NED CANTY

Ned Canty is a taller than average stage director with credits from companies such as Glimmerglass Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Santa Fe Opera, and New York City Opera. The New York Times has described his stage direction as having “a startling combination of sensitivity and panache,” though other critics have held widely divergent views.  Mr. Canty’s career in opera reflects a commitment to introducing new audiences to opera, as well as working with emerging artists at major conservatories such as The Curtis Institute, The Juilliard School, the Israeli Vocal Arts Institute, and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.  He has collaborated with a number of composers and librettists on the development of new works through American Opera Projects, and he has directed world premieres in Memphis, New York and Tel Aviv.  In 2011 he became general director of Opera Memphis, where he developed 30 Days of Opera, a month long festival of free performances throughout the city.  Prior to assuming his current position, Mr. Canty was Director of the New York Television Festival.  Over the course of five years, he helped grow the Festival into a nationally recognized forum for discovering new television talent and exploring digital and new media storytelling.  Mr. Canty has also worked as an actor, director, and stuntman at Hartford Stage Company, The McCarter Theatre, and the New York Renaissance Festival, among others.  He is a member of the Opera America Strategy Committee.