Art Matters

Michael Küster is from Germany. After studying German studies, art, and speech science at the University of Halle, he worked as a presenter, author, and speaker at various broadcasting stations in Germany. There, he hosted numerous classical music programs and live broadcasts of major concert events, including those from the Metropolitan Opera New York, the Semperoper Dresden, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus.
Since 2002, he has been a dramaturg at the Zurich Opera House, working with directors such as Matthias Hartmann, David Alden, Robert Carsen, Moshe Leiser/Patrice Caurier, Damiano Michieletto, David Pountney, Johannes Schaaf, and Graham Vick.
As dramaturg of Ballett Zürich, Michael Küster has collaborated since 2012 with Cathy Marston, Marco Goecke, Marcos Morau, Kim Brandstrup, Edward Clug, Alexei Ratmansky, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, and Hans van Manen. Together with Christian Spuck, he worked on productions including «Winterreise» («Prix Benois de la Danse»), «Romeo and Juliet», «Messa da Requiem», and «The Sleeping Beauty».
At La Scala in Milan, Michael Küster was dramaturg for Matthias Hartmann’s opera productions of «Der Freischütz», «Idomeneo», and «The Queen of Spades».

Aleix Martínez studied in his hometown of Barcelona and in Marseille. After being awarded the Prix de Lausanne in 2008, he completed his training at the ballet school of the Hamburg Ballet. Since 2010 he has been a member of the Hamburg Ballet, where he was promoted to Soloist in 2014 and to Principal Dancer in 2021. John Neumeier created roles for him such as Levin ("Anna Karenina"), Louis ("Liliom"), He ("Dona Nobis Pacem") and solo roles in "Purgatorio", "Beethoven Project" and "Ghost Light". His repertoire also includes leading roles and major parts in Neumeier’s "Winterreise", "Messiah", "Nijinsky", "The Nutcracker" and "Christmas Oratorio I–VI", as well as in Christopher Wheeldon’s "The Winter’s Tale", Jerome Robbins’ "Dances at a Gathering" and Rudolf Nureyev’s "Don Quixote". In 2008 he received the Premio Positano Léonide Massine and in 2013 the Dr. Wilhelm Oberdörffer Prize. Alongside his dance career, Aleix Martínez is also active as a choreographer. He represented the Hamburg Ballet at the International Draft Works in London in 2019 and created numerous works for various festivals and the "Young Choreographers" series. With "Äther", he created his first choreography for the Hamburg Ballet in 2025. Aleix Martínez is the founder of the art platform ManNera.

Aleix Martínez studied in his hometown of Barcelona and in Marseille. After being awarded the Prix de Lausanne in 2008, he completed his training at the ballet school of the Hamburg Ballet. Since 2010 he has been a member of the Hamburg Ballet, where he was promoted to Soloist in 2014 and to Principal Dancer in 2021. John Neumeier created roles for him such as Levin ("Anna Karenina"), Louis ("Liliom"), He ("Dona Nobis Pacem") and solo roles in "Purgatorio", "Beethoven Project" and "Ghost Light". His repertoire also includes leading roles and major parts in Neumeier’s "Winterreise", "Messiah", "Nijinsky", "The Nutcracker" and "Christmas Oratorio I–VI", as well as in Christopher Wheeldon’s "The Winter’s Tale", Jerome Robbins’ "Dances at a Gathering" and Rudolf Nureyev’s "Don Quixote". In 2008 he received the Premio Positano Léonide Massine and in 2013 the Dr. Wilhelm Oberdörffer Prize. Alongside his dance career, Aleix Martínez is also active as a choreographer. He represented the Hamburg Ballet at the International Draft Works in London in 2019 and created numerous works for various festivals and the "Young Choreographers" series. With "Äther", he created his first choreography for the Hamburg Ballet in 2025. Aleix Martínez is the founder of the art platform ManNera.

Jörg Zielinski comes from Berlin and has been living in Switzerland since 1991. He completed his training and studies in Berlin, Basel, and Zurich. His production management at Theater Basel and his senior role at "The Really Useful Group" gave him experience with international theater productions. He worked at Expo.02 in Yverdon-les-Bains as well as on the spatial installation Hotel Offen in Baden. He gained design experience at Vitra. As head of the props department at the Zurich Opera House, he collaborated with the Shanghai Opera House. This collaboration led to contacts with the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing and the Zurich University of the Arts, where he was invited to give lectures. As part of a master’s program, Jörg Zielinski gives lectures at the Bern University of the Arts. He designs and realizes stage sets and scenic installations. Designs have been created for the Zurich Opera House, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, the London studio "United Visual Artists," and various independent projects. His photographs have been published and exhibited internationally.

