Born in Leipzig, Jan-Richard Kehl studied music theatre directing at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music and musicology at Humboldt University in Berlin. His training included working with directors like Willy Decker, Götz Friedrich, and Peter Konwitschny. He worked at theatres in Basel, Cologne, and Leipzig before becoming a freelance director. From 2006 to 2010, he was opera director at Schleswig-Holsteinisches Landestheater. His broad repertoire ranges from baroque opera to musicals, including productions of Lohengrin and Wozzeck. He was nominated for the German Theater Award in 2009. Since 2013, he has taught at Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts, where he served as Dean from 2018 to 2021. Recent works include The Long Christmas Dinner at HfMDK and Madama Butterfly in Kassel.