Brno City Council has appointed Petr Štědroň the new Director of the National Theatre Brno. He will take up his post on 1 August 2028, succeeding the current director Martin Glaser, who will step down on 31 July 2028 and move to lead the National Theatre in Prague.
Petr Štědroň, an experienced dramaturge, translator and cultural manager, currently serves as Director of Divadlo Na zábradlí. He was selected at the recommendation of an expert committee. Štědroň said the following after his appointment: "I deeply appreciate the trust placed in me by the selection committee. I would like to build on the work of Director Martin Glaser and his team. My aim is to shape the National Theatre Brno into a key player in national cultural life – developing top-class stage art, strengthening the theatre’s social role and deepening international cooperation."
Mayor of Brno Markéta Vaňková added: "As Director Martin Glaser will lead the National Theatre in Prague from September 2028, we were able to choose his successor well in advance. All candidates demonstrated an outstanding degree of competence. I would like to thank Director Glaser for elevating our largest and internationally acclaimed theatre to such an exceptional level. I wish the new Director, Petr Štědroň, every success in his return to Brno and in developing the National Theatre Brno in accordance with his vision."
Current NdB Director Martin Glaser noted: "I am pleased that the committee has selected, and Brno City Council has appointed a respected theatre professional with a strong team to lead the National Theatre Brno. They will certainly bring valuable contributions to the theatre. Since Petr Štědroň stated in his concept that he wishes to build on our work, I am very glad. I believe the handover will be smooth, and I will assist as much as possible, as will all members of my team."
The new artistic leadership will include Dora Štědroňová (Drama), Daria Klimentová (Ballet), together with Jakub Klecker (Opera Music Director) and Aleš Kučírek (Opera Administrative Director).
The selection process for the position of Director of the National Theatre Brno was announced by Brno City Council on 28 May 2025. Applicants had until 30 September to apply. The selection committee met on 18 November and recommended the ranking of candidates to the City Council. The development concept for the National Theatre Brno for the period 2028–2032, authored by the winning candidate Petr Štědroň, is published on the City of Brno website:
"In recent years the National Theatre has demonstrated the exceptional potential of this institution. The number of high-quality applicants in this competition is proof of that. Strong concepts and teams were also presented by Petr Michálek (Rector of JAMU), David Gerneš (Director of Moravian Theatre Olomouc) and Martin Gerych (NdB Financial Director)," said Martin Glaser, who was a member of the selection committee, which met in a closed session on Tuesday 18 November and heard from all four candidates.
The current management will prepare the NdB's artistic programme until the end of the 2027/28 season, including the Theatre World Brno festival. Preparations for Janáček Brno 2028 are already well advanced, and under agreement with the theatre’s founder, will remain the responsibility of the current management. As always, the programme will be published one year in advance, in autumn 2027. The new team led by Director Petr Štědroň will present detailed plans for the 2028/29 season in early spring 2028.
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