JENNIFER WILLIAMS
(Deutsche Oper Berlin, Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, Houston Grand Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Komische Oper Berlin, Oper Frankfurt, Staatsoper Stuttgart)
REBEKAH ROTA
(Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Landesbühnen Sachsen)
RICHARD GAMMON
(Wolf Trap Opera, Virginia Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre,
Kennedy Center, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis)
TERESA REIBER
(Deutsche Oper Berlin, Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Salzburg Easter Festival, Opernhaus Graz, Israeli Opera)
ADAM CIOFFARI
(Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Knoxville Opera, Austin Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Theatre Capitole de Toulouse, Utah Symphony, Tucson Symphony, Pensacola Opera, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Komische Oper Berlin)
(Deutsche Oper Berlin, Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, Houston Grand Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Komische Oper Berlin, Oper Frankfurt, Staatsoper Stuttgart)
REBEKAH ROTA
(Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Landesbühnen Sachsen)
RICHARD GAMMON
(Wolf Trap Opera, Virginia Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre,
Kennedy Center, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis)
TERESA REIBER
(Deutsche Oper Berlin, Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Salzburg Easter Festival, Opernhaus Graz, Israeli Opera)
ADAM CIOFFARI
(Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Knoxville Opera, Austin Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Theatre Capitole de Toulouse, Utah Symphony, Tucson Symphony, Pensacola Opera, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Komische Oper Berlin)
JULIE WYMA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ANASTASIA INNISS, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
ANASTASIA INNISS, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Ever wonder what goes on inside the mind of a director?
Look no further!
Look no further!
This program will give you the opportunity to converse with five world-class directors about their process, background, and methods, as well as what they look for in a singer. LIVE, ENGAGING, INTERACTIVE 90-MINUTE presentation + Q&A sessions.
Topics include BUT are not limited to:
Topics include BUT are not limited to:
- how to develop your character fully, while remaining open to other interpretations
- gleaning information from libretto and source material to support your interpretive choices
- translating idea into action – how to make your character choices come across in your acting
- the art of the audition – how to impress a director in only 10 minutes
- keeping up with an ever-changing industry as it becomes more visually based
- Regie Theater in Germany – what is it and how singers can be successful in it?
- how to navigate problems with a scene or director if they arise
- transitioning from a singing career to a directing career
- being the colleague that everyone wants to work with, again and again
SESSIONS
TERESA REIBER
Regie Theater & the German theater system from a director's perspective
ADAM CIOFFARI
Transitioning from performing artist to director
RICHARD GAMMON
The art of collaboration: how to get hired and re-hired
JENNIFER WILLIAMS
Thoughts from across the table: What directors look for in a singer
REBEKAH ROTA
Preparing to audition for the German theatre system
Regie Theater & the German theater system from a director's perspective
ADAM CIOFFARI
Transitioning from performing artist to director
RICHARD GAMMON
The art of collaboration: how to get hired and re-hired
JENNIFER WILLIAMS
Thoughts from across the table: What directors look for in a singer
REBEKAH ROTA
Preparing to audition for the German theatre system
Sessions will be recorded and available to all participants after their broadcast.
TUITION
€120.00
- 60-day replay of all session videos
- materials and resources by all faculty members
REGISTRATION
Register via your preferred payment method following the links below:
Please note that Opera Programs Berlin does not charge administration fees for any of its programs.
Therefore, all payment transaction fees must be covered on the sender's side.
Opera Programs Berlin does not cover any transaction fees.
Therefore, all payment transaction fees must be covered on the sender's side.
Opera Programs Berlin does not cover any transaction fees.
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Julie Wyma IBAN: DE40 1001 1001 2629 3903 16 BIC: NTSBDEB1 Krüllsstr 3 12435 Berlin Deutschland |
FACULTY
REBEKAH ROTA
Rebekah Rota is a multi-faceted artist whose career encompasses performing, teaching, directing, and arts administration. Rebekah combines intellectual rigor with emotional connectivity in whatever she does, striving to fill Structure with Heart. After completing her Master’s and Doctorate studies at the University of Michigan, she embarked on the first stage of her professional journey as a performer.
