Michael Schindhelm is a writer, filmmaker, performing arts expert and cultural advisor for international organizations. He worked also as screenwriter (librettist), TV presenter (Der Salon, Swiss TV) and translator. Schindhelm is author of internationally produced documentaries: “Chants of the Steppes” (2004, arte, Frankfurt, Zurich, Paris) about music of nomads in the desert Gobi (Mongolia) and „Bird’s Nest” (2008, arte/Swiss TV, Berne, Paris) on the making of Beijing’s Olympic Games Stadium (designed by the Swiss architectural office Herzog&deMeuron). Since 2012, he serves as International Advisor to the Zurich University of the Arts. 2011/12 he was consultant on culture and sport for the Skolkovo Innovation Center, Moscow, on the development of culture and art within the concept of the Innovation City Skolkovo. Between 2010 and 2012 he was Head of Research on Urban Culture in Contemporary Moscow at Strelka Institute, Moscow, Russia. 2010/11 he served as cultural adviser to the architectural firm OMA (Netherlands) in the development for a masterplan on the large-scale cultural project West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong. From 2007 to summer 2009 he was Director to the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (and helped preparing its establishment) (Dubai, UAE). Since 2005 he was Director-General of the newly founded “Stiftung Oper in Berlin”, Germany, the world’s largest opera group, comprising three houses: Staatsoper Berlin, Deutsche Oper, Komische Oper. 1996 to 2006, he was Artistic and Managing Director at the Theatre Basel (Switzerland), 1994 to 1996 Director General and Artistic Director of the Theatre Altenburg Gera (Germany). In 1992 he was appointed as Artistic and Managing Director of the Theatre Gera (Germany). 1990 Michael Schindhelm became Managing Director Adviser and some months later Drama Director of the Theatre Nordhausen (Germany). He studied at the International University of Voronezh (USSR) and graduated 1984 with a Master of Science in Quantum Chemistry (cum laude). From 1984 to 1986 he was Research Assistant at the Academy of Science in East Berlin.
