Johan Simons the Opéra Bastille in 2006 and Mozart's Il Seraglio at the De Nederlandse Opera in 2008. Simons was artistic director of the Münchner Kammerspiele since 2010. He is the director of the Ruhrtriennale from 2015 to 2017. Simon raised concerns by directing a play in Austria called "Die Neger" ("The Negroes") using blackface against protests and accusations of racism in 2015 Johan Simons Johan Simons (born 1 September 1946) is a Dutch theatre director. Simons received his education at the Rotterdam Dance Academy and the Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts. He also taught directing in Maastricht for a number of
Michael Langdon to his teacher's amazement. He excelled at the less academic school he attended. He disliked school and was pleased to leave. He sang in "The Midsummer Marriage", "Gloriana", "The Olympians", "Billy Budd", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "Don Carlos", "Arabella", "Der Rosenkavalier", "Don Pasquale" and "The Abduction from the Seraglio", among others. He was principal bass at the Royal Opera House from 1951 and sang in most of the great opera houses of the world, most often in the role of Baron Ochs in "Der Rosenkavalier" during the 1960s and 1970s. His voice has been described as 'basso profundo'. He could