Christian Firmbach has been the General Director (Intendant) of the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe since the 2024/25 season.
From 2014 to 2024, he served as General Director of the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater, a multi-disciplinary theatre with seven artistic divisions and a broad artistic profile. During his tenure, the theatre established extensive partnerships with leading international institutions, including Wexford Festival Opera, Reisopera Enschede, the Göttingen International Handel Festival, and the Schwetzingen SWR Festival.
From 2008 to 2014, Christian Firmbach was Artistic Operations Director at Theater Bonn and Deputy to General Music Director Stefan Blunier in artistic matters. Prior to that, from 2004 to 2008, he served as Artistic Operations Director and Deputy to General Director John Dew at the Hessisches Staatstheater Darmstadt.
Born in Kassel in 1967, Christian Firmbach began his theatre career with vocal training and appeared on stage as a singer in several productions before turning to stage directing. Working as personal assistant to renowned directors such as Andreas Homoki, Peter Mussbach, and Nicolas Brieger, he established an extensive network within the international opera world at an early stage of his career.
Between 1997 and 2004, he held several senior management positions at Theater Bonn, where he played a key role in the merger of the theatre's artistic divisions and founded its new Children's Opera department. Inspiring young people through music and theatre has always been one of his central concerns. Audiences in Karlsruhe have long known him as Professor Florestan, the engaging host of the theatre's children's concerts.
His passion for supporting the next generation of singers has led him to serve as a jury member for numerous international vocal competitions and as a vocal coach, including at the Bavarian Theatre Academy.
