Faculty

David Paul

David Paul has worked as a director for opera, theater, and flm throughout the United States and abroad. The New York Times hailed his recent production of Gluck's "Iphigenie en Aulide," calling it "a gift to opera lovers", while the Washington Post lauded his "sure sense of theater." Paul's wide range of work as a stage director and flmmaker has been praised by critics and audiences for its ingenuity, attention to musical and dramatic detail, and the powerful, nuanced performances he draws from his performers. He has won awards from the Geneva Film Festival, the Hong Kong Arthouse Film Festival, and IndieFest, and he has mounted productions for the Washington National Opera, Shakespeare Theatre Company (Washington, DC), and the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Program, among many others.

The spring of 2016 marked the highly-anticipated release of “Dichterliebe: POETLOVE”, a flm conceived and directed by Paul. A cinematic adaptation of Schumann's Dichterliebe songs, using the original music but set in modern-day New York and performed entirely in English, POETLOVE has been selected for numerous flm festivals and garnered several awards around the world.

Throughout the season, he travels to Tokyo, Japan for another set of public coachings and master classes under the auspices of the Juilliard-IFAC competition, as well as Beijing, China and La Crosse, Wisconsin for residencies and master classes at the Central Conservatory of China and Viterbo University. He also returns to Princeton, NJ for semi-staged performances of "Hansel and Gretel" with the CoOperative Program. Continuing his afliation with the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Program, Paul serves as dramatic consultant for the Met+Juilliard production of "La Sonnambula." He concludes the season with two new productions: his debut at Opera Saratoga for "L'incoronazione di Poppea," and his return to the Music Academy of the West in California for Smetana’s ”The Bartered Bride." Paul began the 2014-15 season with a return to Columbia University, where he directed Chekhov's classic play "The Seagull" for his alma mater. Continuing his afliation with the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Program, Paul staged critically-acclaimed performances of Gluck's "Iphigenie en Aulide" for the annual Met+Juilliard coproduction at Lincoln Center in February 2015, as well as directing scenes and arias for the Program's annual winter concert.

He made his highly successful debut at Wolf Trap Opera in June of 2015, directing a new production of Mozart's "L'incoronazione di Poppea", and returned for his fourth new production at Music Academy of the West, this time with Rossini's "Cinderella". Highlights of the 2013-14 season included a return to Washington National Opera, where he was integrally involved in the development of "An American Soldier," a new opera by David Henry Hwang and Huang Ruo, whose world premiere he directed in June of 2014. He also directed a new production of Tchaikovsky's "Iolanta" at Westminster Choir College, several scenes and arias under the guidance of James Levine for the Met's Lindemann Young Artists annual patron performance, semi-staged performances of Donizetti's "Fille du Regiment" for the CoOperative Program in Princeton, and several performances of scenes and arias at the Juilliard School.

He returned, in July of 2014, to the Music Academy of the West, where he directed a new production of "Carmen" in celebration of the 80th birthday of Marilyn Horne, Chair of the Academy's Voice department. Prior season highlights include productions with North Carolina Opera ("Aida", "Il trovatore", "Les enfants terribles"), Music Academy of the West (new productions of "Die Zauberföte" and "The Rake's Progress"), Shakespeare Theatre Company ("Julius Caesar", "Hamlet"), The Juilliard School (Double-bill of early Rossini operas), Columbia University ("Eurydice"), and Ash Lawn Opera ("Il barbiere di Siviglia"). Together with Artistic Director Vivienne Benesch, Paul co-curated "The Romeo and Juliet Project", a unique retelling of Shakespeare's tragedy through theater, opera, and dance that celebrated its premiere at the Chautauqua Institution in 2013.

As part of his young artist residency at Washington National Opera, he directed "Le nozze di Figaro" at the Kennedy Center Opera House, earning praise from the Washington Post. He has created productions for The Tel Aviv Summer Opera Festival and the Intermezzo Festival in Belgium, and has enjoyed an ongoing relationship with Westminster Choir College, where he has directed fve opera productions as well as four semi-staged productions under the auspices of the CoOperative Program. David Paul has served on the artistic staf of Michael Kahn's Shakespeare Theatre Company and Perseverance Theater, Alaska's fagship professional theater. While in Alaska, he adapted and directed Lorca's "Blood Wedding", devised and directed an original piece with the theater's Young Company, and served as music director on productions of "The People's Temple" (world premiere of new version), "Twelfth Night", "King Island Christmas", and "Hair". He also served as Assistant Director for the Tony-nominated Broadway production of Terrence McNally's "Master Class," featuring Tyne Daly. Additional credits as director or assistant director include productions at Atlanta Opera, California Shakespeare Theater, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Perseverance Theatre, Chautauqua Theater Company, the Juilliard School's Drama Division, and the 110th Annual Varsity Show at Columbia University, among others.

Outside of his directing work, Paul has gained useful experience on the administrative side of the arts. He spent two seasons in the Metropolitan Opera's Artistic Department as an Associate in casting. He also served for one season as an Assistant Artist Manager in the Vocal Division of Columbia Artists Management. David Paul was graduated summa cum laude from Columbia University with a degree in theater arts and a specialization in directing. He is a native of Hamburg, Germany.

 

www.davidpauldirector.com