DIRECTION
MARCUS SHIELDS STAGE DIRECTOR
Marcus Shields is a stage director and generative artist whose work explores opera and classical music as material for new theatrical forms.
His directorial work spans major opera houses, experimental venues, and interdisciplinary collaborations. He has created original projects and staged opera productions for institutions including the Curtis Institute of Music, Beth Morrison Projects, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera, The Juilliard School, and the Merola Opera Program.
Shields has served as a staff stage director since 2019 for the Metropolitan Opera and has collaborated closely with directors such as Ivo van Hove, Simon Stone, and Mary Zimmerman, as well as composers including Jeanine Tesori, John Adams, and Matthew Aucoin.
Upcoming directorial projects include Very Feral Today with Duo Étrange, Don Giovanni at the Metropolitan Opera, a contemporary double bill for Catapult Opera, La Passion de Simone by Kaija Saariaho at the Curtis Institute of Music, Falstaff for The Juilliard School, and a world premiere opera by David Hertzberg( The Wake World, The Rose Elf) for the Rochester Philharmonic.
He has taught directing and performance at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, the Chautauqua Institute, and Des Moines Metro Opera.
Originally trained as a musician( voice, piano, percussion), Shields also works in video, photography, and installation. Across mediums, his approach emphasizes form, process, and the evolving ways classical material can be engaged through contemporary design and performance practices.
in order of vocal appearance
CAST
MARK S. DOSS BASS-BARITONE( RAMFIS)
Grammy Award Winner Mark S. Doss opened the 2024-25 season with a Paul Robeson Tribute in Peekskill, NY, then returning to La Monnaie in Brussels as William Daley in Kris Defoort’ s The Time of Our Singing, next being featured in the Prague Philharmonic’ s New Year’ s Eve Gala.
Additionally, this season, Mr. Doss, a performer of 106 opera roles, headlined the opera contingency for the Straz Center of Tampa’ s Annual Gala, joining the Musical Theater headliners to promote both elements of the Performing Arts.
Recent engagements included Jochanaan( Salome) in Houston Symphony’ s semi-staged production, Opera Highlights with Dallas Opera, Beethoven’ s Ninth with the Minnesota Orchestra, La Fenice, and the Houston Symphony; and a return to La Fenice in Venice as Balstrode in Peter Grimes.
Beginning his career on the roster of New York’ s Metropolitan Opera, Mr. Doss has since performed with some of the world’ s most prestigious opera houses, including Milan’ s Teatro alla Scala, with eight roles that include Argante( Rinaldo), Jochanaan( Salome), and Amonasro( Aida); Amonasro and Alfio( Cavalleria rusticana) with London’ s Covent Garden; Amonasro with the Vienna State Opera; Escamillo and Thoas( Iphigénie en Tauride) with San Francisco Opera; and Escamillo and Cinque in Amistad at Lyric Opera of Chicago, among others. Additionally, at Turin’ s Teatro Regio he’ s sung Simone in Zemlinsky’ s The Florentine Tragedy, and the title role in The Flying Dutchman; while at Dorset Opera( U. K.) he sang Pizarro( Fidelio), and the title roles in Verdi’ s Macbeth and Nabucco; and the Four Villains( The Tales of Hoffmann) with the New National Opera in Tokyo.
14