She sang throughout Germany and the United States, bringing life to such great roles as Violetta in La Traviata (Verdi), Mimi in La Bohème (Puccini), Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel (Humperdinck), and Margarethe in Faust (Gounod), among others. She was consistently recognized for her ability to combine secure technique, beautiful singing, and moving interpretations. "Natural acting and deeply-felt singing… dreamy, soft high notes…" "Believable and moving… masterful coloratura." "Silvery high notes, sparkling coloratura, powerful in all registers and with great acting ability."
Invitations to teach and coach soon followed. In addition to maintaining a private studio, Rebekah has been invited to give workshops and master classes in the US (University of Michigan, Loyola Marymount University, Utah Valley University) and Germany (German Opera Experience, James Madison University study abroad, Berlin Opera Academy).
Her deep grounding in technique and powerful emotional connectivity support the student’s journey to use the voice as an instrument for communication. "Rebekah is an insightful and intuitive teacher who has the ability to recognize each student’s individual struggles. Not only is she an amazing technician, she believes in connecting your physical and emotional energy to everything you sing, making your experience extremely personal." "Rebekah has one goal as a teacher: to achieve a natural sound for an authentic, honest interpretation that serves the music. Every second of her pedagogical and technical work is focused on this goal – providing both consistency and freedom.”
While still a student at the University of Michigan, Rebekah was selected to receive a specially tailored scholarship in stage direction. Bringing perspective from both “sides” of the stage, Rebekah’s unique vision couples depth of understanding with breadth of emotional connection. She was soon selected to direct various productions at the University (Davidson’s The Fourth Wise Man; Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte) and received internships and assistant stage director positions with such companies as Opera Grand Rapids, Pine Mountain Music Festival, Indianapolis Opera, and the Los Angeles Opera.
After focusing exclusively on her singing career for a number of years, Rebekah returned to stage direction in 2014 with Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas at the Mittelsächsische Theater. The following year, her staging of the mono-opera The Diary of Anne Frank by Grigor Frid at the Mecklenburgischen Landestheater Neustrelitz received national attention. The production was selected for the Polish language premiere of the opera at the International Penderecki Festival in Poland in September 2016 and it was revived in June 2017 in Krakow. She will be directing again this fall at the Landesbuehnen Sachsen; Peter Lund’s children’s opera Der Frosch muss Weg. "That this was all accomplished so unpretentiously, technically brilliantly, musically and dramatically convincingly, is in large part the merit of stage director Rebekah Rota from Canada {sic}. Under her direction, something grand that touches us all, “tua res agitur”, was coaxed out of polyphonic brevity and received resounding applause at the premiere." "This year - Opera Underground and the Polish premiere of the operatic monodrama The Diary of Anne Frank by Grigor Frid, directed by American Rebecca {sic} Rota. Sensitive, delicate, with girlish charm - very movingly designed to touch, not "hammer", something the director wanted to avoid.”
Fall 2017 saw the beginning of yet another professional chapter for Rebekah as she accepted the position of Referentin des Operndirektors at the Landesbuehnen Sachsen in Dresden. Her long experience as a singer, teacher, and director inform her new duties as artistic administrator as she helps to manage daily operations, long-term planning and casting, and strategic planning at the theater. Outreach and Education are also important areas for her and she has initiated several in-school programs to introduce school children to the history and skill of classical singing.
From April 2020, Rebekah will join Staatstheater Karlsruhe as the company's Stellvertretende Operndirektorin (Deputy Head of Opera).
Rebekah Rota is a multi-faceted artist whose career encompasses performing, teaching, directing, and arts administration. Rebekah combines intellectual rigor with emotional connectivity in whatever she does, striving to fill Structure with Heart. After completing her Master’s and Doctorate studies at the University of Michigan, she embarked on the first stage of her professional journey as a performer.
