Prof. Claus Unzen

Prof. Claus Unzen was born in Düsseldorf. Junior student at the Academy of Music Detmold. Studied double bass at the Academy of Music and Theatre Hamburg and at the Academy of Music Detmold as well as composition/harmony at the Hamburg Conservatorium. Studied music theatre directing on the course founded by Prof. August Everding and Prof. Götz Friedrich at the Academy of Music and the Performing Arts Hamburg. Graduated 1985/86. 1979-84 Member of the European Community Youth Orchestra under Claudio Abbado with concert tours in Europe e.g. with Herbert von Karajan and Daniel Barenboim. Founder member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. 1980-1990 orchestral musician, assistant producer and, after graduation, dramaturg and producer at the Hamburg Staatsoper, where he worked with Christoph von Dohnányi, Hans Zender and Rolf Liebermann. Intensive involvement with contemporary works. Later producer and head dramaturg for music theatre in the city of Lübeck. Freelance producer in various theatres and festivals as well as for events, with productions of operas, operettas, musicals and projects, particularly the operas of Mozart and Rossini. 1990-1993 producer as part of the directors’ team for the Festivades à Loudenvielle, Hautes-Pyrénées/France and 1999 co-founder and scenic director of the Potsdamer Schlössernacht, 2000 and 2001 also artistic director. Has taught since 1986, e.g. as part-time tutor in the music theatre directing course at the Academy of Music and Theatre Hamburg, the Academy of Art and Design in Hamburg and at the Academy of Music Lübeck. From 1994 full-time teaching post and since 2003 guest professor for stage directing and head of the directing department at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin.