Ernst Meisner will succeed Ted Brandsen as Director of the Dutch National Ballet from 1 August 2026. In this capacity, he will join the management of Dutch National Opera & Ballet, which also comprises the Director of Dutch National Opera and the General Director of Dutch National Opera & Ballet.
Ernst Meisner is currently Artistic Director of the Dutch National Ballet Academy (NBA), which is part of the AHK's Academy of Theatre and Dance. In this position, he is part of the NBA's three-strong artistic team, which, in addition to Ernst Meisner as Artistic Director, consists of deputy artistic director Dario Elia and Artistic Associate Mthuthuzeli November.
Ernst Meisner is also Associate Director of Talent Development at the Dutch National Ballet and, since its foundation in 2013, Artistic Director of that company's Junior Company.
Ernst Meisner was appointed Artistic Director of Dutch the National Ballet Academy in 2018. In this position, his responsibilities included the transformation of the academy's Bachelor's degree programme into an Associate Degree in Classical Ballet and the creation of the Bachelor's course Teacher of Classical Ballet, unique for the Netherlands. Under his leadership, the Amsterdam International Summer School was also revived - which now attracts hundreds of dancers from all over the world every year - and in 2023, the Dutch National Ballet Academy moved into a brand new, superbly equipped school building on Nicolaas Tetterodestraat in Amsterdam-Overamstel, which was festively opened by Queen Máxima in October 2024.
Louise O. Fresco, chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Dutch National Opera & Ballet on the choice of Ernst Meisner: “His clear artistic vision of the art form of ballet, his sharp eye for talent development and innovation, and his modern views on artistic leadership are qualities that lead us to believe that Ernst Meisner will be an excellent future director of Dutch National Ballet. Moreover, he has wide experience as a dancer and a leader, an international network and an interest in what happens in the world around us. In our eyes, this makes Ernst Meisner the ideal person to continue the successful policy of Dutch National Ballet and to develop it further.”
Annet Lekkerkerker, chair of the Executive Board of the Amsterdam University of the Arts (AHK), commented: ‘On behalf of the Academy of Theatre and Dance and the AHK, I would like to congratulate Ernst Meisner on this wonderful appointment. Ernst leads the Dutch National Ballet Academy with great élan and I am sure he will do the same at the Dutch National Ballet. The academy and the AHK look forward to further consolidation under Ernst's leadership of the close ties that the Dutch National Ballet Academy and the Dutch National Ballet already maintain already.'
Read more about Ernst Meisner's new position on the Dutch National Ballet's website