​David Pountney

Breathwork

Biography

David Pountney became internationally known as a director through his production of Janáček’s Katya Kabanová at Wexford Festival Opera in 1972. Between 1975 and 1980 he was director of productions for Scottish Opera. Productions there featured a Janáček cycle in collaboration with Welsh National Opera. He directed the world premiere of David Blake’s Toussaint in 1977 for ENO and went on to become ENO’s director of productions in 1980. He directed over 20 operas there, and took a leading part in making ENO a powerful engine of radical theatrical experiment. He has directed over 20 world premieres, including three by Peter Maxwell Davies for which he also wrote the libretto, and has translated operas into English from Russian, Czech, German and Italian. He continues to be an enthusiastic libretto writer. As a freelance director, future plans include Dvořák’s Rusalka at The Santa Fe Opera, Verdi’s Otello for the re-opening of the Poznań Opera House, Smetana’s Dalibor for Brno, and the world premiere of John Tavener’s Krishna for Grange Park Opera. Recent work includes Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Oper Leipzig), Langer and Pountney’s Figaro Gets A Divorce (Opernhaus Magdeburg) and a new production of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (Israeli Opera). He received a Janáček medal for his Janáček cycle in Wales and Scotland, and a Martinů medal for his productions of Martinů’s Julietta and The Greek Passion (Opera North and Bregenz Festival). His productions have twice won an Olivier award.

June 2023