Michael McCarthy
Director

Studied Music at Birmingham University and Postgraduate Theatre Studies at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff University. I co-founded Cardiff New Opera Group with Michael Rafferty in 1982 and this led to the creation of Music Theatre Wales in 1988. Alongside MTW, from 1998-2012 I was Artistic Director of Operatoriet – the contemporary opera studio for Norway, and from 2007 – 2012 I was Dramaturg for FIVE:15 – Operas Made in Scotland for Scottish Opera. In 2012 I led the Opera Creation Academy at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. In the 1980s I was revival director for The Fires of London, the company led by Peter Maxwell Davies.

I have directed over 40 contemporary operas, including almost all of MTW’s productions. Other productions include large-scale outdoor stagings of Tosca and Nabucco, and productions of La Traviata, Cosi fan Tutte, Il Re Pastore, Fidelio and Don Giovanni. Also, Cinderella by Peter Maxwell Davies for WNO and S4C Television, The Lighthouse for BBC2 TV, The Forbidden Hymn – a community opera in the South Wales Valleys and The Feast of the Pheasant for Glasgow 1990.

I was awarded Best Director at the Wales Theatre Awards for my world premiere production of The Trial by Philip Glass in a co-production by MTW and the Royal Opera House. My production of Greek won Outstanding Achievement in Opera at the TMA Awards. I was awarded an MBE in 2016.