Sjaron Minailo

Sjaron Minailo is a Dutch Israeli opera director. He is the founder of Studio Minailo, an Amsterdam based studio for experimental opera, working throughout Europe in opera houses such as La Monnaie, Dutch National Opera, Bergen National Opera and Opera Poznan.

Early life Minailo was born in 1979 in Arad, Israel, to Soviet Union immigrants. During his schooling in the Thelma Yellin High School for the Arts, he received initial training as an actor. After completing his graduation, Minailo joined the University of Amsterdam for BA and MA in Theatre Studies. During his time at the university, he created a theatre group with co-students to work on the musical theatre before switching to opera.

Career in opera After graduating, Minailo started working as a freelance director and was a director in residence for four years at the Dutch Chamber Opera House from 2008 to 2012. During that period and after, he has directed several music-theatre and opera production in commission or through his own studio. In 2016, he received a nomination in the Young Director category at 2016 International Opera Awards. In 2021 Minailo was appointed as Artist-Curator at the Opera Forward Festival of the Dutch National Opera where he is responsible for the OFF Labs.

Teaching career Minailo worked as a art tutor at Sandberg Institute, Amsterdam and a tutor at University of the Underground. He also work as a coach for young talents at Opera Forward Festival at the Dutch National Opera and Akademie voor Dans en Theater.

From 2022 to 2024 Minailo led a temporary programme at the Sandberg Institute, titled Re:master Opera.

In 2024 Minailo was appointed as artistic director of the music-theatre department at ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem

Works Minailo's opera productions have included:

Khadish, Israel, Germany, England and Belgium 2006 Khadish I Erwartung, 2007 A Prayer of The Heart, 2008 Erwartung / Maeterlinck Lieder, 2008 Elektra, 2009 La Femme Humaine, 2009 Gesprekken van de Ziel, 2009 Exiles, 2009 Elektra / Erwartung, 2010 Amygdala, 2010 De Cornet, 2010 Saviour Sound, 2010 A Stranger to Myself, 2010 Container, 2011 The Artist is Also Present, 2011 Persona, based on the film by Ingmar Bergman 2011 Dead class: Requiem, 2011 Soul Seek (Internet Opera), 2012 Traagheid, 2012 The City Wears A Slouch Hat, 2012 Nikola, 2012 Pornographia, 2012 Desired Constellations, 2013 In Croce, 2013 Victory Over The Sun, 2013 Rothko Chapel, Morton Feldman, 2013 Rothko Chapel Locations #2, 2014 Alice, 2014 Stars Like Sibilants Speak (music video), 2014 Megalomania, 2014 Mijn Liefste (music video), 2014 Medulla, based on the album by Björk, 2015 Semele, Händel, 2015 Three Voices For Joan La Barbara, Morton Feldman 2015 To Be Sung, Pascal Dusapin, 2016 The Transmigration Of Morton F. (interactive Internet Opera), 2016 In A Landscape, 2016 Arariboy, 2016 Before Present, 2016 Tell Tale Heart, 2016 Nachtschade: Aubergine, 2017 Die Zauberflöte, Mozart 2017 Tudo Aquilo Que Mais Eu Temia Desabou Sobre Minha Cabeça, 2017 Soft Forces (music video), 2018 Future Opera, 2018 Commuter (music video), 2018 Hippolyte et Aricie, Jean-Philippe Rameau 2019 Il Diluvio Universale, Michelangelo Falvetti, 2019 Little Girl (music video), 2019 Retrotopia, 2019 Intimate Letters, 2020 Undine (Animation Opera), 2020/2021 Eva - Spoken opera podcast, based on the book by Carry van Bruggen, 2021 Korke & Gege, 2021 Holle Haven, 2021 The Arrival of Mr. Z, 2021. Composition by Meriç Artaç Notwehr, 2022. Composition by Annelies van Parys to Libretto by Gaea Schoeters. Commissioned by the Venice Biennale Lullaby, 2023. Composition by Kamala Sankaram to libretto by Guillermo Calderón, with Laura Bohn. SAM (Stop Annoying Me). 2024. By Dyane Donck company Losgezongen. 2025. With the Nederlands Kamerkoor and conducteur Ed Spanjaard

Tarab, 2026. Based on the songs by Oum Kalthoum. Commissioned by the Neuköllner_Oper