Nicola Panzer studied Music theatre directing with Götz Friedrich and Helmuth Franz at Hamburg’s Academy of Music and Performing Arts. Completed by studies of film at Studio Hamburg with Gyula Trebitsch.
Still finishing the academy with a diploma cum laude she became assistant director at the Hamburg State Opera where she continues to work as a guest director.

In 2003, she made her television directing debut with La Traviata from the Opéra National du Rhin in Strasbourg. Her credits as assistant director or revival director include ‘The Magic Flute’ at the Salzburg Festival and twice ‘Der Ring des Nibelungen’ at the Bayreuth Festival. She has worked at the Los Angeles Opera, the Houston Grand Opera, De Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp, Covent Garden London , the Chatelet Paris, the Operas de Strasbourg, Montpellier, Toulouse and Thessaloniki , at Liceu Barcelona, in Tel Aviv, Tokyo and Sao Paolo.

Nicola Panzer gave master classes at the Hamburg State Opera Studio for young singers. Her lectureship for directing at the academy of music Frankfurt/Main 1997-2004 followed 2007 her actual one at the Felix.Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Academy Leipzig.

Since 1998 she is working as independent opera director. She staged Stockhausen’s ‘Aus den sieben Tagen’ at the Hamburg State Opera and at Munich’s Festival of Modern Music Theatre. ‘Hansel und Gretel’ at Konzerthaus Dortmund, at the Academy of Music Frankfurt/Main ‘Riders to the Sea’ and ‘The Abduction from the Seraglio’ ,‘The Bartered Bride’ at the Landestheater Linz, a new creation of a scenic opera collage “Wie kannst du die Szene gegen mich ausspielen?” about human relationships at Folkwang University Essen. It followed „Nabucco“ by Giuseppe Verdi at the Opera Festival Gut Immling. „Les Mamelles de Tirésias“ by Francis Poulenc in Leipzig. “Le Nozze di Figaro”, “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” and “The Magic Flute” for the Daejeon Spring Festival , South Korea .

In February 2015 Nicola Panzer directed the successful world premiere of „The Hamburger Sindbadauken“ at the Hamburg State Opera - her 5th work in the Seria Opera Piccola – Opera with children for children.

Her collaboration with Robert Wilosn started with „Cosmpolitan Greetings“ 1988 and „Parsifal“ 1991 at Hamburg State Opera.