Gudrun Wagner, wife of Bayreuth Festival chief Wolfgang Wagner, has died unexpectedly at the age of 63, the festival organisers announced on Wednesday.
"Deeply moved and in silent mourning, I must announce that my dear wife and closest collaborator Gudrun Wagner has died totally unexpectedly," said Wolfgang, 88, in a brief one-sentence statement.
The exact cause of her death was still unknown, a festival spokeswoman told AFP. Gudrun had been recovering from an operation in hospital in Bayreuth when she died in the early hours of Wednesday, the spokeswoman said.
It was not yet clear when the funeral would take place, but only the closest family members would attend, the spokeswoman added.
Gudrun was the second wife of Wolfgang, grandson of composer Richard Wagner.
They were married in 1976 and Gudrun gave birth to their only daughter, Katharina, two years later.