Ainārs Rubiķis
- Conductor


About Ainārs
General Music Director, Staatstheater Kassel (from 2025/26) Chief Conductor, Tiroler Symphonieorchester Innsbruck (from 2025/26)
Latvian-born, Ainars Rubikis came to international attention as the winner of the 2010 Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition. The following year, he was recipient of the second Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award and subsequently conducted the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester at the Salzburger Festspiele.
In July 2023, it was announced that Ainars would become the next General Music Director of the Staatstheater Kassel, beginning from the 2025/26 season for an initial term of three years.
From 2018 – 2022, Ainars served as Music Director of Komische Oper Berlin, gaining critical praise for his consistent high-quality performances across such a diverse range of operatic repertoire.He previously served as Music Director and Chief Conductor of Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre from 2012 to 2014, and was awarded a prestigious Golden Mask Award as “Best Conductor” for the Company’s new production of Bernstein’s Mass. He won his second ‘Best Conductor’ Golden Mask award in 2020 for his new production of Rusalka with the Bolshoi Theatre.
Recent and forthcoming highlights include a four-concert tour of Taiwan and Japan with the National Taiwan Symphony, conducting the opening concert of the George Enescu Festival, debuts with Adelaide Symphony, Staatsorchester Hannover and NFM Wroclaw alongside acclaimed return visits to Tiroler Symphonieorchester Innsbruck, Orchestre National de Montpellier and Orchestre National d'Ile de France. The 2024/25 season will also see Ainars make his UK/London opera debut, conducting The Marriage of Figaro with English National Opera.
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Adam Brady
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Season Highlights
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News
Ainārs Rubiķis named General Music Director of Staatstheater Kassel

The Staatstheater Kassel today announced the appointment of Ainārs Rubiķis as General Music Director for an initial term of three seasons beginning in September 2025. He will conduct a minimum of two productions and four symphonic concerts per season.
Having made his debut there in 2021, Ainārs most recently conducted the orchestra in Webern’s Passacaglia and Beethoven’s Symphony No.6 ‘Pastoral’.
Ainārs concluded his term as General Music Director of Komische Oper Berlin in summer 2022, having earned consistent praise for his work across a wealth of repertoire. He served as Music Director and Chief Conductor of Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre from 2012 to 2014, and was awarded a prestigious Golden Mask Award as Best Conductor for the company’s new production of Bernstein’s Mass. In 2020, he was awarded a second Golden Mask Award for his performances of Rusalka with the Bolshoi Theatre.
Also in demand as a Guest Conductor, Ainārs recently led the National Taiwan Symphony on a four-concert tour of Taiwan and Japan. He also made a return to Philharmonie de Paris with Orchestre national d'Île-de-France, conducted the opening concert of the George Enescu Festival, and made debuts with Adelaide Symphony and NFM Wrocław. Next season he makes his English National Opera debut conducting Figaro with Askonas Holt artists Rebecca Evans and Ava Dodd.
Of the appointment in Kassel, Ainārs said, “I cannot wait to become part of the team and start my work with these great musicians. It is a great honour for me to be given the opportunity to work with these creative people who have impressed me greatly with their dedication and passion for their work, the theatre and the city.”
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