Susan Stone
Stage Director
Administrator
Educator
Susan Stone
Stage Director
Administrator
Educator
Nuns & Swindlers?
Two of Puccini’s beloved operas will be paired for one performance at Berlin Opera Academy.
Susan will make her German national debut directing, Giannni Schicchi & Suor Angelica, in August of 2022.
Poppea in her homeland
In July of 2022, Susan will join Saluzzo Opera Academy
and make her Italian debut directing Monteverdi’s, L'incoronazione di Poppea.
Susan’s production photos from 2020 can be found in here!
Susan & Clickcoach are hooked up!
Clickcoach, the newest website resource for classical musicians, launched in January. Clickcoach is a non-profit organization that provides access to the THOUGHTS & ADVICE OF PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS.
Click HERE to see her…
Susan Makes Directorial Debut with Opera Southwest.
Rossini’s La cambiale di matriomonio, made its southwestern debut in Albequerque, NM, with Susan directing. The first of Rossini’s opera compositions was performed in the city’s famed tango hall, Las Puertas. Opera Southwest’s apprentice artists performed this delightful and short comedy in and among the audiences, as well as, around the orchestra. Click HERE to see the show in action, even as the power failed in the venue…
Susan & AGMA SOLOIST COALITION
IN JULIA CAMERON’S, THE ARTIST’S WAY
Healing artistic wounds and facilitating wholehearted artistry is Susan’s passion. While working with ARTIST RELIEF TREE, Susan began working with AGMA’s Opera Soloist Coalition to facilitate COVID-19 related relief for their members.
Foremost on SC’s agenda was working on healing the ubiquitous emotional impact of losing valuable work and any opportunity for artistic expression. This opportunity to work through The Artist’s Way during these unprecedented times, with fellow artists, is a gift in the midst of great loss. These “creative clusters” have become communities of safe space for grief, healing, and vulnerability.
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, & Susan Stone
create, Mother of Us All, in pre-pandemic NY, February 2020
“Director Susan Stone Li has fearlessly taken the charge in bringing these characters and this story to life. Stein’s writing in “The Mother of Us All” is whimsical and includes heaps of wordplay. This leaves much room for interpretation, and Susan Stone Li has opened the door for each singer to share his/her personal thoughts. She then combines them with her own vision to create a cohesive unit. I have never put a show together in such a short amount of time so it is exciting to see how Susan can give broad directions and still inspire specific actions. At times, one group is rehearsing on stage while another group receives their blocking notes for the next scene. Somehow, Susan seems to have eyes and ears everywhere to make the adjustments and provide the direction needed.”
DEBUT:
Houston Grand Opera
Susan Stone directs La boheme for Houston Grand Opera at the Miller Outdoor Theatre and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.
PERFORMANCE:
La voix humaine
Susan directs a new production of Poulenc's La voix humaine on April 16, 2014 at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music.
VIDEO:
The Medium
A scene from The Medium by Giancarlo Menotti, presented by Florida State University and directed by Susan Stone.
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For more news, reviews and updates, click here
About
About
about susan
Director
Susan Stone is a Texas-based opera professional with a background in opera and musical theatre. Stone’s diverse experience in backstage and artistic leadership makes her a unique creative. In her creative endeavors, Stone’s artistic leadership shines brightest in her ability to stage beyond the proscenium. In August of 2021 Stone staged Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi in the community center of Kandersteg, Switzerland. In 2022 she will revive this non-traditional production in Berlin. In 2022 Stone directs L’incoronazione di Poppea, for Saluzzo (Itally) Opera Academy at Fondazione Scuola di Alto Perfezionamento Musicale. In previous seasons, Stone has directed fully produced operas in converted churches, warehouses, and night clubs. In February of 2019, Opera Southwest engaged Stone to direct Rossini’s, La cambiale de Matrimonio. With full orchestra at the center of the night club’s dance floor, Stone Li created an interactive operatic experience. This technical difficulty in her production’s opening night was picked up by Slipped Disc, and regarded as a, “must see.”
In the 2014/15 season she made her debut with Houston's Opera in the Heights directing a new production of Verdi's Rigoletto, as well as her debut with The Atlanta Opera directing the spring studio tour of The Marriage of Figaro.
After serving as assistant director to John Caird for a new production of La bohème at the Houston Grand Opera in 2012, Stone Li made her HGO directorial debut remounting the production in 2013 at the Miller Outdoor Theater and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion. She has previously served as assistant director at HGO for Cosi fan tutti in 2015, Mary Stuart in 2012 and Fidelio in 2011.
With her ability to administrate, she has led opera outreach seasons for Wolf Trap Opera, and was Director of Opera, for Baylor Opera Theater at Baylor University in Waco, TX.
In addition to opera, Stone has worked in musical theater and cabaret assisting on touring productions of Cats, Camelot, Chicago, and Annie, working with such performers as Andrea Marcovicci, Karen Mason, and Robert Goulet. In the summer months she enjoys working at Aspen Opera Theater Center and Wolf Trap Opera.
For a complete biography, please click here
Directing
Directing
recent projects
Click the images below for production photos from Susan’s recent productions
For more information about Susan's directing projects, please click here
Inspiration
Inspiration
