MICHAEL EHRMAN has won acclaim for his productions at such companies as Houston Grand Opera, Greater Miami Opera, Minnesota Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Atlanta Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and Chicago Opera Theater. He recently was lauded for his 2008 production of SUSANNAH and the 2006 staging of the 50th Anniversary THE BALLAD OF BABY DOE at Central City Opera, a company where he has directed twenty productions, including a new VANESSA in 2005 and the world-premiere of Henry Mollicone’s GABRIEL’S DAUGHTER in 2003. Other recent works include LA BOHEME for Indianapolis Opera and Madison Opera, FALSTAFF for Indianapolis Opera, OTELLO for DuPage Opera, STREET SCENE for the Minnesota Opera, NOYE’S FLUDDE for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, DIE ZAUBERFLOTE and THE MIKADO for the Colorado Symphony, and THE BARBER OF SEVILLE and THE SOUND OF MUSIC for Tulsa Opera. Ehrman’s staging of the musical CARNIVAL was named on several of Chicago ‘s “Ten Best” lists for 2005.
In recent years Ehrman has also directed THE CRUCIBLE, ROMEO ET JULIETTE and MACBETH for Indianapolis Opera; THE TALES OF HOFFMANN for Connecticut Opera,; THE BALLAD OF BABY DOE for Utah Opera and Indianapolis Opera; CARMEN for Virginia Opera,. and DIE ZAUBERFLOTE for Wolf Trap. He staged the American Opera Series in Central City from 1996-1999, including the fortieth anniversary BALLAD OF BABY DOE (recorded by Newport Classics), SUSANNAH , THE CRUCIBLE, and STREET SCENE. Other works in his repertoire include CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA. COSI FAN TUTTE, DIALOGUES DES CARMELITES, EUGENE ONEGIN, HANSEL AND GRETEL, L’INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA, MADAMA BUTTERFLY, MANON, PAGLIACCI, THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, RIGOLETTO, TOSCA, LA TRAVIATA , and THE TURN OF THE SCREW.
Mr. Ehrman has extensive experience as a teacher and as author/director of many educational opera programs. He was Director of Opera at Northwestern University, for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and at Roosevelt University/Chicago College of Performing Arts . He has also directed at Yale University, ,Hartt School of Music, University of Kentucky, and Shenandoah University. He has been a frequent guest director at Indiana University, where he has staged FAUST, THE BALLAD OF BABY DOE, ROMEO ET JULIETTE, MANON, SUSANNAH, and LE NOZZE DI FIGARO. He served on the artistic staffs and was Stage Director/Acting Coach for the Young Artist Programs at Central City Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Wolf Trap, Greater Miami Opera, Virginia Opera, Lake George Opera, Utah Opera, The Israeli Vocal Arts Institute, Intermezzo Young Artist Program, the Brevard Music Center, the Berkshire Opera Festival, The Martina Arroyo Foundation, and the New National Theater, Tokyo.
In 2009 Ehrman staged THE MEDIUM and TROUBLE IN TAHITI for The New England Conservatory, ALBERT HERRING at University of Colorado, SUSANNAH for Mobile Opera, and LA BOHEME for Indianapolis Opera and The Martina Arroyo Foundation. Ehrman’s other recent projects included the Chicago premiere of Ronald Perera’s THE YELLOW WALLPAPER, LE NOZZE DI FIGARO at the Hartt School, and THE SOUND OF MUSIC, CARMEN, LA BOHEME, and CAMELOT at the Brevard Music Center. Future engagements in 2010-11 include a new production of Massenet’s DON QUIICHOTTE for Tulsa Opera, DIE ZAUBERFLOTE for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and a return to Indiana University for LITTLE WOMEN.
