In 2015 Lilli joined the Vienna State Opera as an assistant and revival director, a formative environment that shaped her artistic development. There, she gained a deep understanding of the operatic repertoire, developed a strong rehearsal practice, and was shaped by the variety of directing styles she encountered — from Irina Brook and David McVicar to Kirill Serebrennikov and Simon Stone.
She also collaborated with conductors such as Simone Young, Philippe Jordan, Marco Armiliato, Evelino Pidò and Cornelius Meister, deepening her musical instincts and sense for interpretation.
Parallel to her work at the State Opera, she created her first independent projects, including Brundibar and Bastien und Bastienne with the
Mozart Boys Choir Vienna.
A particularly artistic collaboration connects her with Dmitri Tcherniakov, whom she assisted in Aix-en-Provence, Salzburg, Naples, Berlin, and Hamburg.
Lilli Fischer is an Austrian opera director whose work is shaped by a strong sense of musical storytelling, atmosphere, and precise character direction. Her work emerges from the conviction that every piece—whether comedy, tragedy, or operetta—requires its own unique form of storytelling to resonate with audiences.
At the heart of her work lies the question: What do these stories mean to us today and how can they move us now?
She aims to create productions that resonate emotionally, without losing sight of the score’s integrity or theatrical clarity. For her, opera is not only an art form—it’s a way of inviting people into a shared experience that can be both meaningful and entertaining.
Alongside her studies in Theatre, Film & Media Studies and Musicology at the University of Vienna, she gained early international experience as an assistant for instance at the New National Theatre Tokyo (2012, Lohengrin, directed by Matthias von Stegmann).
In 2023, Lilli transitioned into a freelance career to focus on developing her own artistic voice. She continues to work closely with both the Vienna State Opera and the Staatsoper Berlin, maintaining strong artistic ties while expanding her
own style.
Recent and upcoming projects include a semi-staged Fledermaus at the Tokyo Spring Festival (2025) and the upcoming Gianni Schicchi in Winterthur (2026)—a production that opens with an original prequel Lilli has conceived.