Herbert Kellner has been associated with top opera companies for more than 30 years, and with Lyric Opera of Chicago for almost twenty years. He made his directing debut with the company in 1987 with a production of Puccini's Tosca featuring Renato Scotto and Sherrill Milnes in the leading roles. Kellner joined the production staff of Lyric Opera in 1975 as an assistant stage manager after graduating from Indiana University with a Master's Degree in Opera Stage Direction. He became the resident stage director and acting coach for the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists in 1984, where he taught acting, did private coaching and directed productions such as Hansel and Gretel.
In 1985, he became the executive stage manager of Lyric Opera of Chicago, a position he held for ten years. During this period, Mr. Kellner directed some thirty operas, including such critical successes as The Rake's Progress and The Medium for Skylight Opera in Milwaukee, and Gotterdammerung at the ArtPark Festival in 1987. Kellner recently staged Tristan und Isolde, starring Ben Heppner and Jane Eaglen, for Lyric Opera.
In addition to Lyric Opera, Mr. Kellner has been associated with companies such as Houston Grand Opera, Los Angeles Music Center Opera, San Francisco Opera, New Orleans Opera, San Diego Opera and Portland Opera (where, in 1995, he made his debut directing The Barber of Seville). He has directed operas such as La boheme, Madame Butterfly, Tosca, La traviata, Il trovatore, Elektra, and Le nozze di Figaro at companies across the country. Mr. Kellner made his European debut in Pforzheim, Germany, assisting on a production of Lortzing's Waffenschmied. In 1990, he made his Swiss debut assisting John Copley on a production of Rossini's Tancredi at the Theatre du Genève. Kellner has worked with some of the top people in the field, including Sir Peter Hall, Jean-Pierre Ponelle and Francesca Zambello.
Herbert Kellner was assistant director for the Dallas Opera's world premiere production of Therese Raquin in 2001, and directed that work for L'Opéra de Montreal and San Diego Opera in 2002 and 2003, respectively.
