Director

Michael Gielata

Tosca

Biography

Michael Gieleta is considered one of the most versatile European stage-directors of his generation, working internationally in theatre, musicals and opera. During his training he was mentored by some of Europe’s most iconic artists including Franco Zeffirelli, Richard Eyre, Alan Bennett, Howard Davies, Oscar-winner Andrzej Wajda, Cameron Macintosh, Nicholas Hytner and David Hare. His recent opera credits include acclaimed productions of Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor and Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol (Santa Fe Opera), Puccini’s La rondine (Opera Theatre of St Louis), Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players (Houston Grand Opera, Florentine Opera), Smetana’s The Kiss (Opera Theatre of St Louis), Mozart’s The Magic Flute (Chicago Opera Theater), Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta and Puccini’s La bohème (Yale Opera), Statkowski’s Maria and Smetana’s Hubička (Wexford Festival Opera), Massenet’s Manon (Cape Town Opera), Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana, Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Puccini’s Tosca and Madama Butterfly, and Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore and Don Pasquale (The State Theatre, Pretoria). Gieleta was the Artistic Director of the Cherub Company London, where he produced, directed and premiered works by renowned playwrights including Peter Nichols, Tom Stoppard, Gao Xingjian, Glyn Maxwell, Martin Sherman, Arthur Laurents, Ronald Harwood, Nilo Cruz, Fabrice Melquiot and Howard Barker. He is a graduate of Oxford University where he received an MA in English Language and Literature, going on to study Theatre Direction at the National Theatre Studio, London, Università degli Studi di Milano, Istituto degli Studi Teatrali and the National Theatre Academy of Warsaw.

May 2022