Born in Melbourne, Barrie Kosky was Artistic Director of Gilgul Theatre Company 1990–97, Artistic Director of the 1996 Adelaide Festival, 2001-2005 the co-Artistic Director of Vienna Schauspielhaus and Intendant and Chefregisseur of Komische Oper Berlin from 2012-22. At the end of his first season the Komische Oper was voted 'Opera House of the Year' - Opernwelt magazine.
His awards include the Olivier Award for Best New Opera Production for Castor and Pollux (English National Opera), Best Director - International Opera Awards 2014, Best Opera House (Komische Oper Berlin) - International Opera Awards 2015, the 2015 Gold Iffland Medal - Berliner Theater Club and the 2016 Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Opera and Music Theatre for Saul (also nominated for a 2016 International Opera Award). In 2016 he was named Director of the Year by Opernwelt and in 2017 Kosky’s production of Saul won six out of seven categories at the Helpmann Awards, including Best Opera and Best Opera Direction. In 2018 Kosky’s Bayreuth Festival production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg was announced as Production of the Year by Opernwelt. In 2020 he was the recipient of a Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award, in recognition of his unique and influential contribution to the Australian Arts world.
Photo: Jan Windszus