DIRECTOR, DESIGNER and PRODUCER JAMES DARRAH's visually arresting work at the intersection of theater, opera and film has become known for a singular cinematic elegance that is “experimenting and forging a new art form.” (The Wall Street Journal) His recent work as a director, screenwriter, and GRAMMY award-nominated producer includes projects that continue to explore the merging of film, television and opera. He is the new Artistic Director and Chief Creative Officer of Long Beach Opera and was the Creative Director for Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s digital content in 2020/21. In 2021/22 he also completed two cinematic opera projects with Boston Lyric Opera: a new stop motion animated feature-length film of Philip Glass’ Edgar Allan Poe adaptation The Fall of the House of Usher and the acclaimed world premiere of Desert In, an original operatic miniseries.
With Opera Philadelphia, he has made numerous new productions including the world premiere of Missy Mazzoli’s Breaking the Waves and was the producer, production designer and screenwriter for the Grammy-nominated film adaptation of Soldier Songs by composer David T. Little. He wrote, directed, produced a film adaptation of Poulenc’s La voix humaine starring the soprano Patricia Racette.
His track record developing and directing acclaimed stage world premieres includes Kate Soper’s The Romance of the Rose (Long Beach Opera) in 2023, Reid's Pulitzer Prize-winning opera p r i s m (LA Opera/Prototype), Missy Mazzoli's operas Breaking the Waves (Opera Philadelphia) and Proving Up (Opera Omaha/Miller Theater New York), Michael Tilson Thomas’ Four Preludes on Playthings on the Wind (SF Symphony, LA Phil, New World Symphony), The Brightness of Light by Kevin Puts with Reneé Fleming at Tanglewood ( Boston Symphony Orchestra), and Academy Award-winner John Corigliano’s The Lord of Cries (Santa Fe Opera). He also has crafted the U.S. West Coast premieres of Jennifer Higdon’s opera Cold Mountain and Jonathan Dove’s The Other Euridice and Flight. Darrah’s music videos for opera artists including Joyce DiDonato and Jakub Józef Orlinski are known for “enigmatic twists” (NPR) and have been distributed by the Warner Music and Erato record labels. Darrah was previously Artistic Director of Opera Omaha’s ONE Festival from 2016-2021, where he was praised for "expanding the boundaries of the operatic form" (The Wall Street Journal) by establishing a first-of-its-kind residency for artists in the operatic genre.
He is deeply committed to cultivating the next generation of performers and currently serves as Creative Producer of Music Academy of the West’s Vocal Institute, where he was also Creative Director from 2017-2020. He was Artist in Residence and creative producer at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 2022, and is currently on the design faculty of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. He has been profiled in C Magazine, GQ-Europe, the Los Angeles Times, SF Classical Voice, Alta Magazine, ALL ARTS NY, and is a winner of the national Princess Grace Award in Theater. He was a nominee for Best Director in the International Opera Awards, and has had two world premieres win the MCNA Best New Opera Award. He is a native of San Antonio, Texas and lives in Los Angeles, California.
UPCOMING PROJECTS and full credits can be found on the calendar.
PRESS QUOTES can be found via publicist Aleba and Co.
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General Management -Worldwide//
Opus 3 Artists- Caroline Woodfield
212-584-7526
cwoodfield@opus3artists.com
Publicist //
Aleba & Co.- Aleba Gartner
212-206-1450
aleba@alebaco.com