The State of Baden-Wurttemberg owns the Wilhelma Theater, which is a theater considered to be one of the jewels in the crown of the Stuttgarter theater scene. Originally built as a royal theatre by commission of King Wilhelm I. of Wurttemberg and inaugurated in 1840, it was restored in 1985 and is now with its grand colored, Pompeian style interior decor one of the most beautiful theaters in the state capital. 

In 1987, the Wilhelma Theater was donated to the State University of Music and the Performing Arts Stuttgart. As you can imagine, this is a fantastic bonus as the University has the opportunity to provide the opera and drama school students with an independent and highly professional working theater for teaching and learning purposes. In this respect we are unique in Germany, and it is certainly one of the university’s unique selling points.  

The Wilhelma Theater produces two productions per season with the opera school students staging these productions over a total of up to 15 shows in front of a paying audience. Likewise, the drama school performs two productions per season and stages these productions over a total of up to 25 shows.  Hence, the Wilhelma Theater hosts about 35 to 40 performances by the State University of Music and the Performing Arts Stuttgart annually.  

In order to create a dynamic and varied repertoire for its audience, the Wilhelma Theater complements the University’s productions with about 70 guest performances per year.