Description

The artistic administrator/stage director decides on everything you see when the curtain rises on an opera production, from the selection singers, to the ‘look’ and the ‘dramatic expression’ of the performance. This means that the stage ‘picture’ formed by the arrangement of singers, and how they move and interact is the responsibility of the stage director. We  explore the dynamic of opera production when the decisions are shared among a small group making up the creative team. 

David Bartholomew’s career as artistic director and/or stage director for opera companies from coast to coast spans fifty years. His first opera for Opera Southwest was in 1978, and he directed many subsequent productions there. He became well-known for his artistry and style, which led to his appointment as Artistic Administrator/Principal Stage Director in 2006. Currently he is at work on Peleas and Melisande by Debussy for the company. 

Dahl Delu is an Emmy award winning art director and production designer, who worked in opera at the Met in New York. He has extensive experience in American theater, film and prime time television – designing sets, costumes and lighting for Broadway, Off-Broadway, the New York City Opera and
Ballet, and many regional theaters including Albuquerque’s Landmark Productions. Since moving to the city in 2009 he has designed sets for Opera Southwest.