Jean Kalman

French lighting designer Jean Kalman has been responsible for the lighting in numerous theatrical, opera and dance productions since 1979. He has worked closely with directors including Pierre Audi, Peter Brook, Robert Carsen and Deborah Warner, and has built up an impressive international career at leading opera houses and festivals. He has worked for the Royal Opera House in London, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the Vienna State Opera, the Paris Opera and the Metropolitan Opera in New York, among other venues. At Dutch National Opera, Kalman collaborated regularly with Pierre Audi, including on Guillaume Tell (2013), Gurre-Lieder (2014, 2018), Dionysos (2011) and Eurydice – Die Liebenden, blind (2022). His work is characterised by a perceptive feeling for space, atmosphere and theatrical demands.

The lighting design for Tristan und Isolde, performed from 8 to 23 February 2026 at Dutch National Opera, is by Jean Kalman.

Last update: 27-1-2026