She sang throughout Germany and the United States, bringing life to such great roles as Violetta in La Traviata (Verdi), Mimi in La Bohème (Puccini), Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel (Humperdinck), and Margarethe in Faust (Gounod), among others. She was consistently recognized for her ability to combine secure technique, beautiful singing, and moving interpretations. "Natural acting and deeply-felt singing… dreamy, soft high notes…" "Believable and moving… masterful coloratura." "Silvery high notes, sparkling coloratura, powerful in all registers and with great acting ability."
Invitations to teach and coach soon followed. In addition to maintaining a private studio, Rebekah has been invited to give workshops and master classes in the US (University of Michigan, Loyola Marymount University, Utah Valley University) and Germany (German Opera Experience, James Madison University study abroad, Berlin Opera Academy).
Her deep grounding in technique and powerful emotional connectivity support the student’s journey to use the voice as an instrument for communication. "Rebekah is an insightful and intuitive teacher who has the ability to recognize each student’s individual struggles. Not only is she an amazing technician, she believes in connecting your physical and emotional energy to everything you sing, making your experience extremely personal." "Rebekah has one goal as a teacher: to achieve a natural sound for an authentic, honest interpretation that serves the music. Every second of her pedagogical and technical work is focused on this goal – providing both consistency and freedom.”
While still a student at the University of Michigan, Rebekah was selected to receive a specially tailored scholarship in stage direction. Bringing perspective from both “sides” of the stage, Rebekah’s unique vision couples depth of understanding with breadth of emotional connection. She was soon selected to direct various productions at the University (Davidson’s The Fourth Wise Man; Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte) and received internships and assistant stage director positions with such companies as Opera Grand Rapids, Pine Mountain Music Festival, Indianapolis Opera, and the Los Angeles Opera.
After focusing exclusively on her singing career for a number of years, Rebekah returned to stage direction in 2014 with Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas at the Mittelsächsische Theater. The following year, her staging of the mono-opera The Diary of Anne Frank by Grigor Frid at the Mecklenburgischen Landestheater Neustrelitz received national attention. The production was selected for the Polish language premiere of the opera at the International Penderecki Festival in Poland in September 2016 and it was revived in June 2017 in Krakow. She will be directing again this fall at the Landesbuehnen Sachsen; Peter Lund’s children’s opera Der Frosch muss Weg. "That this was all accomplished so unpretentiously, technically brilliantly, musically and dramatically convincingly, is in large part the merit of stage director Rebekah Rota from Canada {sic}. Under her direction, something grand that touches us all, “tua res agitur”, was coaxed out of polyphonic brevity and received resounding applause at the premiere." "This year - Opera Underground and the Polish premiere of the operatic monodrama The Diary of Anne Frank by Grigor Frid, directed by American Rebecca {sic} Rota. Sensitive, delicate, with girlish charm - very movingly designed to touch, not "hammer", something the director wanted to avoid.”
Fall 2017 saw the beginning of yet another professional chapter for Rebekah as she accepted the position of Referentin des Operndirektors at the Landesbuehnen Sachsen in Dresden. Her long experience as a singer, teacher, and director inform her new duties as artistic administrator as she helps to manage daily operations, long-term planning and casting, and strategic planning at the theater. Outreach and Education are also important areas for her and she has initiated several in-school programs to introduce school children to the history and skill of classical singing.
From April 2020, Rebekah will join Staatstheater Karlsruhe as the company's Stellvertretende Operndirektorin (Deputy Head of Opera).
