Mathias Hausmann in controversial Tannhäuser in Leipzig

Mathias Hausmann in Tannhäuser

Mathias Hausmann will be featured as Wolfram in Oper Leipzig's Tannhäuser, which opens on March 17 and runs through May 27.  The remainder of the cast includes Elisabet Strid as Elisabeth, Kathrin Göring as Venus, Burkhard Fritz as Tannhäuser and Patrick Vogel as Walther.

A scene from Calixto Bieito's Tannhäuser in Ghent

The production has been mired in a bit of controversy and confusion, as it was originally scheduled to be directed by Katharina Wagner, a descendant of the composer. The opera company announced that due to  “logistical challenges,” it will now be directed by the provocative Spaniard Calixto Bieito. Bieito's interpretation of Wagner's Tannhäuser premiered at the Vlaamse Opera in Ghent in 2015.

Katharina Wagner will return to Leipzig for Richard Wagner’s Lohengrin in November 2020.