CISA Award Winners
BALLET
Thomas Krühenbühl (2026)
Thomas Krähenbühl, a dancer born and trained in Switzerland, not only possesses outstanding technique but also a natural and formidable stage presence. He has thus stood out in ensemble works such as “Old Land/Grey Zone” and, most recently, in the “Stravinsky” program.
His almost “animalistic,” soft, flowing movement, as well as the high emotional intensity with which he drew the audience into the “Mozart Requiem”—for example, in the sensual pas de deux with Giulia Finardi during the “Pre-Show” on the foyer stage and in the “Agnus Dei”—convinced this year’s jury members. We hope that in the coming seasons he will continue to be offered choreographers and roles that once again showcase his exceptional and stylistically diverse dance potential.
We are delighted to award Thomas Krähenbühl the Golden CISA 2026 in the ballet category. Congratulations!
MUSIC THEATRE
Kate Allen (2026)
Kate Allen has been a strong pillar of the Augsburg State Theater ensemble since 2018 and has frequently impressed us, including in modern operas such as “JFK” as “Jackie” or as Mother Sorel in “The Consul.” External critics praised her in “The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny” for her “operatic, resonant authority.” In Monteverdi’s opera “The Coronation of Poppea,” she also impressed as Ottone with “great feminine warmth in her velvety mezzo.” In “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” she brilliantly portrayed the character Frau Reich, and in “A Masked Ball,” she shone as Ulrica from the first note to the last.
The jury was in agreement: this year’s Golden CISA Theater Award goes to mezzo-soprano Kate Allen. Congratulations!
DRAMA
Gerald Fiedler (2026)
Gerald Fiedler has been a member of the ensemble at the Augsburg State Theater since the 2017–2018 season. He came to Augsburg with Artistic Director André Bücker from the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau. Since then, he has impressed audiences here in numerous roles, demonstrating his talent not only in serious works such as *The Physicists*, *The Oresteia*, *The Downfall of the Egoist Johann Fatzer*, *Unrest Around a Peaceful Man*, and *hildensaga. A Queen’s Drama*.
He has also shone in comedies such as “Tatort Augsburg,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” “The Tempest,” “Murder on the Orient Express,” and, most recently, in “Leonce and Lena,” where, as King Peter, he is not above appearing scantily clad. His acting performances and remarkable versatility could be admired in 12 productions this season.
The jury has decided that Gerald Fiedler is this year’s winner of the Golden CISA 2026 in the acting category. Congratulations!
AUDIENCE
Aileen Schneider (2026) ‘Carmen’
The Theaterfreunde Augsburg e.V. is once again awarding the “Golden CISA” Audience Choice Award this year for the most popular production of the 2025/2026 season at the Augsburg State Theater. The winner was determined solely by the audience through a public online vote on the Theaterfreunde’s CISA website, with 19 new productions in the running, until the end of May 2026.
The lively participation in the vote for the most popular production provided a broad cross-section of audience preferences and serves as proof to us, as a support association, that this award—in addition to honoring artists in the individual disciplines—is fully justified. Of the 19 productions up for consideration, 18 received audience votes. The initially presumed favorites—such as Mozart’s “Requiem” as dance theater or “The Threepenny Opera”—failed to emerge as frontrunners from the start this year; instead, the operas became the clear favorites as the voting progressed. In the end, “Carmen” was clearly in the lead with 25.7% of all votes, followed by “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and “The Coronation of Poppea.”
On your successful production and this year’s “Golden CISA 2026” Audience Award, we say: Congratulations, Aileen Schneider!
Award Winners 2025
BALLET
Nikolaos Doede (2024)
This year’s theater award goes to Nikolaos Doede. Nik Doede—as he is known to all who admire dance and him—has been a member of the company since André Bücker became artistic director, and over the past seven years he has consistently proven himself to be an outstanding and steadfast presence in the ballet company. Dancers have a strong desire for freedom; they come and go, but Nik Doede remains and is a strong pillar of the company. What has particularly caught our attention—and delights us—is his great talent for choreography, which he demonstrates time and again in the “Newcomer” series. Perhaps one day with a repertoire piece as well? We wish Nik Doede much strength and inspiration for the future, along with our congratulations on winning the “Golden CISA 2024” Theater Award.
MUSIC THEATRE
Jihyun Cecilia Lee (2024)
This year’s CISA Award in the category of musical theater goes to Jihyun Cecilia Lee. Cecilia Lee has delighted us throughout the 2023/2024 season with her interpretations of a wide variety of roles. Whether as Marzelline in the opera *Fidelio*, Violetta in Giuseppe Verdi’s *La Traviata*, Liu in *Turandot* on the open-air stage, Romilda in *Serse* on Sunday, June 23, 2024, or in Beethoven’s *Eroica* Symphony.