RICHARD GAMMON
Richard Gammon, a Filipino American stage director, has recently directed the double bill of Gluck’s L’île de Merlin and Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis with Wolf Trap Opera; Madama Butterfly with Virginia Opera; a double bill of Gianni Schicchi and Michael Ching’s Buoso’s Ghost at Michigan Opera Theatre; the American premiere of Scarlatti's Erminia at the Kennedy Center with Opera Lafayette and earlier that season Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda with lutenist Thomas Dunford (named a "Top Ten Performance in 2018" and a "Top Ten Performance in 2017" respectively by Washington Classical Review); Susannah with Charlottesville Opera; Jack Perla’s An American Dream with Virginia Opera’s inaugural contemporary opera series “VAriations”; and Andy Monroe's The Life and Times of Joe Jefferson Benjamin Blow at NYC's Theatre 315 with the National Asian Artists Project. At the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival he directed Much Ado About Nothing after having previously directed a touring production of The Tempest; and for Cleveland Play House's film The CARE Monologue Project Richard directed monologues written by Rajiv Joseph, Lloyd Suh, Karen Zacarias, Tanya Saracho, and Matthew Lopez. He directed the world premiere of Jorge Sosa’s electronic opera The Lake at ArtSounds in Kansas City; Trouble in Tahiti with Paul Watkins at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival; the workshop of J Ashley Miller’s pop opera Echosis with Atemporchestra; and last season was Associate Director for The Grapes of Wrath at Michigan Opera Theatre.
Richard is the Director of Opera Maine's Studio Artist Program and has directed Jack Perla's An American Dream (East Coast premiere), Mohammed Fairouz’s Sumeida’s Song, Jake Heggie's Three Decembers, Trouble in Tahiti, The Medium, and a site-specific production of Gianni Schicchi at SPACE Gallery. He is also the co-founder and director of Art with Arias, a collaborative recital series partnering artists from Opera Maine with the Portland Museum of Art now in its fourth year.
Richard works extensively with Young Artist Programs around the country. For Opera Theatre of Saint Louis' 2016, 2017, and 2018 seasons Richard co-directed Center Stage, a concert of opera scenes featuring the Gerdine Young Artists and Richard Gaddes Festival Artists with the St. Louis Symphony. Spending four years as the Stage Director for the Charlottesville Opera Young Artist Program he directed new productions of Il barbiere di Siviglia, Susannah, La bohème, and Gianni Schicchi. He was a Directing Fellow at Wolf Trap Opera directing the Wolf Trap Opera Studio in An Evening of One Act Operas: Hindemith’s Hin und züruck, Moore’s Gallantry, A Hand of Bridge, Pasatieri’s La Divina, and Heggie’s Again. And he directed a warehouse production of La bohème at Work | Release with the Virginia Opera's Emerging Artist Program. He was a Young Artist Director at Opera North and a Stage Director/Acting Coach in Greve in Chianti, Italy for Bel Canto in Tuscany.
Richard also enjoys working with young artists at leading conservatories and universities. He has recently accepted the position as Director of Opera at the University of Northern Iowa and will direct “The Monteverdi Project” this fall. Other productions include Hindemith’s Sancta Susanna and Rorem’s Three Sisters who are Not Sisters at the Manhattan School of Music; the world premiere of Jorge Sosa’s liturgical drama Tonantzin at the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance; Silent Night, La traviata, Sweeney Todd, and Così fan tutte with the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre; Ward's Roman Fever and Hilliard & Boresi's The Filthy Habit at Carnegie Mellon University; and Dido and Aeneas with Morningside College.
Other creative positions include Creative Associate for the world premiere of Dream’d in a dream with Seán Curran Company at BAM Next Wave Festival, an Artist Resident at Hewnoaks Artist Colony (2018) and the Institute for American Art (2017), Resident Assistant Director at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (2016-2018), and an Assistant Director at LA Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Wolf Trap Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Palm Beach Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Virginia Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Charlottesville Opera, Opera North, and Opera Maine working on productions that include the world premieres of Jack Perla’s Shalimar, the Clown, Terrence Blanchard’s Champion, Ricky Ian Gordon’s 27 and Rappahannock County, Jorge Martin’s Before Night Falls, and the American premieres of Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland, and Jacques Ibert’s Persée et Andromède.
