ABOUT
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John Wilkie, a Scottish director of opera and theatre, has worked internationally, with his productions being performed in the UK, Europe, and New Zealand.
Selected notable directing endeavours include projects for various leading opera companies and organisations such as New Zealand Festival Opera, Opera Holland Park, Scottish Opera, Danish National Opera, Opera North, Opéra de Lille, The Mozartists, Opéra National du Rhin, Den Fysnke Opera, Garsington Opera, Waterperry Opera Festival, and Wilson’s Music Hall. He is the Artistic Principal Stage Director at New Zealand Festival Opera, a stagecraft tutor at The Aotearoa New Zealand Opera Studio, and is a founding member of the acclaimed Opera Bohemia in his homeland of Scotland. |
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Nominated in the ‘Best Production’ category at the 2021 International Opera Awards, John’s production of Il segreto di Susanna at Opera Holland Park was described in The Spectator as being,
”So perfect, so spirted, so loving… it’s probably never had a production so affectionate than John Wilkie’s new staging.” The Stage and The Times also named at as one of the ‘Top Five Opera Productions’ of 2019. John will revive the production at Opera Holland Park with the same cast and much of the same team this summer. |
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NEW ZEALAND
“Wilkie has a refined understanding of the pace, timing and quality of opera…
the interplay between his craft and what’s happening in the orchestra pit is stunning.”
- The New Zealand Hook
John is a member of the New Zealand Festival Opera artistic team. After directing their production of La traviata in 2019, he became Principal Stage Director. Since then, he has directed celebrated productions of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci, The Cunning Little Vixen, and Die Zauberflöte.
Festival Opera connects with Project Prima Volta, a music program for local teenagers that promotes social inclusion through music and performance. Each year, the Prima Volta students take part in the chorus for Festival Opera’s MainStage productions as well as embarking on their own opera performances and concerts.
In 2022, John was invited to curate and present Dame Malvina Major’s gala event in New Zealand, celebrating her life on and off stage, and in 2024 international soprano, Madeleine Pierard, invited him to join the Aotearoa New Zealand Opera Studio as a stagecraft tutor.
Festival Opera connects with Project Prima Volta, a music program for local teenagers that promotes social inclusion through music and performance. Each year, the Prima Volta students take part in the chorus for Festival Opera’s MainStage productions as well as embarking on their own opera performances and concerts.
In 2022, John was invited to curate and present Dame Malvina Major’s gala event in New Zealand, celebrating her life on and off stage, and in 2024 international soprano, Madeleine Pierard, invited him to join the Aotearoa New Zealand Opera Studio as a stagecraft tutor.
OPERA BOHEMIA
“John Wilkie’s production may be nearly a decade old, but the clarity of the storytelling, recognising the prescience of the work’s political message, is unimprovable.
Punches well above it’s weight.”
- VoxCarnyx
In his homeland of Scotland, John is a founding member and associate director of the acclaimed opera company, Opera Bohemia. The project’s mission is to create more opportunities for young professional artists in all areas of opera, and they are dedicated to producing opera productions that tour around remote parts of the country as well as the larger cities.
Since the company’s formation in 2010, John has directed productions of La bohème, Lucia di Lammermoor, Madama Butterfly, Eugene Onegin, and The Merry Widow for the company, all of which have premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe before touring nationally.
Since the company’s formation in 2010, John has directed productions of La bohème, Lucia di Lammermoor, Madama Butterfly, Eugene Onegin, and The Merry Widow for the company, all of which have premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe before touring nationally.
SUPPORTIVE ROLES
John relishes working as a dramatic coach. He has directed productions and facilitated stagecraft workshops for the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at The Royal Opera House, Scottish Opera Young Artists, Garsington Opera's Alvarez Young Artist Programme, New Zealand Opera Young Artists, The Aotearoa National Opera Studio, Opera North Youth Chorus, The Southrepps Music Festival, London Goldsmiths University, and for New Zealand’s celebrated Project Prima Volta programme.
As associate, revival, and assistant director, John has worked with, among others, David McVicar, Bruno Ravella, Tim Albery, Robin Norton-Hale, Alessandro Talevi, Marie Lambert, Aylin Bozok, Vincent van den Elshout, William Tuckett, Oliver Platt, and Jay Schieb at companies such as The Royal Opera House, New York City Opera, Opéra National du Rhin, Danish National Opera, Garsington Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera Holland Park.
As associate, revival, and assistant director, John has worked with, among others, David McVicar, Bruno Ravella, Tim Albery, Robin Norton-Hale, Alessandro Talevi, Marie Lambert, Aylin Bozok, Vincent van den Elshout, William Tuckett, Oliver Platt, and Jay Schieb at companies such as The Royal Opera House, New York City Opera, Opéra National du Rhin, Danish National Opera, Garsington Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera Holland Park.