Stefano Poda

Biography

In his search for aesthetic and conceptual unity, the artistic work of Stefano Poda always encompasses direction, set design, costume design, lightning and choreography in a personal seal founded on a visionary, multi-level imprint balanced between ancient images and contemporary art. He has developed a language that is understandable in the same way as music, sculpture, painting and architecture can be.

Stefano Poda’s worldwide career numbers about one hundred productions. Recent best-known works include: Nabucco for Colon of Buenos Aires (2020); Ariane et Barbe-Bleue at the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse (2019); Roméo et Juliette at the NCPA of Beijing (2018); Offenbach’s Contes d’Hoffmann (2019), Lucia di Lammermoor (broadcast on ARTE TV, 2017) and Ariodante (2016) at the Opéra de Lausanne; Boris Godunov (2017) and Andrea Chénier (2015) at the Korea National Opera; Fosca by Carlos Gomes and Titan, a choreography on Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, both at the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo (2016); L’Elisir d’amore at the Opéra National du Rhin in Strasbourg (2016); Otello at the Hungarian State Opera of Budapest (2015); Tristan und Isolde conducted by Zubin Mehta for the opening of the 77th edition of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Festival (2014); Thaïs at the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo (2015); Il Trovatore at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Athens Festival (2012, revival in 2017); Trittico by Puccini at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires (2011); Leggenda by Alessandro Solbiati at the Teatro Regio di Torino (2011; DVD EMA Vinci Records); La Forza del Destino (2011) at the Teatro Regio di Parma (DVD Unitel) with a revival at the Festival Verdi in Parma (2014). His production of Gounod’s Faust at the Teatro Regio Torino in 2015, a co-production of the Israeli Opera of Tel Aviv and the Lausanne Opera (DVD & Blu-Ray Unitel Classica, C Major Entertainment) has been broadcast with great success in movie theatres across the world. This is true also for Puccini’s Turandot in 2018 (DVD Unitel, streaming on Operavision) and Massenet’s Thaïs in 2008 (DVD & Blu-ray, RAI/ Arthaus Musik) both staged at the Teatro Regio Torino and conducted by Gianandrea Noseda.

Stefano Poda’s production of Ariane et Barbe-Bleue by Paul Dukas at the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse won the most prestigious “Prix Claude Rostand de la Critique Française” for best opera production in 2019. He was invited as special guest to the PQ Prague Quadriennal 2019, the 14th edition of the largest international festival of theatre and stage design.