music pedagogue, music and opera director. From 2003 to 2010 he was

artistic director An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the ...

of the

Semperoper The Semperoper () is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden (Saxon State Opera) and the concert hall of the Staatskapelle Dresden (Saxon State Orchestra). It is also home to the Semperoper Ballett. The building is located on the ...

in Dresden.

Life

Born in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

, Uecker studied piano,

music education Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do origina ...

and

conducting Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance, such as an orchestral or choral concert. It has been defined as "the art of directing the simultaneous performance of several players or singers by the use of gesture." The primary duti ...

at the

Hochschule für Musik und Theater München The University of Music and Performing Arts Munich (german: Hochschule für Musik und Theater München), also known as the Munich Conservatory, is a performing arts conservatory in Munich, Germany. The main building it currently occupies is t ...

after his

Abitur ''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...

. At the beginning of his career, Uecker worked as a solo repetiteur at the

Cologne Opera The Cologne Opera (German: Oper der Stadt Köln or Oper Köln) refers both to the main opera house in Cologne, Germany and to its resident opera company. History of the company From the mid 18th century, opera was performed in the city's court th ...

from 1969, where he met the director

Jean-Pierre Ponnelle Jean-Pierre Ponnelle (19 February 1932 – 11 August 1988) was a French opera director, set and costume designer. Biography Ponnelle was born in Paris. He studied philosophy, art, and history there and, in 1952, began his career in Germany as a ...

. In 1970 he received a teaching assignment for opera at the Rheinisches Musikkonservatorium in Cologne. In 1973 Uecker was appointed

music director A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the d ...

and head of the opera department of the Southeast Bavarian Städtetheater in Passau. In 1979 Uecker came to the

Bavarian State Opera The Bayerische Staatsoper is a German opera company based in Munich. Its main venue is the Nationaltheater München, and its orchestra the Bayerische Staatsorchester. History The parent ensemble of the company was founded in 1653, under Ele ...

in Munich, where he held the position of musical director. Three years later he took over the direction of the director's office. In 1988 he became

and Deputy Director General and at the beginning of 1993 Interim Artistic Director of the State Opera. From September 1993, he was finally appointed opera director and responsible for the management of the opera house in the Bavarian capital. In January 2000, Uecker was given the task by the Minister of State for Science and the Arts, Hans Joachim Meyer, of managing the

from the 2003/2004 season. From 2005 Uecker was chairman of the German Opera Conference. He had assumed the office of Sir Peter Jonas, the artistic director of the Bavarian State Opera. Since 2007, Uecker has been Chairman of the University Council of the

Musikhochschule Lübeck A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger ins ...

. He has taught in Venice, Beijing and Stuttgart and is honorary professor at the

and at the

Bayerische Theaterakademie August Everding The Bayerische Theaterakademie August Everding (English: Bavarian Theatre Academy August Everding) at the Prinzregententheater in Munich, was founded by August Everding in 1993. Since September 2014, the Academy has been directed by Hans-Jürgen Dr ...

. He is also a guest lecturer at the European Academy for Music and Performing Arts in

Montepulciano Montepulciano () is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and ''comune'' in the Italian province of Siena in southern Tuscany. It sits high on a limestone ridge, east of Pienza, southeast of Siena, southeast of Florence, and north of Rome b ...

and at the Dresden Academy of Music. Since 2011 he is Honorary Chairman of the

Bundeswettbewerb Gesang Berlin The German national competition Bundeswettbewerb Gesang Berlin was inaugurated in 1966 as a competition for solo singing. Beginning in 1979, it has been held annually, for the categories Musical and Chanson in uneven years, for Opera, Operetta and ...

e.V.

Life

Further reading