Bio
Chinese-born stage director Mo Zhou is a visionary force in opera and theater, celebrated for her innovative and dynamic productions that transcend traditional boundaries. As a faculty member at the University of Michigan, she revitalizes the classical canon while championing cutting-edge projects. Her work has graced esteemed stages worldwide, including Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Elbphilharmonie, and the National Centre for the Performing Arts in China.
The 2024–2025 season showcases Ms. Zhou’s versatility and ingenuity with several exciting company debuts. These include directing the Butler Studio Showcase at Houston Grand Opera, reviving her acclaimed Madama Butterfly with Florentine Opera and Kentucky Opera, directing Così fan tutte at The Juilliard School, La bohème at Arizona Opera, and returning to Virginia Opera for another new production of Così fan tutte. She will also make her Canadian directing debut with a new Madama Butterfly at Vancouver Opera in April 2025.
Her 2023-2024 season included the world premiere of The Big Swim at Houston Grand Opera and Asia Society Texas Center, a reimagined Madama Butterfly set in post-WWII Allied-occupied Japan at Virginia Opera, Tosca with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, and La Calisto at Glimmerglass Festival, which was hailed as “the highlight of the season” by Wall Street Journal. Previous favorite projects include a sold-out Rinaldo at Minnesota Opera and the critically acclaimed Iphigénie en Tauride with Boston Baroque and IDAGIO, praised by Forbes for its digital innovation. She is a recipient of the 2023 OPERA America Grants for Women Stage Directors and Conductors.
An advocate for young talent, Ms. Zhou has taught at the University of Michigan and the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory and has served as guest dramatic faculty at prestigious programs like the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Butler Studio at Houston Grand Opera, and Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara.
Ms. Zhou received her training at The Juilliard School, Merola Opera Program, Wolf Trap Opera, and Glimmerglass Festival. She has also worked on the directing staff at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, and Dallas Opera. Ms. Zhou holds an MFA in Stage Directing from Columbia University, where she studied under Anne Bogart, and a BA in English and Theater from Bowdoin College.
