Conductor Turns Down Contract Extension at the Mainfranken Theater Würzburg

Enrico Calesso has been general music director in the city since the 2011/12 season

The Italian conductor Enrico Calesso has opted not to renew his contract at the Mainfranken Theater in Würzburg, despite the city offering him a longer term. Calesso first arrived in Würzburg at the opening of the 2011/12 season, and his tenure has been a great success, with his contract having been renewed twice in that time.

However, following discussions with the city's Cultural Advisor and its Mayor, Calesso opted not to extend his time there. His contract will therefore come to an end in August 2025. The administrative staff at the theater will now seek to appoint a selection committee that will choose Calesso's successor.

Hailing from Treviso, Enrico Calesso is presently the Permanent Guest Conductor at the Landestheater in Linz, alongside his position in Würzburg. He studied with Uroš Lajovic at the University of Music in Vienna.

"I would like to thank Lord Mayor Schuchardt and Cultural Advisor Könneke for the very appreciative offer to extend the contract, which I was very honored to do," Calesso said. "Nevertheless, I have now decided to turn to new artistic challenges. This decision was very difficult for me because I feel deeply connected to all my colleagues in the company, as well as to the people of Würzburg, who I love so much. I am really looking forward to the upcoming beautiful projects in Würzburg!"

"By 2025, Enrico Calesso will have shaped a remarkably successful era of the Mainfranken Theater in music theater and concerts," said Markus Trabusch, the Intendant of the Mainfranken Theater. "I can understand that he now wants to open up new career steps. I will never forget our collaboration on Verdi's Rigoletto, which for me was a stroke of luck in the collaboration between scene and music in the opera. I wish him all the best for his future career."