David Paul is an award-winning director for opera, theater, and film. Born in Germany and based in Brooklyn, his work has been praised by the New York Times and Washington Post for its energy, humor, and emotional depth, and has been seen across four continents in five languages.
Recent operatic highlights include productions for LA Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, the Metropolitan Opera / Juilliard, Washington National Opera, Charlottesville Opera, North Carolina Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Opera Saratoga, and Music Academy of the West. On the theatrical stage, highlights include stagings at Washington's Shakespeare Theatre Company, Alaska's Perseverance Theatre, Columbia University, and serving as Assistant Director on the Broadway production of “Master Class”. Paul also developed, wrote, and directed the film “Dichterliebe: POETLOVE”, a cinematic adaptation of Robert Schumann’s song cycle, garnering awards at several international film festivals.
Passionate about training the next generation of singing actors, Paul has directed productions for programs including HGO’s Young Artist Program, Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center, Boston University's Opera Institute, the Juilliard School, Rice University, Berlin Opera Academy, the Tel Aviv Summer Opera Festival, and Westminster Choir College. He serves on the faculty at Juilliard and the Metropolitan Opera's Young Artist Development Program, and has given master classes in Japan, China, Israel, and the United States.
An alumnus of Columbia University, highlights of Paul’s busy 2018/19 season include productions with North Carolina Opera, Arizona Opera, Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, Berlin Opera Academy, and the world premiere of "afterWARds," his contemporary 90-minute reimagining of Mozart’s “Idomeneo,” with Pittsburgh Opera.