Alessandro Talevi – Director

Born in Johannesburg, Alessandro Talevi studied music and history of art at the University of the Witwatersrand and piano accompaniment at the Royal Academy of Music. He was a prizewinner at the 2007 European Opera-Directing Prize in Wiesbaden for his concept of Rusalka, and was recently made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. His production of Pelléas et Mélisande at Sadler’s Wells was a shortlist nomination for the 2008 Royal Philharmonic Society awards.

With the generous support of William and Judith Bollinger, Alessandro Talevi was the artistic director of Independent Opera at Sadler’s Wells, for which he directed Pelléas et Mélisande, The Sofa, The Departure, Orlando and La scala di seta.

Recent work includes Katya Kabanova (Landestheater Coburg), Djamileh/Le Docteur Miracle (Royal College of Music), La Traviata (Cape Town Opera), Amadigi di Gaula (Central City Opera), The Turn of the Screw (Opera North), The Barber of Baghdad (Buxton Festival), La Cenerentola (Malmö Opera), Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno and Partenope (Opéra les Azuriales), L’assedio di Calais, The Marriage/La cambiale di matrimonio, L’occasione fa il ladro/La Colombe (all for the Guildhall School of Music and Drama) and La Fedeltà Premiata (Royal Academy of Music).

Upcoming productions include:The Turn of the Screw (Central City Opera), Don Giovanni (Opera North), The Turn of The Screw (Israeli Opera), Anna Bolena and Roberto Devereux (Welsh National Opera).