Francesco Angelico will be the new General Music Director of the Hanover State Opera. The Italian (born in 1977) signed a contract on Wednesday, effective from the 2026/27 season, the opera house announced. "With his outstanding expertise in opera and concert performance, his artistic excellence, and his inspiring personality, he will enrich the Hanover State Opera in a special way," said Artistic Director Bodo Busse.

Francesco Angelico and Bodo Busse

Angelico was General Music Director of the Hessian State Theatre Kassel from 2017 to 2024. In the 2024/25 season, he served as Chief Conductor of the Kassel State Orchestra. In Hanover, he succeeds Stephan Zillias, who joined the State Opera in 2020 under the artistic direction of Laura Berman. With the appointment of Artistic Director Busse, the Wiesbaden native extended his contract by one year.

Angelico regularly appears as a guest conductor at major opera houses and with renowned orchestras such as the Bavarian State Opera, the Munich State Opera, the Graz Opera, and the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse. In October 2025, he also accepted a professorship in opera conducting at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.

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