Biography

Opera Stage Director Albert Chaney has directed productions of La Traviata, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Die Fledermaus, Romeo et Juliette, The Merry Widow, Don Pasquale and Guys & Dolls among others for Philadelphia area companies. He spent five years as Co-General Director of ConcertOpera, Philadelphia; was the founder and Artistic Director of Blue Planet Opera/Theatre, and has worked as a Stage Director on staff at the Crittenden Opera Workshop in Washington, D.C..  As an Assistant Director he has worked on productions of Tosca, Faust, The Tales of Hoffman, Grand Night for Singing and Land of Smiles. Semi-stagings or concert stagings include Carmen, The Secret of Suzanne, A Hand of Bridge, La Canterina and The Impresario. In addition to his directing work Mr. Chaney has created the scenic designs for most of his own productions and has been the Scenic Designer for several companies in the Philadelphia region for productions of The Red Mill, Grand Night for Singing, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well & Living in Paris and A Year with Frog and Toad. Mr. Chaney has also written an original show featuring the music of Giacomo Puccini, At the Lake with Giacomo, which he directed; and premiered the speaking role of Giacomo. Trained as a lyric baritone at Temple University he has appeared in roles ranging from the Master of Ceremonies in the world premiere of What Now, Semyon? to the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. He has also been the recipient of the Goldovsky Internship for Stage Directors to the Crittenden Opera Workshop. In addition, he taught voice at studios in Philadelphia and New Jersey; has been Stage Manager for many productions and has consulted for area companies. Most recently he presented a masterclass, Navigating the Stage: Skills for Singing Actors, for students at Austin Peay State University. Mr. Chaney currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Opera Association.