With a beginning on the legitimate stage as an actress and singer, CAROL CASTEL has travelled through the theater world from American musical comedy to opera; from actress and singer to singing actress; from arts administrator to opera stage director. With her numerous skills and talents she has seen the operatic theater world from a multitude of perspectives. She began her stage career as an actress in theater and musical comedy. Her development as a singer took her to the operatic stage where she began the love affair with opera that is still going strong.

Her formal education earned her a bachelor of arts degree in vocal music performance and a master of music degree in opera. Musicianship and talent and skill in organization and administration brought her into the employ of E. Randolph Mickelson as production assistant for Carnegie Hall concerts, Renata Scotto as personal secretary and assistant and Joan Dornemann as program coordinator for the Israel Vocal Arts Institute. For nine years she held the position of Artistic Director for the Delaware Valley Opera Co. in Narrowsburg, New York responsible for season planning, casting, lighting and costume design, fund raising, budget administration in addition to stage direction. Her musicianship, unlimited interest and fascination with the theater and the operatic art form ultimately led her in 1990 to stage direction. Currently she is general manager of the newly established "New York opera Studio", a community conservatory.

Her directing career has included over 50 productions with such companies as: the Finnish National Opera; Aspen Opera Theater; Opera Saskatchewan; National Opera Company in Raleigh, North Carolina; Israel Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv, Israel; Pocket Opera in Bayreuth, Germany; NUOVA in Edmonton, Canada; Opera Southwest in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Mannes College of Music in New York and Operafest New Hampshire among others. The summers of 2000 and 2001 she joined the "Opera Aegean" your and summer program for young singers, and this past summer she went to China with IVAI and Joan Dornemann to reach at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

In addition to a small studio of private voice students, Ms. Castel coaches privately and teaches classes in "Acting for Singers", "Theater Games for Singers", "Performance Practices for Singers", "Discovering the Artist Within", and "The Creative Process for Singers". She has authored several opera education programs for young children including the "Meet the Artist" program at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. In New York and San Francisco, she co-teaches a series of master classes called "Making It Professional" with her husband, Nico Castel.

Carol as Stage Director

• Musician with formal and practical experience as singer and performer
• Extensive background and practical experience in technical workings of the theater including set design and construction, lighting, costuming, stage managing, etc.
• Extensive administrative experience
• Exceptional communicative and teaching skills
• 10 years of professional experience in mid-sized regional and professional companies
• Professional experience directing operas in French, German, Italian and English and in styles from Baroque through contemporary.

Professional Directing Engagements Include The Following Companies

• Opera Saskatechewa, Regina, Canada.
• Opera Aegean - Athens, Greece
• Opera Southwest - Albuquerque, New Mexico
• NUOVA - Edmonton, Canada
• Israel Vocal Arts Institute - Tel Aviv, Israel
• Operafest New Hampshire - Concord, New Hampshire
• Finnish National Opera - Helskinki, Finland
• Aspen Opera Theater - Aspen, Colorado
• National Opera Company - Raleigh, North Carolina
• Jefferson Performing Arts Society - New Orleans, Louisianna
• Brooklyn Conservatory of Music - Brooklyn, New York
• Delaware Valley Opera Company - Narrowsburg, New York
• Mannes College of Music - New York, New York

Professional Directing Engagements Include the Following Productions

• "Orfee aux Enfers" (Offenbach)
• "Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor" (Nicolai)
• "La Bohème" (Puccini)
• "Mikado" (Gilbert & Sullivan)
• "Cosi fan Tutte" (Mozart)
• "L'Enfant e les Sortilèges" (Ravel)
• "The Impresario" (Mozart)
• "Gianni Schicchi" (Puccini)
• "Faith" - World Premier (Michael Ching)
• "Le Nozze di Figaro" (Mozart)
• "Amahl and the Night Visitors" (Menotti)
• "Street Scene" (Weill)
• "La Serva Padrona" (Pergolesi)
• "Orfeo" (Gluck)
• "Student Prince" (Romberg)
• "The Medium " (Menotti)
• "L'Elisir d'Amore" (Donizetti)
• "Merry Widow" (Lehar)
• "Noye's Fludde" (Britten)
• "Don Pasquale " (Donizetti)
• "Suor Angelica" (Puccini)
• "Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda"  (Monteverdi)
• "Brundibár" (Krása)
• "Don Giovanni" (Mozart)
• "Die Zauberflöte" (Mozart)
• "La Traviata" (Verdi)
• "Trouble in Tahiti" (Bernstein)
• "Cenerentola" (Rossini)
• "Carmen" (Bizet)
• "Cavalleria Rusticana" (Mascagni)
• "Hansel und Gretel" (Humperdinck)
• "Die Fledermaus" (J. Strauss)