Opera Director
Known both for his bold and inventive productions and for his acute musical instincts, Chas Rader-Shieber has established himself as one of the most innovative opera directors of his generation. Reviewing his staging of Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen, Toronto's Classical 96.3 FM praised Mr. Rader-Shieber's "daring and visionary approach to staging" and declared him "a force to be reckoned with in the opera world." Mr. Rader-Shieber's repertoire encompasses a broad range of works from Mozart to Benjamin Britten, but he has made a particular specialty of Baroque opera.
Of his production of Handel's Orlando at the New York City Opera in 2004, The New York Times stated that Mr. Rader-Shieber had given audiences a production "at once contemporary, fanciful, and true to the original." His work at the New York City Opera also has included a critically acclaimed production of Handel's Flavio in 2003. Mr. Rader-Shieber opened the 2009-2010 season directing Die Entführung aus dem Serail with San Francisco Opera and then directed a remount of Tamerlano for Los Angeles Opera. He will conclude the season directing Antony and Cleopatra for the Curtis Institute of Music, Handel's Tolomeo for Glimmerglass Opera, and Don Giovanni for the Music Academy of the West.
Last season Mr. Rader-Shieber made his debut in Australia presenting Charpentier's David et Jonathas for Pinchgut Opera. He also presented a new production Die Entführung aus dem Serail at Lyric Opera of Chicago and directed Il Viaggio a Reims at Curtis. He finished the season with a new production of Il re pastore for Opera Theatre of St. Louis and directed his production of Don Giovanni for Santa Fe Opera.
During the 2007-2008 season Mr. Rader-Shieber directed Una Cosa Rara for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Handel's Tamerlano at Washington National Opera, Bolcom's A Wedding at the Music Academy, and Aindamar by Osvaldo Golijov at Curtis Opera Theater. The previous season Mr. Rader-Shieber brought his Don Giovanni to Opera Pacific and made his return to New York City Opera, directing Rossini's La Donna del Lago, which he also directed at Minnesota Opera. Rounding out his season were engagements to direct L'Ormindo at Pittsburgh Opera, The Cunning Little Vixen at Houston Grand Opera, and Bellini's I Puritani at Opera Theater of St. Louis.
Among his many other Handel credits, he directed lavish and modern stagings of Semele for the Arizona Opera and the Skylight Opera Theatre, Alcina at the Curtis Institute of Music, Giulio Cesare at the Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and Edmonton operas, and Tamerlano at the Spoleto Festival USA. He has also directed other Baroque operas, including Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea for Pittsburgh Opera Center and the Curtis Institute, and Purcell's Dido and Aeneas at the Curtis Institute.
Mr. Rader-Shieber's work also includes repertoire ranging from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin at the Skylight Opera Theatre, to Donizetti's Don Pasquale at the Music Academy, and the operas of Britten, Giancarlo Menotti, and Ned Rorem at the Curtis Institute of Music. Mr. Rader-Shieber has served as artistic director of the Skylight Opera Theatre and on the faculty at Juilliard.