Photo Gallery Wagner's Heirs
Katharina Wagner and Eva Wagner-Pasquier are the new Bayreuth festival co-directors. They are the great-great granddaughters of composer Richard Wagner.
Nike Wagner applied for the same position together with...
... Gérard Mortier, a well-known Belgian director who is set to become general manager and artistic director of the New York City Opera in the fall of 2009.
Katharina and Eva's father, Wolfgang Wagner, stands in front of the opera house in Bayreuth where the festival takes place each year.
Wolfgang Wagner stepped down this year after heading the festival since 1951. He directed the event together with his brother Wieland until he died in 1966.
Director Wagner with his daughter, Katharina, and his second wife Gudrun, who died Nov. 28, 2007.
A scene from the controversial 2004 production of "Parsifal." Director Christoph Schlingensief caused a minor scandal with his avant-garde staging.
West German President Karl Carstens, left, arrived with his wife Veronica at the opening of the opera festival in 1980. They were welcomed by festival director Wolfgang Wagner and his wife, right.
Legendary conductor Herbert von Karajan (center) talks with Wolfgang Wagner (left) and his brother Wieland Wagner (right) in 1960.
Wolfgang Wagner (middle) directs singers during a rehearsal of "Meistersinger" in 1973.
West German opera singer Rene Kollo (left) soprano Gwyneth Jones, and director Patrick Chereau (right) after their performance at the Bayreuth Wagner Festival in 1977. The audience applauded for 37 minutes after the curtain fell in appreciation of the performance of director Patrick Chereau, who had to act the title role of "Siegfried" after singer Kollo broke his leg and had to speak and sing his part hidden back-stage.
Winifred Wagner, daughter-in-law of the German composer Richard Wagner, with her son Wieland (right) and German dictator Adolf Hitler in the garden at the Wagner home in Bayreuth 1938.
