“Žagars’ time in charge of the Latvian National Opera will always be remembered for his extraordinary personality. Žagars dares to be provocative, vital, public and brilliant”. (quote by Orests Silabriedis, interview for Studija (Studio) magazine)

Andrejs Žagars was born on October 16, 1958. Graduated from Latvian State Conservatory, Drama and Motion Picture Actor study program of Theatre Faculty in 1982. He has also accomplished studies at VII Studio of the Daile Theatre and has worked there between 1982 and 1994. Žagars has played in numerous Latvian and foreign motion pictures.

He has been the owner of a restaurant chain (Osiris and Symposium), grog-shop Symposium Vīni, Grieķu restorāns (Greek restaurant), bar Deco, Jaunais restorāns (the New Restaurant) and club Dizzi from 1993 to 2001.

Žagars is the Director of the Latvian National Opera since 1996.

His debut in opera directing was Richard Wagner’s Flying Dutchman staged in 2003 on the floor of the Latvian National Opera. He has also directed A. Rubenstein’s opera Demon staged in Latvian National Opera in 2003, and P. Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades in 2005.

In 2006, he staged Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at the Latvian National Opera, and Verdi’s Nabucco at the Moscow New Opera Theater. His most recent opera production (2007) is Verdi’s Traviata for the Latvian National Opera.

Andrejs Žagars is recipient of the Latvian state award The Three-Star Order (2002) and the French government award Médaille du Commandeur de la Légion d`honneur (2001).