Upcoming productions include Philip Glass’ The Fall of the House of Usher with the studio artists of Opera Maine and Robert Ward’s The Crucible at the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre.
Richard is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance.
Richard Gammon, a Filipino American stage director, has recently directed the double bill of Gluck’s L’île de Merlin and Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis with Wolf Trap Opera; Madama Butterfly with Virginia Opera; a double bill of Gianni Schicchi and Michael Ching’s Buoso’s Ghost at Michigan Opera Theatre; the American premiere of Scarlatti's Erminia at the Kennedy Center with Opera Lafayette and earlier that season Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda with lutenist Thomas Dunford (named a "Top Ten Performance in 2018" and a "Top Ten Performance in 2017" respectively by Washington Classical Review); Susannah with Charlottesville Opera; Jack Perla’s An American Dream with Virginia Opera’s inaugural contemporary opera series “VAriations”; and Andy Monroe's The Life and Times of Joe Jefferson Benjamin Blow at NYC's Theatre 315 with the National Asian Artists Project. At the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival he directed Much Ado About Nothing after having previously directed a touring production of The Tempest; and for Cleveland Play House's film The CARE Monologue Project Richard directed monologues written by Rajiv Joseph, Lloyd Suh, Karen Zacarias, Tanya Saracho, and Matthew Lopez. He directed the world premiere of Jorge Sosa’s electronic opera The Lake at ArtSounds in Kansas City; Trouble in Tahiti with Paul Watkins at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival; the workshop of J Ashley Miller’s pop opera Echosis with Atemporchestra; and last season was Associate Director for The Grapes of Wrath at Michigan Opera Theatre.
Richard is the Director of Opera Maine's Studio Artist Program and has directed Jack Perla's An American Dream (East Coast premiere), Mohammed Fairouz’s Sumeida’s Song, Jake Heggie's Three Decembers, Trouble in Tahiti, The Medium, and a site-specific production of Gianni Schicchi at SPACE Gallery. He is also the co-founder and director of Art with Arias, a collaborative recital series partnering artists from Opera Maine with the Portland Museum of Art now in its fourth year.
Richard works extensively with Young Artist Programs around the country. For Opera Theatre of Saint Louis' 2016, 2017, and 2018 seasons Richard co-directed Center Stage, a concert of opera scenes featuring the Gerdine Young Artists and Richard Gaddes Festival Artists with the St. Louis Symphony. Spending four years as the Stage Director for the Charlottesville Opera Young Artist Program he directed new productions of Il barbiere di Siviglia, Susannah, La bohème, and Gianni Schicchi. He was a Directing Fellow at Wolf Trap Opera directing the Wolf Trap Opera Studio in An Evening of One Act Operas: Hindemith’s Hin und züruck, Moore’s Gallantry, A Hand of Bridge, Pasatieri’s La Divina, and Heggie’s Again. And he directed a warehouse production of La bohème at Work | Release with the Virginia Opera's Emerging Artist Program. He was a Young Artist Director at Opera North and a Stage Director/Acting Coach in Greve in Chianti, Italy for Bel Canto in Tuscany.
Richard also enjoys working with young artists at leading conservatories and universities. He has recently accepted the position as Director of Opera at the University of Northern Iowa and will direct “The Monteverdi Project” this fall. Other productions include Hindemith’s Sancta Susanna and Rorem’s Three Sisters who are Not Sisters at the Manhattan School of Music; the world premiere of Jorge Sosa’s liturgical drama Tonantzin at the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance; Silent Night, La traviata, Sweeney Todd, and Così fan tutte with the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre; Ward's Roman Fever and Hilliard & Boresi's The Filthy Habit at Carnegie Mellon University; and Dido and Aeneas with Morningside College.
