
Brigitte Reiffenstuel
Costume Designer
Brigitte Reiffenstuel was born in Munich and studied at the London College of Fashion and Central St Martins College of Art and Design. She won the 2015 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Costume (Falstaff, Canadian Opera Company) and the 2013 Oscar della Lirica award for achievement in costume design at the International Opera Awards
Brigitte has designed extensively for the Royal Opera House, English National Opera and Glyndebourne, many of these productions have gone on to tour the internationally including Falstaff (ROH, Canadian Opera, La Scala, Metropolitan Opera, Dutch National Opera), Peter Grimes (ENO, Oviedo, De Vlaamse Opera and Deutsche Oper, Berlin) and Faust (ROH, Opera de Lille, Monte Carlo, Trieste, Valencia, Australia); Giulio Cesare (Glyndebourne, Metropolitan Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera and Opera de Lille).
Recent theatre projects include designing costumes for the Young Vic’s adaptation of Twelfth Night, which was the first production directed by their new artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah.
SELECTED CREDITS
2018
GLORIANA
Teatro Real, Madrid
director: Sir David McVicar // sets: Rob Jones // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR
Teatro Real, Madrid // Den Norske Opera & Ballett, Oslo // Theater der Bundesstadt Bonn, Germany (2016) // Canadian Opera Company, Toronto (2013) // Washington (2011) // GöteborgsOperan AB, Sweden (2011) // English National Opera, London (2008)
director: David Alden // sets: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2017
PETER GRIMES
Lisbon // Berlin (2013) // Oviedo (2012) // Antwerp (2010) // English National Opera, London 2009 and Sky Arts Live Broadcast
director: David Alden // sets: Paul Steinberg // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
LA RONDINE
Oper Graz // Deutsche Oper, Berlin (2015)
director: Rolando Villazon // lighting: Davy Cunningham // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
DER ROSENKAVALIER
Buenos Aires // New York // Royal Opera House, London (2016)
director: Robert Carsen // sets: Paul Steinberg // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2016
KISS ME KATE
Theatre du Chatelet, Paris // Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg
director: Lee Blakeley // sets: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
MADAMA BUTTERFLY
Los Angeles Opera // Sante Fe Festival (2012) // Amarilo, Texas (2012)
director: Lee Blakeley // sets: Jean Marc Puissant // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
FAUST
Florence // Sydney Opera House // His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth // Royal Opera House, London and Live Broadcast (2004)
director: Sir David McVicar // sets: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2015
ADRIANA LECOUVREUR
Opéra national de Paris // Wiener Staatsoper, Vienna (2014) // Liceu Opera Barcelona (2012) // Royal Opera House, London (2010)
director: Sir David McVicar // sets: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
LA DAME DE PIQUE
Opéra national du Rhin, Strasbourg // Opernhaus Zurich (2014)
director: Robert Carsen // sets: Michael Levine // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2014
FALSTAFF
Canadian Opera Company, Toronto // Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Amsterdam // Metropolitan Opera House, New York (2013) and Live Broadcast // La Scala Milano (2013) // Teatro Bunka Kaikan, Tokyo (2012) // Royal Opera House, London (2012)
director: Robert Carsen // sets: Paul Steinberg // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
DON CARLOS
Teatro Bunka Kaikan, Tokyo // Oper Frankfurt (2007)
director: Sir David McVicar // sets: Rob Jones // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2013
VERDI SEASON
Hamburg State Opera
director: David Alden // sets: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
GIULIO CESARE
Metropolitan Opera House, New York // Lyric Opera of Chicago (2007) // Lille Opera (2007) // Glyndebourne Festival (2005)
director: Sir David McVicar // sets: Rob Jones // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2012
UN BALLO IN MASQUERA
Metropolitan Opera, New York // Live Broadcast
director: David Alden // sets: Paul Steinberg // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
PEARL FISHERS
Sante Fe Festival
director: Lee Blakeley // sets: Jean Marc Puissant // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
LES CONTES D’HOFFMAN
Canadian Opera Company, Toronto // De Vlaamse Opera, Antwep (2000)
director: Sir David McVicar // sets: Roni Toren // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2011
DON GIOVANNI
La Scala, Milan
director: Robert Carsen // sets: Michael Levine // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
LUCREZIA BORGIA
English National Opera, London (and Sky Arts Live Broadcast)
director: Mike Figgis // sets: Es Devlin // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2010
MACBETH
New Zealand Opera // Grand Theatre, Leeds (2008)
director: Tim Albery // lighting: Bruno Poet // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2009
IL TROVATORE
Metropolitan Opera, New York and Live Broadcast // San Francisco Opera // Chicago Lyric Opera (2004)
director: Sir David McVicar // sets: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2008
BORIS GODUNOV
English National Opera, London
director: Tim Albery // sets: Tobias Hoheisel // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2007
MARIA DE BUENOS AIRES
Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos, Lison
director: Desiree Meiser // sets: Herman Feuchter // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2006
RIGOLETTO
Grand Theatre, Leeds
director, sets & lighting: Charles Edwards // movement: Leah Hausman // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2005
MARIA DI ROHAN
Wexford Festival, Ireland
director, lighting & sets: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2004
LULU
Bavarian State Opera, Munich
director: David Alden // lighting: Pat Collins // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
SEMELE
Theatre de Champs Elysees, Paris
director: Sir David McVicar // sets: Tanya McCallin // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2003
PARSIFAL
Oper Graz, Austria
director: David Alden // sets: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
ELEKTRA
Royal Opera House, London
director, sets & lighting: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2002
TOSCA
English National Opera, London
director: Sir David McVicar // sets: Michael Vale // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
TAMERLANO
Komische Oper, Berlin
director: David Alden // sets & lighting: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2001
BILLY BUDD
Lyric Opera of Chicago
director: Sir David McVicar // sets: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
2000
ALPHA AND OMEGA
New Israeli Opera, Tel Aviv
director: David Alden // sets: Paul Steinberg // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstul
1999
THREE SISTERS
Dusseldorf, Germany
director: Inga Levant // sets: Johannes Schuetz // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
EUGEN ONEGIN
Nationaltheater Mannheim, Germany
director: Inga Levant // sets & lighting: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
MACBETH
Chicago Lyric Opera // Houston, Texas (1997)
director: David Alden // sets: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
1997
BORIS GODUNOV
Staatsoper Stuttgart, Germany
director: Inga Levant // sets & lighting: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
DAMNATION OF FAUST
English National Opera, London
director: David Alden // sets: Roni Toren // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
1996
SHARKA
Wexford Festival, Ireland
director: Inga Levant // sets & lighting: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
WETHER
New Isralei Opera, Tel Aviv
director: Jean Claude Auvray // lighting & sets: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
SALOME
Staatsoper Stuttgrart, Germany
director: Inga Levant // sets: Roni Toren // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
THE MAKROPULOS AFFAIR
Chicago Lyric Opera
director: David Alden // sets: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
RIGOLETTO
English Touring Opera, London
director: Stephen Medcalf // sets: Charles Edwards // movement: Leah Hausman // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
IL TROVATORE
Dublin // Grand Theatre, Leeds (1994)
director: Inga Levant // sets & lighting: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
1994
ORFEO
English Touring Opera, London
director: Stephen Medcalf // sets: Charles Edwards // movement: Leah Hausman // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel
1993
L’ASSEDIO DI CALAIS
Guildhall School of Music
director: Stephen Medcalf // sets & lighting: Charles Edwards // costumes: Brigitte Reiffenstuel