David Alden, from America, is one of the world’s most successful directors. He made his debut in 1979 with Berg’s Wozzeck at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. His films have included Kurt Weill’s Die sieben Todsünden/The Seven Deadly Sins, a Verdi documentary commissioned by the BBC and he was responsible for a world tour by the Pet Shop Boys. He recently received the renowned South Bank Show Award for his Peter Grimes (English National Opera and De Vlaamse Opera Antwerpen / Gent) and an Olivier Award for Jenufa (a co-production between ENO, the Houston Grand Opera and Washington National Opera). In Germany he is best known for his many productions (ranging from Handel to Wagner) at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. He was awarded the 2001 Bavarian Theatre Prize for his services to the house. He directed Schreker’s Der Schatzgräber at Oper Frankfurt in 2002/03. Other highlights have included his debut at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden with La Calisto, Lucia di Lammermoor and Katja Kabanová at ENO, Alcina at the Komische Oper in Berlin, Il turco in Italia at the Berlin State Opera and Handel’s Alcina, with Elza van den Heever in the title role, at the Grand Théâtre in Bordeaux. His next new production is Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at de Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam. He will be returning to Oper Frankfurt next season.