Ian Silverman is a stage director for all forms of music theater, from opera to musical theater to operetta, and creates productions that highlight and shift character focus to enhance the story, connect to the audience, and deliver a vivid personal experience. His own performance background as a singing actor, coupled with a practical knowledge of the totality of stagecraft, make his empathy for the performers’ work central to his process.
This Season, Ian made his directorial debut with Arizona Opera, remounting Francesca Zambello’s production of The Sound of Music. He also co-directed a New Production of Werther at William Jewel College with Papermoon Productions. This summer, Ian returned to the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis to assist James Robinson on a New Production of Tosca as well as to co-direct the CenterStage Scenes Concert. Ian and his design team was chosen as one of the winners of Opera America's Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize for their production concept of Fellow Travelers. Their design will be on display at the Opera America Center from November 2023 to May 2024.
Ian has worked in all forms of music theater, from rare operettas to golden age musicals to large scale grand opera. In addition to standard repertoire, Ian has extensive experience with new work and has worked on eleven world premiere productions. Ian also has experience working for film as both a director and video editor.
Ian has served on the directing staffs of Palm Beach Opera, Experiments in Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Naples, The Ohio Light Opera, OnSite Opera, and the Brevard Music Center among others. He has also directed productions at Arizona Opera, William Jewel College, Amarillo Opera, Youngstown State University, The Rochester Fringe Festival, Miami Children’s Chorus, and Eastman Opera Theater.
Ian graduated from the Eastman School of Music with Master of Music Degree in Stage Directing and a Certificate in Arts Leadership in May 2020.