ANTHONY BAKER

 DIRECTOR-DESIGNER

'Fidelio'  at the Vlaamse Opera

Anthony originally trained as a set and costume designer at the Central School of Art and Design in London. He moved to directing as well as designing his own work after more than two decades working internationally as a designer in Opera. Having always had a  strong interest in the total  process of putting a work onstage and and not just the visuals  this seemed like a natural progression.

Initially he cut his directing teeth by working on productions as a co-director/designer, mostly with his regular directorial collaborator of the time, Francisco Negrin. Productions devised in this way include Beatrix Cenci (Geneva) Rinaldo (New York City Opera)  and he was also responsible for directing  a revival in Bilbao of "Der Freischütz" a work he  originally designed for the Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Paris.

He was given his first  opportunity to direct and design outright with a production of Tippett's "The Knot Garden" for the Cantiere D'Internazionale D'Arte in Montepulciano in 2005 (Italian premiere). He has continued to work as a Director/Designer  for various UK based  companies including New Sussex Opera, Surrey Opera, Opera Brava, Grimeborn  as well as occasionally producing his own work.       

Around 2013, Anthony was invited by New Sussex Opera to both direct "Trial by Jury" and sing the role of the Judge in Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta.This led to a period (2013-16) where he studied singing privately and started to perform professionally as  a  bass-baritone.

Rather unusually this gives him practical experience in 3 disciplines involved in Opera  performance and production.