Seollyeon Konwitschny-Lee originally wanted to become
a professional pianist, but then decided to study painting at the Ewha
Woman’s University of Seoul. In 2010, she completed her studies in art
history and musicology at the Free University (FU) of Berlin with focus
on baroque stage design and analysis of opera scores. During her student
days, she completed her practical education in theatre by working as
an assistant director for Claus Guth, Andreas
Homoki, Peter Konwitschny, Vera Nemirova and Keith
Warner at opera houses like Komische Oper Berlin, Deutsche
Oper Berlin, Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden and Hamburgische
Staatsoper. From 2010 to 2013 she collaborated with the
Korean National Opera in Seoul, such as associate director
and coordinator to Helmut Lohner’s new production FALSTAFF by Verdi.
After a study visit in Italy supported by the DAAD-scholarship-fund
she obtained a doctorate (PhD) of the FU Berlin in 2015 for her thesis
on Alessandro Mauro, a Venetian stage designer of the 18th century.
Since 2015, Seollyeon Konwitschny-Lee has been working as stage director
and realized productions in Germany at the Oper Bonn,
the Staatstheater Augsburg, the Opera Festival
Gut Immling, the Theater an der Rott in Eggenfelden,
the T-Werk Potsdam and at the Donaufestwochen
in Strudengau (Austria).
Due to the Covid-pandemic the Oper Dortmund had
to cancel her production of the double-feature DIE WITWE DES
SCHMETTERLINGS by Isang Yun together with GIANNI SCHICCHI
by Puccini during the season 2020/21.
She holds regularly guest lectures at the universities of Leipzig
and Vienna. During the winter 2018/19 she was invited as guest lecturer
by the Keio University Tokyo (Theatre Studies, Department of German
Literature).
During the saison 2022/23, she has worked as the collaboration
director of Peter Konwitschny for the new
production LA FORZA DEL DESTINO by Verdi at the
Landestheater Linz in Austria. Currently, she is preparing
her new productions, inter alia DON CHISCIOTTE
by M. Garcia at the Theater Hildesheim and
RIGOLETTO by Verdi at Theater Neustrelitz
in Germany, such as ACIS AND GALATEA by Handel and
FAUST by Gounod in Seoul.
Reviews (selected):
„In a touchingly dramatic way devised by Seollyeon Konwitschny-Lee“
(Bewegend dramatisch erdacht von Seollyeon Konwitschny-Lee) - The German
magazine ORPHEUS, about her staging NORMA (2022)
„Clear and comprehensible (…) at the same time a very symbolic and
poetical expression“ (Klar und verständlich (…) gleichzeitig eine sehr
zeichenhafte, poetische Sprache) - Dr. Bernhard Helmich (General director
of the Opera Bonn), about her staging THE EMPEROR OF ATLANTIS & PIANO
SONATA 27. AVRIL 1945 (2020)
„Clever and sensitive staging“ (Klug und sensible Regie) - Bavarian
Broadcasting (BR), about her staging WEISSE ROSE (2016)
„With the right amount of humour (…) and the mission of Enlightenment
(…) just like Mozart com-posed his score“ (Mit dem rechten Maß Humor
(…) dem aufklärerischen Anliegen (…) wie Mozarts Partitur) - The Austrian
Newspaper STANDARD, about her staging LA FINTA GIARDINIERA (2015)
