Amanda Smith

Up-and-coming stage director Amanda Smith, is currently studying as the Student Stage Director in the University of Toronto’s Opera Division. Amanda began her formal musical training at Wilfrid Laurier University, where she studied voice with Kimberly Barber and graduated in 2011. During her time there, Amanda worked as a stage technician in the WLU performance facilities, giving her the opportunity to hone her skills and acquire a love for theatre production. In her last year at Laurier, Amanda created a customized stage directing stream in the WLU opera program. In that time, she had the opportunity to work as the Resident Assistant Director and Stage Manager for all Opera Laurier productions in the 2010-11 season, as well as innovate and direct the creation of a new, improv-based opera, with text from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Amanda further developed her theatre experience by cross-registering at the University of Waterloo Drama Department, where she directed a black-box production of Buchner’s chilling play, Woyzeck. In the summer of 2011, Amanda worked as the Assistant Stage Manager for Queen of Puddings on the new opera, Svadba. Presently, Amanda is working in England as an Assistant Director to Tim Albery on a production of Benjamin Britten’s leading opera, Peter Grimes.

Amanda’s primary focus is in new-creation projects. To that end, she has founded the Toronto-based New Music and opera collective, FAWN Opera, which allows her to work with a variety of talented emerging artists and be a part of the development innovative new work. Amanda is very passionate about the expansion of young opera and New Music audiences, and aspires to be a leading contributor to its growth in Canada.