Philipp M. Krenn is an Austrian director who is particularly known for his innovative productions in the field of opera and musical theater, his detailed direction of actors, his contemporary interpretation of classical material, and his scenic imagination. In addition, his works are characterized by a precise combination of musical structure and theatrical design.

He received his first artistic education as a soloist with the Vienna Boys’ Choir, where he developed his passion for music and the stage at an early age. He studied acting at the Vienna Conservatory and initially worked as an actor before turning to directing.

Krenn began his career as a freelance assistant and subsequently as a director’s assistant to internationally renowned artists such as Robert Carsen, Alvis Hermanis, Philipp Stölzl, Sven-Eric Bechtolf, and Damiano Michieletto. These experiences led him to major venues such as the Vienna State Opera, the Salzburg Festival, the Vienna Festival, the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, the Semperoper Dresden, the Opéra Bastille in Paris, and others.

Philipp M. Krenn has been working as a freelance director since 2014 and has staged numerous works at renowned theaters in Austria and abroad, including Manfred Trojahn’s Orest and Leonard Bernstein’s A Quiet Place at the Neue Oper Wien, Maurice Ravel’s L’Heure espagnole and Francis Poulenc’s Les mamelles de Tirésias at the Kammeroper des Theaters an der Wien, as well as Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice at the Theater an der Wien, Pierangelo Valtinoni’s Pinocchio and Marius Felix Lange’s Das Gespenst von Canterville at the Volksoper Wien, Hans Werner Henze’s Pollicino at the Theater St. Gallen, Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes and Verdi’s Il trovatore at the State Theater in Wiesbaden, Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro at the State Theater in Meiningen, and Peter Eötvös’ Sleepless at both the Graz Opera and the State Theater in Braunschweig. In Braunschweig, he also staged Bizet’s Carmen and brought Verdi’s Giovanna d’Arco to the stage at Malmö Opera. Together with Philipp Stölzl, he staged Dvořák’s Rusalka at De Nationale Opera in Amsterdam and Strauss’ Elektra at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden.

His most recent works include Richard Wagner’s Parsifal at the Tyrolean Festival in Erl and The Flying Dutchman at the Oper im Steinbruch in St. Margarethen. In the 2025/26 season, he will return to the State Theater in Meiningen to stage Weber’s Der Freischütz, before returning to the Graz Opera as director for Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier.