Calixto María Schmutter Nominated for the 2026 NESTROY Prize
Mozarteum graduate Calixto María Schmutter (Directing, 2025) has been nominated in the Best Emerging Talent category (Costume Design, Directing, Composition & Sound, Stage Play) for the prestigious NESTROY Award. The nomination recognises the directing, composition, and sound design for “The Tempest or La Isla Bonita,” based on William Shakespeare’s play – a co-production of the Tyrolean State Theatre and the Thomas Bernhard Institute at Mozarteum University.
Schmutter sets the action in a Canary Islands resort hotel and blends classic texts, pop songs, vacation vibes and quotes from Elisabeth T. Spira into a clever, hilarious “wimmelbild” composition. The production takes aim at mass tourism and captivates the audience with its impressive visual language, subtle poetry and rich musicality.
The NESTROY Prize is Austria’s most prestigious theatre award and, since 2000, has honoured outstanding theatrical achievements on Austrian stages as well as in-house productions by renowned festivals such as the Salzburg Festival. Furthermore, this national award for the “Best Performance in the German-Speaking World” underscores the self-image of Austrian theatre as an integral part of the international theater world.
The 2026 NESTROY Award ceremony will take place on 22 November 2026 at the Volkstheater Wien.
We wish Calixto María Schmutter "toi toi toi"!