Exclusive: Munich’s next casting director comes from … Dallas

Exclusive: Munich’s next casting director comes from … Dallas

main

norman lebrecht

February 25, 2020

Message from our pals at The Dallas Opera:

I have bittersweet news to share with you regarding David Lomeli. It is with great pride that I can now announce that David has accepted the position of Casting Director for the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, one the most revered companies in the world that has seen the world premieres of Mozart’s Idomeneo, Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, Das RheingoldDie Walküre and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and Korngold’s The Ring of Polykrates to name a few.

David will officially begin in Munich in the summer of 2021, but will serve as casting consultant for them in the upcoming year. David will continue his current role with TDO through March 2021, at which point he will transition to casting consultant for TDO while moving permanently to Munich.

As you know, David is the first Hispanic to occupy a top casting position at a major opera house in the U.S. and the first manager of our Hart Institute for Women Conductors – both incredible points of pride for our company. Please join me in congratulating him and I look forward to celebrating his transition in the year to come.

 

David Lomeli, Director of Artistic Administration at The Dallas Opera

Comments

  • RW2013 says:

    “first manager of our Hart Institute for Women Conductors”
    We don’t do things like that in Germany.
    Although the incoming MD does have an eye for the ladies…

  • MWnyc says:

    Well, well. I had thought he was still singing tenor.

  • IntBaritone says:

    Gotta be honest, I don’t love this move. Lomeli was a decently talented tenor and an ok casting director at a mid-level company like Dallas. That said, he’s not been in the german system for a while (as a singer) and he’s not used to dealing with the caliber of singers Munich gets on a daily basis. Perhaps there were not a lot of good choices out there, but I thing this one misses the mark.

    • Hallak says:

      It might look perhaps a bit surprising when considering the kind of house Munich is. I think however that every career has a trajectory and David’s is on track to do great things. At least he is given a chance to succeed and now it’s his job to deliver. It will self correct if the job is not right for him. I wish him well

    • Marie says:

      Dallas is a Tier 1 opera company in the US with excellent talent – no need to deride the company to make your point. Perhaps educate yourself a bit more.

    • William says:

      David is regarded by top agents and by general directors as one of the world best experts on voices. He knows the repertoire and the field like nobody.
      Great choice.

  • Stephen Lord says:

    David has a heart of pure gold AND he knows and loves music. He might even be considered “old school” in that his sense of style and integrity is about the story the music is saying.

  • Who was his predecessor. And since when before Bachler was there a “casting director” at the Bayerische Staatsoper?

  • Jonathan Sutherland says:

    David Lomeli’s appointment was surely at the behest of incoming Intendant Serge Dorny. Having lost the extremely capable Robert Körner to Bogdan Roščić in Vienna, Monsieur Dorny is making a bold move in bringing a relative outsider to the Max-Josef-Platz. One hopes that the immutable Münchner will not display their usual anti-Ausländer enmity to a worthy appointment.

  • As an American Jewish woman I had the opportunity to successfully infiltrate the German Opera House system for 3 decades, as both a stage manager in Kiel and Braunschweig, and then under Sir Peter Jonas and Dr. Ulrike Hessler in Munich, as the Director of North American Public Relations for 9 years. In fact I was key in bringing the Bayerische Staatsoper to an international level of recognition, yet each time I experienced American and Jew resentment in different subtle ways. It was a goal of mine to work in Germany, because I was born in Munich to Polish Jewish Holocaust survivors after the war and hoped to separate my naive feelings and truths from that of my parent’s first hand experience. My parents were 100% accurate in their feelings. But I truly loved every minute of my work and life experiences in Germany and made my most lasting friendships in Munich. I also had the privilege of working for Sir Peter and Dr. Hessler for which I will always be grateful. So good luck to David from Dallas.


    Dear Helen,

    Thank you very much for that excellent coverage of the Munich Opernfestspiele you made possible. I think the regular visits of the major critics really help. I had an especially nice lunch with Alex Ross last Saturday. I think Munich is now seen as a champion’s league player in the American media. Many thanks again!

    Dr. Ulrike Hessler
    Bayerische Staatsoper
    Leitendes Direktorium

  • MOST READ TODAY: