Oper Wuppertal earlier this year announced the appointment of Yorgos Ziavras as its new Principal Conductor, marking an important addition to the company’s artistic leadership.
Ziavras, 35, originally from Greece, joins Wuppertal following his successful tenure at Theater Krefeld/Mönchengladbach and an already distinguished presence in Germany’s contemporary and classical music scene.
His work with orchestras, ensembles, and opera houses across Europe has established him as a conductor with a clear artistic profile and a strong commitment to modern repertoire.
He opens his first season in Wuppertal with Gioachino Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia on November 29. Over the course of the 2025/26 season, he will lead an additional five premieres, further shaping the musical direction of the house.
About Yorgos Ziavras
Greek-German conductor, based in Cologne and Wuppertal Germany. Since 2025 he is the principal conductor of Oper Wuppertal, and the Symphony Orchestra of Wuppertal.
He studied conducting with Prof. Michael Luig at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne, piano in Athens under Elisabeth Kounalaki and in Cologne with Paulo Álvares, as well as architecture at the NTUA in Athens.
He began his collaboration with the Theater Krefeld / Mönchengladbach in 2014, as a member of the renowned Opernstudio Niederrhein. Within five years, he rose to the position of Deputy Principal Conductor.
He is the founder of CoGNiMUS Collektiv and is also active in the contemporary music scene. In 2019 he founded ÉRMA Ensemble with fellow specialists in contemporary music.
Since 2017/18 he is guest conductor of the Greek National Opera, while he has also conducted numerous symphonic orchestras and ensembles in Greece and Germany, including Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal, Philharmonie Südwestfalen, Niederrheinische Sinfoniker, Südwestdeutsches Kammerorchester Pforzheim, Ensemble MusikFabrik, Greek National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Athens Philharmonia Orchestra, City of Athens Symphonic Orchestra, ERGON Ensemble, TETTTIX and others.
In 2020/2021 he received a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany). Since 2023 he and his ensemble ÉRMA have held a scholarship from InSzene – Podium Gegenwart of the Deutscher Musikrat. During his tenure at Theater Krefeld/Mönchengladbach (2020), he was awarded the Förderpreis for his artistic excellence by the “Freunde der Musik” association.