Every evening with Cecilia Lee was a wonderful, fulfilling experience for music lovers, which we gladly acknowledged with joyful, enthusiastic applause.
We wish you continued great success and look forward to many more performances with you. Congratulations on winning the “Golden CISA 2024” Theater Award!
DRAMA
Kai Windhövel (2024)
Kai Windhövel came to Augsburg in 2017 and has since appeared in many plays, including *Peer Gynt*, *Die nötige Folter*, *Der Drache*, *Der Zauberberg*, *Jerusalem*, and *Romeo and Juliet*. This season, he gives particularly compelling performances in *Linda*, *Der Menschenfeind*, and *Viel gut essen*. He plays “Alceste with fervor, this grump on a crusade for the good, the true, and the beautiful. (…) It is a pleasure to watch Windhövel grit his teeth as he speaks, tugging irritably at his jacket and groaning and gasping like a disappointed idealist…,” writes V. Lintner in her review for the *Augsburger Allgemeine*. In *Linda*, he plays the boss of the eponymous protagonist: proper in his demeanor, yet still a mean-spirited character. For his outstanding performances, Kai Windhövel receives the Golden CISA’. Congratulations!
AUDIENCE
Cornelia Maschner (2024)
‘Hedwig and The Angry Inch’
The winner was determined by the theater audience through online voting. The voting results reflected a broad cross-section of audience preferences and served as proof to us, as the Friends of the Theater, that the Audience Choice Award is very important. Of the 18 new productions up for consideration, 16 received audience votes this year. It was a close race, with first place swinging back and forth several times between the plays *The Master and Margarita*, *Hedwig and the Angry Inch*, and *Charlie*. In the end, the audience’s favorite was *Hedwig and the Angry Inch*, which received a solid 23% of the votes.
Congratulations to Cornelia Maschner on her successful production and on winning the “Golden CISA” Audience Award!
Award Winners 2024
BALLET
Nikolaos Doede (2024)
This year’s theater award goes to Nikolaos Doede. Nik Doede—as he is known to all who admire dance and him—has been a member of the company since André Bücker became artistic director, and over the past seven years he has consistently proven himself to be an outstanding and steadfast presence in the ballet company. Dancers have a strong desire for freedom; they come and go, but Nik Doede remains and is a strong pillar of the company. What has particularly caught our attention—and delights us—is his great talent for choreography, which he demonstrates time and again in the “Newcomer” series. Perhaps one day with a repertoire piece as well? We wish Nik Doede much strength and inspiration for the future, along with our congratulations on winning the “Golden CISA 2024” Theater Award.
MUSIC THEATRE
Jihyun Cecilia Lee (2024)
This year’s CISA Award in the category of musical theater goes to Jihyun Cecilia Lee. Cecilia Lee has delighted us throughout the 2023/2024 season with her interpretations of a wide variety of roles. Whether as Marzelline in the opera *Fidelio*, Violetta in Giuseppe Verdi’s *La Traviata*, Liu in *Turandot* on the open-air stage, Romilda in *Serse* on Sunday, June 23, 2024, or in Beethoven’s *Eroica* Symphony.
Every evening with Cecilia Lee was a wonderful, fulfilling experience for music lovers, which we gladly acknowledged with joyful, enthusiastic applause.
We wish you continued great success and look forward to many more performances with you. Congratulations on winning the “Golden CISA 2024” Theater Award!
DRAMA
Kai Windhövel (2024)
Kai Windhövel came to Augsburg in 2017 and has since appeared in many plays, including *Peer Gynt*, *Die nötige Folter*, *Der Drache*, *Der Zauberberg*, *Jerusalem*, and *Romeo and Juliet*. This season, he gives particularly compelling performances in *Linda*, *Der Menschenfeind*, and *Viel gut essen*. He plays “Alceste with fervor, this grump on a crusade for the good, the true, and the beautiful. (…) It is a pleasure to watch Windhövel grit his teeth as he speaks, tugging irritably at his jacket and groaning and gasping like a disappointed idealist…,” writes V. Lintner in her review for the *Augsburger Allgemeine*. In *Linda*, he plays the boss of the eponymous protagonist: proper in his demeanor, yet still a mean-spirited character. For his outstanding performances, Kai Windhövel receives the Golden CISA’. Congratulations!
