Bernard Uzan
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIRECTOR

A native of France, Bernard Uzan is a graduate of the University of Paris, with doctorates in literature, theatrical studies and philosophy. He began his career as an actor and director, and appeared in leading theaters throughout Europe. After emigrating to the United States in 1972, he established French Theater in America, which toured for ten years giving two hundred performances per year of classic French plays.

In addition to his work as an actor and director, he was Professor of Literature, Acting, and Directing at Wellesley and Middlebury Colleges. Uzan also served as General and Artistic Director for L’Opera de Montreal from 1988-2002, expanding the number of productions and extending the company’s repertoire to include new works. Uzan’s 377 productions have graced the stages of one hundred opera companies in North America, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and South America. He has also co-designed more than fifty productions.

As a librettist and director, Uzan collaborated with composer David DiChiera and conductor Mark Flint on Cyrano, which made its world premiere at the Michigan Opera Theatre and Opera Company of Philadelphia. In 2008, Uzan’s first novel, The Shattered Sky, was published in both French and English. In 2010 he returned to the stage to direct Ultraviolet’s Adolf and Andy in New York City. In 2011 he started Uzan International Artists with his daughter, Vanessa Uzan.