Other creative positions include Creative Associate for the world premiere of Dream’d in a dream with Seán Curran Company at BAM Next Wave Festival, an Artist Resident at Hewnoaks Artist Colony (2018) and the Institute for American Art (2017), Resident Assistant Director at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (2016-2018), and an Assistant Director at LA Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Wolf Trap Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Palm Beach Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Virginia Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Charlottesville Opera, Opera North, and Opera Maine working on productions that include the world premieres of Jack Perla’s Shalimar, the Clown, Terrence Blanchard’s Champion, Ricky Ian Gordon’s 27 and Rappahannock County, Jorge Martin’s Before Night Falls, and the American premieres of Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland, and Jacques Ibert’s Persée et Andromède.
Upcoming productions include Philip Glass’ The Fall of the House of Usher with the studio artists of Opera Maine and Robert Ward’s The Crucible at the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre.
Richard is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance.
JENNIFER WILLIAMS
Acclaimed as a director of “particular ingenuity,” Jennifer Williams has created innovative productions worldwide. Praise for her multi-media approach to opera has been effusive, and her extraordinary vision yields indelible results.
Site-specific and immersive productions have been a recent hallmark of her work, making Williams particularly sought-after during this difficult time of pandemic. Where others have been unwilling or unable to work without customary theatrical infrastructure, Williams thrives on the unexpected. Her unique presentations have taken her to prestigious venues in New York, Berlin, Houston, Miami, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Washington, DC, with upcoming engagements in Hong Kong, New York, Austin, and Sacramento, CA.
With an eye toward enlarging the scope of vocal performance, Williams has received two coveted grants from the Brooklyn Arts Council as well as a NYSCA Restart NY grant for the creation of an interdisciplinary work. With the partnership of the International Contemporary Ensemble, she will devise an immersive environmental installation that challenges the very concept of opera and our perception of it.
Traditional repertoire such as Rigoletto, La bohème and Les contes d’Hoffmann have figured prominently in her career at theaters such as Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, among others, but Williams is also a passionate advocate of contemporary opera. Her direction of such works as Ainadamar, Dark Sisters, Sumeida’s Song, and Backwards from Winter have been described as “extraordinarily beautiful” and “consistently imaginative.” In addition, she has created installations for concert repertoire including Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Strauss’ Vier letzte Lieder, and Schubert’s Goethe-Lieder.
Williams has served as a drama coach for the Houston Grand Opera Studio as well as the young artist programs of the San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Glimmerglass, and Wolf Trap Operas. Her apprenticeship as a Regiehospitantin at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Komische Oper Berlin, Oper Frankfurt, and Staatsoper Stuttgart forged the foundation of her unusually broad operatic and theatrical experience.
As intellectually outstanding as she is original, Williams is a Fulbright Scholar and holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University and an A.B. with honors from the University of Chicago. She is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and American Guild of Musical Artists. A champion of cultural diplomacy, she was recently appointed an Arts Envoy by the U.S. Department of State.
Acclaimed as a director of “particular ingenuity,” Jennifer Williams has created innovative productions worldwide. Praise for her multi-media approach to opera has been effusive, and her extraordinary vision yields indelible results.
Site-specific and immersive productions have been a recent hallmark of her work, making Williams particularly sought-after during this difficult time of pandemic. Where others have been unwilling or unable to work without customary theatrical infrastructure, Williams thrives on the unexpected. Her unique presentations have taken her to prestigious venues in New York, Berlin, Houston, Miami, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Washington, DC, with upcoming engagements in Hong Kong, New York, Austin, and Sacramento, CA.
With an eye toward enlarging the scope of vocal performance, Williams has received two coveted grants from the Brooklyn Arts Council as well as a NYSCA Restart NY grant for the creation of an interdisciplinary work. With the partnership of the International Contemporary Ensemble, she will devise an immersive environmental installation that challenges the very concept of opera and our perception of it.
