José Maria Condemi, Stage Director – José Maria has been a director and producer of opera and theater of exceptional artistic quality for over two decades, both in the United States and internationally. His work encompasses a diverse range of styles and periods, consistently lauded for its theatrical sophistication, distinct visual sensibility, and innovative approach.

Condemi’s long-standing relationship with San Francisco Opera has seen him direct numerous mainstage productions for the renowned company, including Carmen, Un Ballo in Maschera, Madama Butterfly, Faust, Tosca, Così fan tutte, among others. He also directed the world premieres of The Secret Garden and Earthrise and recently conceived an innovative outreach program called Bohème Out of the Box, slated to return for a third installment in 2025. His extensive portfolio also includes significant engagements with major opera houses, such as Ernani and Tristan und Isolde with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Aida at Houston Grand Opera, Luisa Miller for Canadian Opera Company, Orphée et Eurydice, La Bohème, Tosca, and Il Trovatore at Seattle Opera, Ainadamar, Don Giovanni, La Traviata, Tosca, and Lucia di Lammermoor for Cincinnati Opera, and Frida for Detroit Opera, Atlanta Opera, and Florida Grand Opera. Additional notable engagements include productions for The Dallas Opera, Portland Opera, New Orleans Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Minnesota Opera, Opera Colorado, Utah Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Austin Lyric Opera, Kentucky Opera, and many others.

In theater and musical theater, Condemi’s credits include Caryl Churchill’s Mad Forest, Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s The Physicists, Ariel Dorfman’s Death and the Maiden, Federico García Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba, and Jerry Herman’s Hello, Dolly!, among others.

As a sought-after mentor for young artists, Condemi has served as a guest lecturer, master teacher, and stage director with programs including the Merola Opera Program, Wolf Trap Opera, Seattle Opera Young Artists Program, Houston Grand Opera Studio, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, University of Houston Moores School, Opera Theater of Lucca, and the New National Theatre Tokyo’s Young Artists Programme. His teaching philosophy blends rigorous technical training with an acute awareness of the art form’s professional demands, fostering a supportive yet demanding learning environment. Students consistently praise his practical and dependable approach, which equips them with effective performance tools. In the realm of young artist training, Condemi’s directing credits include Eugene Onegin, Dead Man Walking, and Lucia di Lammermoor at Indiana University, La Traviata with Wolf Trap Opera, La Cenerentola, La Bohème, Hin und Zurück, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi for the Merola Opera Program, and Carmen and Il Barbiere di Siviglia at the University of Cincinnati summer programs, among others.

From 2010 to 2015, Condemi served as Artistic Director of Opera Santa Barbara, where he oversaw repertoire selection, budgeting, casting, and overall artistic vision. From 2015 to 2022, he held the Carol Franc Buck Distinguished Chair at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he led a comprehensive academic and artistic overhaul of the Opera and Musical Theater program and successfully managed its re-accreditation process.

Originally from Argentina, Condemi holds an undergraduate degree in Opera Stage Direction from Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. A two-time participant in the prestigious Merola Opera Program and an inaugural Adler Fellow in Stage Direction at San Francisco Opera, he is also a Fulbright Fellow. Currently, he is pursuing a Master of Business Administration through the Global Leaders Institute.

Upcoming directing engagements include Rigoletto and La Bohème Out of the Box for San Francisco Opera, Salome for San Diego Opera, Tosca for Cincinnati Opera, Così fan Tutte at the Academy of Vocal Arts, and Alcina for the Trentino Music Festival