From 1977 to 1986 he worked under the artistic direction of Christoph von Dohnányi as chief dramaturg of the Hamburg State Opera and at the same time director of the experimental stage of Opera Stabile with numerous world premieres in opera and concert, and also by Wolfgang Rihm, Heinz Holliger, Manfred Trojahn, Wilhelm Killmayer, Aribert Reimann, Günter Bialas, Isang Yun, Rolf Liebermann and Udo Zimmermann.