Traditional repertoire such as Rigoletto, La bohème and Les contes d’Hoffmann have figured prominently in her career at theaters such as Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, among others, but Williams is also a passionate advocate of contemporary opera. Her direction of such works as Ainadamar, Dark Sisters, Sumeida’s Song, and Backwards from Winter have been described as “extraordinarily beautiful” and “consistently imaginative.” In addition, she has created installations for concert repertoire including Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Strauss’ Vier letzte Lieder, and Schubert’s Goethe-Lieder.
Williams has served as a drama coach for the Houston Grand Opera Studio as well as the young artist programs of the San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Glimmerglass, and Wolf Trap Operas. Her apprenticeship as a Regiehospitantin at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Komische Oper Berlin, Oper Frankfurt, and Staatsoper Stuttgart forged the foundation of her unusually broad operatic and theatrical experience.
As intellectually outstanding as she is original, Williams is a Fulbright Scholar and holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University and an A.B. with honors from the University of Chicago. She is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and American Guild of Musical Artists. A champion of cultural diplomacy, she was recently appointed an Arts Envoy by the U.S. Department of State.
TERESA REIBER
Teresa has been working as an opera and revival director since 2011 after graduating with a master's degree in Theatre and Cultural Studies in Berlin.
Teresa made her debut as director at the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden with a production of Francesco Cavalli’s opera LA CALISTO (2014). She also directed the world premiere of BÜCHNERS FRAUEN by Paul Leonard Schäffer, EIN SOMMERNACHTSTRAUM: MODERN TIMES (which closed the Philharmonie Essen's 2015 season) and Grigory Frid’s THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (for the opening night of the first Anne Frank Memorial Day in
Frankfurt/Main in 2017). In 2019, Teresa staged a well-received production of Arnold Schoenberg’s PIERROT LUNAIRE in the Tischlerei of the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
In 2016 Teresa was appointed co-director of the new children’s opera club at the Deutsche
Oper Berlin, initially working with William Robertson and later taking over as sole director. Over three seasons she and her team devised the music theatre productions DIE BERLINER STADTMUSIKANTEN, DONKY SHOT and ZWISCHENWELTEN with children aged 8-12. Teresa gained extensive experience as an assistant and revivial director at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, working with directors such as Vera Nemirova, Elisabeth Stöppler, Dietrich Hilsdorf, David Herrmann, Ole Anders Tandberg,
Christof Loy and Immo Karaman. Her work on international and touring productions has taken Teresa to the Salzburg Easter Festival, Opernhaus Graz and the Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv as well as South Korea and Bulgaria.
www.teresareiber.com
Teresa has been working as an opera and revival director since 2011 after graduating with a master's degree in Theatre and Cultural Studies in Berlin.
Teresa made her debut as director at the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden with a production of Francesco Cavalli’s opera LA CALISTO (2014). She also directed the world premiere of BÜCHNERS FRAUEN by Paul Leonard Schäffer, EIN SOMMERNACHTSTRAUM: MODERN TIMES (which closed the Philharmonie Essen's 2015 season) and Grigory Frid’s THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (for the opening night of the first Anne Frank Memorial Day in
Frankfurt/Main in 2017). In 2019, Teresa staged a well-received production of Arnold Schoenberg’s PIERROT LUNAIRE in the Tischlerei of the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
In 2016 Teresa was appointed co-director of the new children’s opera club at the Deutsche
Oper Berlin, initially working with William Robertson and later taking over as sole director. Over three seasons she and her team devised the music theatre productions DIE BERLINER STADTMUSIKANTEN, DONKY SHOT and ZWISCHENWELTEN with children aged 8-12. Teresa gained extensive experience as an assistant and revivial director at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, working with directors such as Vera Nemirova, Elisabeth Stöppler, Dietrich Hilsdorf, David Herrmann, Ole Anders Tandberg,
Christof Loy and Immo Karaman. Her work on international and touring productions has taken Teresa to the Salzburg Easter Festival, Opernhaus Graz and the Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv as well as South Korea and Bulgaria.