Louise Flanagan is originally from England. After completing her ballet training at the Royal Ballet School, she danced at the Vanemuine Theatre in Estonia. She then shifted her focus to costume design, earning a degree from Middlesex University and completing a professional tailoring apprenticeship. She went on to work as a costume tailor on numerous high-profile films, musicals, and operas in England. Since 2013, she has been working as a freelance costume designer for dance and opera, collaborating with choreographers and directors such as Jörg Mannes, Kinsun Chan, Cathy Marston, Marcel Leemann, Terence Kohler, Sam Brown, Lillian Stillwell, Mauro Astolfi, Yuki Mori, Andreas Heise, Francesca Frassinelli, Peter Leung, Dimo Kirilov Milev, and Ihsan Rustem. Her work has been featured in international companies including the Bavarian State Ballet, Ballett Zürich, Ballett am Rhein, Stanislavsky Ballet Moscow, Theater Magdeburg, Theater Münster, Theater Regensburg, Oper Graz, Theater St. Gallen, Ballet du Capitole Toulouse, and the Origen Cultural Festival. She also assisted costume designer Emma Ryott at Ballett Zürich, the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, and the Staatsballett Berlin. Louise received a grant from the German Dance Association (Dachverband Tanz Deutschland) to research and develop a database of sustainably produced fabrics for dance costumes. By sharing and implementing her findings, she aims to reduce the environmental impact of new productions— taking a step toward greater ecological sustainability in dance and theatre.

Houston Thomas is originally from Chicago. He completed his dance training at the Academy of Dance of the Joffrey Ballet, at the Chicago High School for the Arts and at the School of American Ballet. In 2013 he became a member of the Semperoper Ballett Dresden, where he rose to the rank of Second Soloist. In 2018 he created his first choreography ("Moonlit Variants") for the Young Choreographers’ Evening of the Semperoper Ballett. For his first work for the New York Choreographic Institute, Houston Thomas worked with dancers of NYCB on the film "An Afternoon of Angelic Voices". This was followed by choreographies created for Cincinnati Ballet, the Juilliard School, the School of American Ballet, the ABT Studio Company, the Hamptons Dance Project, Ballet San Antonio and the Washington Ballet. In 2022, "Follow the White Rabbit" premiered at the Young Emergent Choreographers Contest in Biarritz, after which he received the commission to choreograph "Skywatcher" for the Opéra National de Bordeaux.

Houston Thomas is originally from Chicago. He completed his dance training at the Academy of Dance of the Joffrey Ballet, at the Chicago High School for the Arts and at the School of American Ballet. In 2013 he became a member of the Semperoper Ballett Dresden, where he rose to the rank of Second Soloist. In 2018 he created his first choreography ("Moonlit Variants") for the Young Choreographers’ Evening of the Semperoper Ballett. For his first work for the New York Choreographic Institute, Houston Thomas worked with dancers of NYCB on the film "An Afternoon of Angelic Voices". This was followed by choreographies created for Cincinnati Ballet, the Juilliard School, the School of American Ballet, the ABT Studio Company, the Hamptons Dance Project, Ballet San Antonio and the Washington Ballet. In 2022, "Follow the White Rabbit" premiered at the Young Emergent Choreographers Contest in Biarritz, after which he received the commission to choreograph "Skywatcher" for the Opéra National de Bordeaux.

Jörg Zielinski comes from Berlin and has been living in Switzerland since 1991. He completed his training and studies in Berlin, Basel, and Zurich. His production management at Theater Basel and his senior role at "The Really Useful Group" gave him experience with international theater productions. He worked at Expo.02 in Yverdon-les-Bains as well as on the spatial installation Hotel Offen in Baden. He gained design experience at Vitra. As head of the props department at the Zurich Opera House, he collaborated with the Shanghai Opera House. This collaboration led to contacts with the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing and the Zurich University of the Arts, where he was invited to give lectures. As part of a master’s program, Jörg Zielinski gives lectures at the Bern University of the Arts. He designs and realizes stage sets and scenic installations. Designs have been created for the Zurich Opera House, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, the London studio "United Visual Artists," and various independent projects. His photographs have been published and exhibited internationally.

Louise Flanagan is originally from England. After completing her ballet training at the Royal Ballet School, she danced at the Vanemuine Theatre in Estonia. She then shifted her focus to costume design, earning a degree from Middlesex University and completing a professional tailoring apprenticeship. She went on to work as a costume tailor on numerous high-profile films, musicals, and operas in England. Since 2013, she has been working as a freelance costume designer for dance and opera, collaborating with choreographers and directors such as Jörg Mannes, Kinsun Chan, Cathy Marston, Marcel Leemann, Terence Kohler, Sam Brown, Lillian Stillwell, Mauro Astolfi, Yuki Mori, Andreas Heise, Francesca Frassinelli, Peter Leung, Dimo Kirilov Milev, and Ihsan Rustem. Her work has been featured in international companies including the Bavarian State Ballet, Ballett Zürich, Ballett am Rhein, Stanislavsky Ballet Moscow, Theater Magdeburg, Theater Münster, Theater Regensburg, Oper Graz, Theater St. Gallen, Ballet du Capitole Toulouse, and the Origen Cultural Festival. She also assisted costume designer Emma Ryott at Ballett Zürich, the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, and the Staatsballett Berlin. Louise received a grant from the German Dance Association (Dachverband Tanz Deutschland) to research and develop a database of sustainably produced fabrics for dance costumes. By sharing and implementing her findings, she aims to reduce the environmental impact of new productions— taking a step toward greater ecological sustainability in dance and theatre.