Dramaturge

Christoph Wagner-Trenkwitz

Christoph Wagner-Trenkwitz was born in Vienna, where he graduated in 1989 with a degree in musicology, political science and Romance studies. He worked as an actor, cabaret artist, exhibition designer, art manager and author, worked for ORF, the artists’ agency Raab & Böhm and as General Secretary of the »Friends of the Vienna State Opera« before moving to the Vienna State Opera as a member of the management and head of press, where he became Chief Dramaturge in 1996. In 2003 he became a member of the management and in 2008 Chief Dramaturge of the Volksoper Vienna (until 2022). From 2013 to 2016, he was artistic director of Theatersommer Haag and has been artistic director of Operetta Langenlois since 2020. Since 2022, he has worked as a music dramaturge at the Gärtnerplatztheater.

Christoph Wagner-Trenkwitz also plans, writes, organises and presents soirées, matinees, lectures and specials for radio and television on the major themes, works and personalities of opera, operetta and musicals, and is active as a lyricist and translator. As a presenter, emcee and performer, he is at home on many stages (including the Vienna Volksoper, Vienna State Opera, Salzburg Festival, Berlin State Opera Unter den Linden, Bregenz Festival, Linz Music Theatre, Bonn Opera, Theater an der Wien). He has accompanied the Vienna Opera Ball as a TV commentator since 2001 and has regularly hosted introductory matinees for the Gärtnerplatztheater since 2012.

Numerous publications have made him a well-known author in the German-speaking world, most recently »Wenn sie auch schlecht singen, das macht nichts! ‒ Versuche über Verdi« (2013), »Durch die Hand der Schönheit. Richard Strauss und Wien« (2014), »Nochmal Schwan gehabt« (2016), »Das Orchester, das niemals schläft. Die Wiener Philharmoniker« (2017), »Alles Walzer! Der Wiener Opernball von A–Z« (2020), »Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome. Musical an der Volksoper Wien« (2022).