www.teresareiber.com
ADAM CIOFFARI
Adam Cioffari (Stage Director) recently directed The Merry Widow and Amahl and the Night Visitors for Opera Project Columbus. He began the 2018-2019 with Pittsburgh Festival Opera as Fasolt in Rhinegold and Count Lamoral in Arabella, followed by Masetto in Don Giovanni with St. Petersburg Opera, and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Arkansas Symphony. He appeared with the Columbus Symphony in performances of Messiah and Mozart’s Requiem. The previous season’s engagements included Verdi’s Requiem with the Akron Symphony, Ibn-Hakia in Iolanta with Queen City Opera, and Masetto with Salt Marsh Opera.
Recent appearances include Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd at Pittsburgh Festival Opera, the Commentator in the world premiere of Wang’s Scalia/Ginsburg at the Castleton Festival, the Musiklehrer in Ariadne auf Naxos at The Glimmerglass Festival, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte and the Novice’s Friend at Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Columbus, Colline in La Boheme with Knoxville Opera, and Masetto with Austin Opera. He has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Theatre Capitole de Toulouse, Utah Symphony and Tucson Symphony, Pensacola Opera, and Florentine Opera. Future appearances include Papageno in The Magic Flute with Salt Marsh Opera and Colline with Pacific Opera Project.
He made his debut with the Staatsoper Stuttgart as Masetto, and also appeared there as Patrocle in Iphigenie en Aulide and the High Priest of Baal in Nabucco, and Angelotti in Tosca. He joined Komische Oper Berlin as a member of its studio, appearing in a dozen roles over two seasons, including Morales in Carmen, the 1st Nazarene in Salome, and the Night Watchman in Die Meistersinger.
A former member of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, he created the role of Stanley in the world premiere of Andre Previn’s Brief Encounter. Other performances with the company include Elviro in Xerxes, Angelotti, and Snug in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He was a participant of the Merola Opera Program, the Music Academy of the West, Aspen Opera Theater, and is a graduate from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Adam Cioffari (Stage Director) recently directed The Merry Widow and Amahl and the Night Visitors for Opera Project Columbus. He began the 2018-2019 with Pittsburgh Festival Opera as Fasolt in Rhinegold and Count Lamoral in Arabella, followed by Masetto in Don Giovanni with St. Petersburg Opera, and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Arkansas Symphony. He appeared with the Columbus Symphony in performances of Messiah and Mozart’s Requiem. The previous season’s engagements included Verdi’s Requiem with the Akron Symphony, Ibn-Hakia in Iolanta with Queen City Opera, and Masetto with Salt Marsh Opera.
Recent appearances include Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd at Pittsburgh Festival Opera, the Commentator in the world premiere of Wang’s Scalia/Ginsburg at the Castleton Festival, the Musiklehrer in Ariadne auf Naxos at The Glimmerglass Festival, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte and the Novice’s Friend at Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Columbus, Colline in La Boheme with Knoxville Opera, and Masetto with Austin Opera. He has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Theatre Capitole de Toulouse, Utah Symphony and Tucson Symphony, Pensacola Opera, and Florentine Opera. Future appearances include Papageno in The Magic Flute with Salt Marsh Opera and Colline with Pacific Opera Project.
He made his debut with the Staatsoper Stuttgart as Masetto, and also appeared there as Patrocle in Iphigenie en Aulide and the High Priest of Baal in Nabucco, and Angelotti in Tosca. He joined Komische Oper Berlin as a member of its studio, appearing in a dozen roles over two seasons, including Morales in Carmen, the 1st Nazarene in Salome, and the Night Watchman in Die Meistersinger.
A former member of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, he created the role of Stanley in the world premiere of Andre Previn’s Brief Encounter. Other performances with the company include Elviro in Xerxes, Angelotti, and Snug in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He was a participant of the Merola Opera Program, the Music Academy of the West, Aspen Opera Theater, and is a graduate from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
