An internationally recognized director of opera and theater, Francesca Zambello's American debut took place at the Houston Grand Opera with a production of Fidelio in 1984. She debuted in Europe at Teatro la Fenice in Venice with Beatrice di Tenda in 1987 and has since staged new productions at major theaters and opera houses in Europe and the USA. Collaborating with outstanding artists and designers and promoting emerging talent, she takes a special interest in new music theater works, innovative productions, and in producing theater and opera for wider audiences ... read full bio

An internationally recognized director of opera and theater, Francesca Zambello's American debut took place at the Houston Grand Opera with a production of Fidelio in 1984. She debuted in Europe at Teatro la Fenice in Venice with Beatrice di Tenda in 1987 and has since staged new productions at major theaters and opera houses in Europe and the USA. Collaborating with outstanding artists and designers and promoting emerging talent, she takes a special interest in new music theater works, innovative productions, and in producing theater and opera for wider audiences.

Francesca Zambello has recently been awarded the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government for her contribution to French culture and the Russian Federation's medal for Service to Culture. Other honors for her work include three Olivier Awards from the London Society of Theaters and two Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical and Best Opera. She has also received the award for Best Company Achievement. The French Grand Prix des Critiques was awarded to her twice for her work at the Paris Opera. Other awards include Best Production in Japan, the Palme d'Or in Germany, the Golden Mask in Russia and the Helpmann Award in Australia.

Opera works in recent seasons have included the world premiere of An American Tragedy, Cyrano and Les Troyens for the Metropolitan Opera, Cyrano for Teatro alla Scala, Porgy and Bess and Die Walküre for the Washington Opera, La Bohème at the Royal Albert Hall; Fiery Angel for the Bolshoi, Salome for Chicago Lyric Opera, Carmen and Don Giovanni at the Royal Opera House and Boris Godunov, War and Peace, Billy Budd and William Tell at the Paris Opera.

Recent theater projects have included The Little Mermaid for Disney on Broadway,  Showboat in London at the Royal Albert Hall; a new musical, Rebecca, for Vienna's Raimund Theater; Tibet Through the Red Box, a new play by David Henry Hwang for the Seattle Children's Theatre; The Little Prince with Oscar-winning composer Rachel Portman; and Napoleon in the West End. Other recent works have included a film of Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors for BBC Television, as well as a new film for the BBC, Sony and PBS of The Little Prince; and, West Side Story for the floating stage in Bregenz.

Her works in progress include the development of  several new musicals, one based on The Little House on the Prairie with Rachel Portman and Rachel Sheinkin that will premiere in the summer of 2008 at the Guthrie Theater. Also,  The First Wives Club by Rupert Holmes and the Motown Kings, Holland-Dozier-Holland. Further opera works include The Ring for Washington Opera and San Francisco Opera. She was recently given the position of Artistic Advisor to the San Francisco Opera.

An American who grew up in Europe, she speaks French, Italian, German, and Russian. She attended Moscow University in 1976 and graduated cum laude from Colgate University in 1978. She began her career as an Assistant Director to the late Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. From 1984-1991 she was the Artistic Director of the Skylight Music Theater. She has been guest professor at Harvard and Berkeley Universities.

Francesca  Zambello lives in New York and London.