Thaddeus Strassberger facts for kids

Thaddeus Strassberger is a world-famous opera director. He also designs the sets, costumes, and lighting for the shows he directs. Born in 1976, he is a citizen of the United States, Italy, and the Cherokee Nation. He has worked on operas in more than fifteen countries.

Early Life and Education

Thaddeus Strassberger was born in 1976. His family has Cherokee, Irish, and German roots. He grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma and is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. He is also an Italian citizen.

He graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1994. The school later added him to its Hall of Fame in 2016. He then earned a degree from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City.

Strassberger won a Fulbright Fellowship, a special award that let him study abroad. He went to Milan, Italy, to study at the famous La Scala opera house from 2000 to 2001. There, he earned a diploma in designing and building scenery for plays.

Early in his career, he worked as an assistant director. He helped with opera productions at many famous theaters. These included theaters in Italy, Germany, and the United States. In 2005, he won the European Opera Directing Prize for his work on the opera La Cenerentola.

Career as a Director and Designer

As a director, Strassberger is in charge of the entire vision for an opera. He decides how the story is told on stage. As a designer, he creates the world the characters live in, including the sets, costumes, and lighting.

Major Productions Around the World

Since 2005, Strassberger has directed many famous operas. He directed a new version of Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto for Opera Colorado. He has also worked on operas by famous composers like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Giacomo Puccini, and Richard Strauss.

He has directed shows at many important opera houses, including:

• The National Theatre in Prague
• Opéra de Montréal in Canada
• The Norwegian National Opera
• The Washington National Opera in Washington, D.C.

One of his most famous productions is Verdi's Nabucco. He first directed it for the Washington National Opera in 2012. This popular show has since been performed in many other cities, including Philadelphia, Miami, and Los Angeles.

Bringing Rare Operas to the Stage

Strassberger is known for directing operas that are not performed very often. He has worked with the Bard SummerScape festival in New York to stage six rare operas, including:

• Les Huguenots (2009)
• Le roi malgré lui (2012)
• The Wreckers (2015)
• Demon (2018)

He enjoys working on these lesser-known pieces. He says it gives him the freedom to be creative. The audience can enjoy the show without comparing it to older versions.

Working in Russia and Asia

In 2014, Strassberger directed the opera Satyagraha in Ekaterinburg, Russia. It was the first time an opera by the composer Philip Glass was performed in Russia. The production won several awards.

In 2019, he directed the first performance of Puccini's La fanciulla del West in Asia. This took place at the NCPA in Beijing, China.

Helping Young Singers

Strassberger also helps train the next generation of opera singers. He has worked with several special programs for young artists.

He has taught at the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv, Israel, and in Italy. He has also worked with the Banff Centre in Canada to help develop new operas. In 2019, he directed a new version of the opera Emmeline for the Manhattan School of Music.