Krystian Lada

Krystian Lada is a Polish-Belgian director who is regarded as one of the leading artists of his generation. He was the first recipient of the Mortier Next Generation Award for outstanding talent in the field of musical theatre and opera, and was a finalist and prize-winner at the 2021 Ring Award international competition. His production of Tobias Picker’s ‘Lili Elbe’ for the Theatre St. Gallen won the prestigious Oper!Award for Best World Premiere in 2023.

Krystian Lada conceived and directed ‘Nostalgia e Rivoluzione’, a two-evening pasticcio based on early Verdi operas for La Monnaie in Brussels, and ‘The Mysteries of Desire’, a pasticcio created in collaboration with the World Pride Festival for the Royal Opera in Copenhagen. His immersive production of ‘Abendzauber’ for the 2024 Ruhrtriennale combined music by Anton Bruckner and Björk. His large-scale production ‘D’ARC’, which combines opera, theatre and dance, was presented by the Warsaw Uprising Museum in collaboration with the Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera.

Krystian Lada is the artistic programme director of the Ruhrtriennale 2024–26, an interdisciplinary festival held in the industrial sites of the Ruhr Metropolis. From 2013–17, he was Director of Dramaturgy, Communication and Empowerment, as well as an artistic adviser at La Monnaie opera house in Brussels. Since May 2017, he has been General Director and Artistic Director of The Airport Society/House of Lada, a Belgian cooperative of opera artists and social innovators.