AUDIENCE
Cornelia Maschner (2024)
‘Hedwig and The Angry Inch’
The winner was determined by the theater audience through online voting. The voting results reflected a broad cross-section of audience preferences and served as proof to us, as the Friends of the Theater, that the Audience Choice Award is very important. Of the 18 new productions up for consideration, 16 received audience votes this year. It was a close race, with first place swinging back and forth several times between the plays *The Master and Margarita*, *Hedwig and the Angry Inch*, and *Charlie*. In the end, the audience’s favorite was *Hedwig and the Angry Inch*, which received a solid 23% of the votes.
Congratulations to Cornelia Maschner on her successful production and on winning the “Golden CISA” Audience Award!
BALLET
Gonçalo Martins da Silva (2023)
First of all, it must be said how happy we are about the high quality of all the dancers in the ensemble of the Augsburg State Theatre.
Nevertheless, one, time and again, with his outstanding personality and intense performance, has attracted attention in all productions of the Augsburg State Theatre Ballet, whether in “Godani-Goecke-Fernando” or “Kontraste”, “Dimensions of Dance 4” or “The Fairy Queen”. The dance performance in the piece “Moving” by Peter Chu was also outstanding. All these wonderful moments that we were able to experience with him led us to the decision that the CISA 2023 Theatre Award goes to Gonçalo Martins da Silva. Congratulations on this year’s CISA Award in the ballet category!
MUSIC THEATRE
Sally du Randt (2023)
The jury chose Sally du Randt. She convinced the jury with her interpretation of Ellen Orford in the opera “Peter Grimes”. In addition to her vocal performance, she succeeded in believably supporting the leading actor and letting the opera thriller get under the skin. Leonore in the opera “Fidelio” was interpreted in a way that went to the heart, with minimalist actions, concentrating only on the voice. We also have lasting memories of her Leonore in a previous production. In Arnold Schönberg’s monodrama “Erwartung” she once again proved her ability to change, depending on the requirements or interpretation of the director.
We had great moments when Sally du Randt interpreted opera roles by Richard Strauss: Ariadne in “Ariadne auf Naxos”, the title role in Salome and Chrysothemis, sister of Elektra. We also like to rave about her Vitellia in “La clemenza di Tito”. Another prize-winner for the jury was Sally du Randt’s role interpretation of the wife Magda from “The Consul”. We wish Sally du Randt -and us- many more good roles in the future!
DRAMA
Sebastian Müller-Stahl (2023)
Since 2017 member of the Staatstheater Augsburg ensemble, Sebastian Müller-Stahl regularly gives strong performances, among others in Peer Gynt, Käthchen von Heilbronn, Der Sturm, Der Untergang des Egoisten Fatzer, Die Physiker, Der Drache, Auf dem Paseo del Prado mittags Don Klaus and many more. This season he was particularly brilliant as Johnny “Rooster” Byron in the German-language premiere of “Jerusalem”, for which he gave his all. An anti-hero, an outcast, a storyteller who reaches the point that only he believes in himself.
“Ingenious,” says Richard Mayr of the Augsburger Allgemeine, “how Sebastian Müller-Stahl explored this and stood in the limelight for four hours. Where did he stand? He was always on the move, his Byron cannot stand still…”.
“He throws his body with power into this role of violence, as a dazzling forest rascal with muscles, whiskers and wrecking-ball charisma”, said Veronika Lintner, also from the Augsburger Allgemeine, in her review of the premiere in September 2022 – “and who, despite, or perhaps because of this? develops a certain charm and attraction, especially for the young people who come to him to live out their dreams, their longings.” Justifiably, there was enthusiastic applause for this commitment, for this energy time and again.”
Congratulations to Sebastian Müller-Stahl for this great performance and for this year’s theatre award “Golden CISA”.
AUDIENCE
André Bücker “Jerusalem” (2023
All those interested in theatre voted online for the acclaimed production “Jerusalem” with 16.1% of all votes at the top and thus for the Audience Award of the 2022/23 season! The extremely lively participation in the voting for the most popular play produced a large cross-section of audience preferences and is proof for us as the Friends of the Staatstheater that such an award, in addition to honoring individual artists in the individual sections, will continue to be fully justified in the future. Out of 28 productions, 26 received audience votes.
The presumed favorites, a well-known opera or the ballets that are very popular in Augsburg, were not able to come out on top this year. The favorites even changed several times in the course of the voting. First place therefore for the German-language premiere of Jez Butterworth’s play ‘Jerusalem’. A double success for ‘Jerusalem’, after the ‘Golden CISA’ in the drama category was awarded to Sebastian Müller-Stahl, among others, for his outstanding performance in this play.
Congratulations to State Director André Bücker on this production and thus on the audience award “Golden CISA“!