Pichler has worked as a freelance choreographer since 2001 for directors including Nicolas Brieger, Günter Krämer, David Mouchtar-Samorai and Bernd Mottl. He has worked at opera houses including Paris Opéra (Der Ring des Nibelungen), Semperoper Dresden (Penthesilea, Die Fledermaus), Cologne Opera (War and Peace, Turandot), Hannover State Opera (Anatevka, My Fair Lady), Wiesbaden State Theatre (Orfeo ed Euridice), Schwetzingen SWR Festival (Ezio) and Salzburg Festival (Mitridate, re di Ponto). Previous credits with Kosky include Saul for Glyndebourne Festival, The Fiery Angel for Bavarian State Opera, Das Rheingold in Hannover, Carmen for Frankfurt Opera and Orpheus, Kiss Me, Kate, Ball im Savoy, La Belle Hélène and West Side Story (which he also co-directed) for Komische Oper Berlin, for which he recently choreographed also Die Perlen der Cleopatra by Oscar Straus.  

He made his Royal Opera House, Covent Garden debut in the 2016/17 Season as choreographer for The Nose, directed by Barrie Kosky.

Pichler’s credits as director include Hello Dolly, Jekyll and Hyde, Jesus Christ Superstar and Die Csárdásfürstin.