Director of Casting, The Royal Opera House, London

Peter Mario Katona is Director of Casting at the Royal Opera House, London. He joined the Company in 1983 as Artistic Administrator. Throughout his time with the Royal Opera House, London, he has been involved in planning and casting all of the Company’s performances, in collaboration with Music Directors Colin Davis, Bernard Haitink and, since 2002, Antonio Pappano.

Born in Berlin, Katona grew up in a musical family. His mother was a leading soprano with the Stuttgart Opera, and his father, a Hungarian-born tenor, sang in opera houses across Germany. Katona studied Music and German literature at the University of West Berlin, and began his career as a classical music critic before becoming assistant to Christoph von Dohnányi, Music Director of Frankfurt Opera, in 1968. In 1977, he became Head of Artistic Management, Planning and Casting at Hamburg State Opera, a position he held until his move to the Royal Opera House, London.

Over the past 30 years in his work for the Royal Opera House, London, Katona has given important early career opportunities to a number of the world’s leading opera singers. He has built a reputation as one of the most experienced and respected casting directors working today.