Norbert Abels, born in 1953, has been head dramaturg of the Opera of Frankfurt (1997-2020) and guest dramaturg at numerous international theatres since 1985. He studied literary studies and musicology, philosophy and Jewish studies at the Frankfurt Goethe University. He is professor at the Folkwang Universität der Künste as well as lecturer of world literature at the Mediacampus Frankfurt and of cultural and theatre history at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts (MA Theater and orchestra management) and at the Frankfurt Goethe University.

Among his publications are numerous books on literary, theatre and musical theatre history, including Ohrentheater (2009) and Notenlese (2016). In addition, he has published books on Britten, Büchner, Schnitzler, Henze, Verdi, Wagner, and Werfel as well as studies on German-Jewish poetry. Since 2006, Norbert Abels has been a member of the Deutsche Akademie der Darstellenden Künste (German Academy of Performing Arts).