Christopher Mattaliano
In his distinguished career, Christopher Mattaliano has directed opera productions for The Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Minnesota Opera, and New York City Opera. His international credits include productions for L’Opéra de Nice, L’Opéra de Montréal, Canadian Opera Company, Spoleto’s Festival dei Due Mondi, and Den Norske Opera. He enjoyed a long career in the US as General Director at Portland Opera, as well as Artistic Director at Michigan’s Pine Mountain Music Festival, and is currently General and Artistic Director at OrpheusPDX in Portland OR, founding the company in 2022.
Recent directing engagements include La Boheme at Yales School of Music, Il Trovatore at Opera Colorado, I Pagliacci at San Diego Opera, Die Zauberflöte with Washington National Opera, Il barbiere di Siviglia with Dallas Opera and Cincinnati Opera–a revival of an earlier original production he directed for Portland Opera and Michigan Opera Theatre, a new production of Rigoletto at Opera Colorado, Anna Bolena at AVA in Philadelphia, Candide for Arizona Opera, and Macbeth for New Orleans Opera.
LA BOHEME – Yale School of Music, 2026:
“In larger productions of “La Bohème,” an intermission between acts 1 and 2 allows for a magnificent scene change from a drafty, gray apartment to a lively Parisian city square. On Saturday night, the curtain stayed up and the transition was woven into the continuous action of the performance under the brilliant oversight of stage director Christopher Mattaliano. The entire chorus, 30 singers strong, rushed onstage, excitedly singing about the spritely energy of a lively Parisian evening. The facade of the Café Momus rolled into place and the ensemble split off to go about their business flirting, chatting and waiting tables…The production’s greatest strength was its ability to communicate emotion. The audience had no choice but to feel along with the characters. The stage and lighting design, the precise musical and stage direction and the small size of the venue created an experience that was world-class yet had a hometown feel.” Anna Zoltowsky, Yale Daily News, February 16. 2026
I PAGLIACCI – San Diego Opera, 2025
“There was much to admire in Christopher Mattaliano’s staging, especially in how effectively he used minimal sets and props. He updated the story to the 1940s, and Paul Palazzo’s bright, reddish-brown lighting (notably in Act I) gave it the appearance of a Technicolor film. Allen Moyer completely stripped the Civic Theatre stage bare, with only a short backdrop indicating the troupe’s stage area. The rest of the Civic Theatre stage was left empty, with side pulleys, for example, clearly visible. He simply placed a raised platform in the center of the set, with a single tree as background. The stark emptiness created an uneasy, foreboding feeling for the audience right from the start.” Michael Anthonio, Parterre Box, November 4, 2025
“Director Christopher Mattaliano placed the story roughly a century later than the original, which works better for a modern audience…he makes Canio a truly unlikable character, a serial seducer, rough on his wife, difficult to work for, and without the slightest indication of the sense of humor a clown should have. This puts the audience on the side of Nedda, his competitively unfaithful wife.” Ron Bierman, Broadway World, November 6, 2025
ESTHER – New York City Opera (World Premiere);
“The company has given the work a stunning yet simple production, directed by Christopher Mattaliano…one hopes it will be repeated and recorded.” Edward Rothstein, New York Times, October, 1993
“Hugo Weisgall’s “Esther” is a triumph. Such dramatic fluidity needs its answers in the staging, and Christopher Mattaliano’s production was always ready.” Paul Griffiths, The New Yorker, October 1993
CANDIDE — Arizona Opera
“Although this sprawling work of musical genius takes place in various parts of Europe and South America, director Christopher Mattaliano turned its many wide-ranging scenes into a performable and memorable show.” Maria Nocklin, Opera Today, February 2018.
“Christopher Mattaliano has delivered a production that is unique in its use of technology and design and that raises the bar high on any future undertaking of CANDIDE.” Herbert Payne, Broadway World, February 2018
No operatic repertoire currently listed.
No concert repertoire currently listed.
Contact
Deborah Sanders
Founder and Director
deborah@arbourartists.com