Stage design »Der Nussknacker«

Rifail Ajdarpasic

Rifail Ajdarpasic was born in Stuttgart. He studied and gained his degree in the area of Stage and Exhibition Design at Karlsruhe University of Art and Design (ZKM). At the beginning of his career as a stage designer, he worked several times at the Vienna State Opera for the ballet productions in the »Junge Choreographen« "off ballet special" series.

In the years 2003 to 2007, he regularly designed the sets for the opera and theatre productions of the famous Spanish director Calixto Bieito in Germany, England, Italy, Spain and Switzerland, in close collaboration with Ariane Isabell Unfried amongst others. As a result, he helped significantly shape Bieito's stage aesthetic during this period. From this time, mention should be made in particular of internationally prize-wining productions of works such as »La traviata«, »Il trovatore«, »The Rake’s Progress«, »Elektra«, »Don Carlos«, »King Lear« and »Hamlet«.

In parallel, Rifail Ajdarpasic also regularly collaborates with the American director Francisco Negrin. Their partnership has given rise to productions including »Temistocle«, »L’arbore di Diana« and »Una cosa rara« at the great Spanish opera houses in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, and also in Germany and France.

Since 2007, Rifail Ajdarpasic has also regularly designed the sets for the opera productions of the Venezuelan-German director Carlos Wagner in Germany, Spain, Switzerland and France, including works such as »Un ballo in maschera«, »La vie parisienne«, »La damnation de Faust«, »The Fall of the House of Usher«, »Der fliegende Holländer« and, most recently, »Lohengrin«.

In 2011, the contemporary opera production »Gegen die Wand«, for which Ajdarpasic designed the sets, received the »Faust« Prize. The most recently premiered productions for which he has designed the sets include productions of works such as »L’Italiana in Algeri« and »Iolanta« in France and a prize-winning production of »Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor« in Switzerland, all directed by David Hermann, »Oedipe« directed by Hans Neuenfels at the Frankfurt Opera, »Thais« at the Bonn Opera, directed by Francisco Negrin, along with »Macbeth« and »I due Foscari« in Germany and Switzerland, both directed by Carlos Wagner.