| Elizabeth Bachman |
Program Director Stage director, acting teacher, coach of English, French and Italian diction. Ms. Bachman consistently receives critical praise for her innovative opera staging. Conversant in five languages, she has directed more than 50 operas in over 30 companies in North America, Japan and Argentina. In addition to her extensive operatic resume, Ms. Bachman spent 13 years as the stage director, acting teacher and production coordinator for the San Francisco Girls’ Chorus’ Opera Arts Training Program. She has taught at the Baltimore Opera Young Artist Program, University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music, Carnegie Mellon University, Webster University in St. Louis, and the Banff Centre for the Arts. Some of the companies Elizabeth has worked with include: The Metropolitan Opera (Where she has directed such artists as Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Kathleen Battle, and Sherrill Milnes), Teatro Argentino, Boston Lyric Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Opera, Portland Opera, Vancouver Opera, Calgary Opera, Opera Columbus, and Òpera de Puerto Rico, where she was Artistic Advisor for 5 years “I thank my lucky stars that I was able to work with someone as wonderful, thorough and caring as Elizabeth!” — Samantha Lacroix, Lake George Opera
Stage director Elizabeth Bachman consistently receives critical praise for her innovative operatic productions. Of her production of La Forza del Destino with Connecticut Grand Opera, the Connecticut Post said: "The word 'brilliant' comes up again for Elizabeth Bachman's stage direction. She didn't miss the least opportunity to electrify the highly charged drama of undying love and self-consuming vengeance." Opera News wrote of her production of Les Contes d'Hoffmann with Madison Opera: "Fine singing and solid theater values marked Madison Opera's Les Contes d'Hoffmann.... Director Elizabeth Bachman kept the action crisp and clean, delineated her characters clearly, and offered a variety of charming touches." For her production of Roméo et Juliette with Sarasota Opera, Opéra International commented that "she created a veritable portrait gallery of finely drawn and well-conceived characters ... the clarity and economy of her visual storytelling was telling and unusual." And for her production of Rigoletto with Madison Opera, the Capital Times declared that "... dramatic tension is useful to a good director, and Elizabeth Bachman is a very good director indeed." Elizabeth Bachman's recent engagements include Aida at the Metropolitan Opera with Luciano Pavarotti, L’Assedio di Corinto and La Boheme with Baltimore Opera, Madama Butterfly with Boston Lyric Opera and her stage directing debut at Teatro Argentino (La Plata, Argentina) with Turandot. In addition, she has directed L'Elisir d'Amore and La Traviata for the Metropolitan Opera; Le Nozze di Figaro in Vancouver, Portland (OR) and Ft. Worth; new productions of Candide at Lake George Opera and Madison Opera; Tosca with Mobile Opera; Un Ballo in Maschera for Arizona Opera; Madama Butterfly for Ft. Worth Opera, in Charlotte (NC), Columbus and Cincinnati (OH), and San Juan (Puerto Rico); Carmen with Opera Festival of New Jersey, Syracuse Opera and Madison Opera; and the world premiere of Ezequiel Viñao's Arcanum at The Kitchen in New York. Elizabeth Bachman has worked with numerous opera companies in North America, directing a diverse repertoire: Faust in Pittsburgh, Houston, Charlotte and Dallas; The Merry Widow with Shreveport Opera; Il Tabarro / Gianni Schicchi (starring Sherrill Milnes) with Connecticut Grand Opera; and Don Pasquale with Lake George Opera. She has directed at the Portland Opera (Hansel and Gretel), Opera Columbus (L'Incoronazione di Poppea, La Traviata and Lucia di Lammermoor), Madison Opera (Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Rigoletto and Candide), Mobile Opera (Tosca), Indianapolis Opera (The Ballad of Baby Doe) and Anchorage Opera (Don Giovanni). She has also directed productions of Carmen, La Traviata and Madama Butterfly for Opera de Puerto Rico, where she was the Artistic Advisor for five years. Elizabeth Bachman is the Artistic Director of the Tyrolean Opera Program (TOP), a summer opera training program in the Austrian Alps. Other international credits include directing in Tokyo for the Metropolitan Opera tour (L'Elisir d'Amore). She has taught at the University of the Pacific, Webster University, St. Louis, Carnegie Mellon University, the Banff Centre and the Baltimore Opera's Studio Program. |
