Bad Ischl
Immediately afterwards he directed Lehar's "Der Zarewitsch" for the Operette Festival, Bad Ischl and literally the next day, Haydn's "L'Incontro improvviso" for the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt and EXPO 2000, Hannover. These productions received praise from the Viennese press, which led to him being re-invited at Bad Ischl, in a co-production with Salzburg to mount Lehar's "Das Land des Lächelns" (designed by Hartmut Schörghofer).