{{Short description|American television director}} '''Habib Azar''' (born October 19, 1979, in Pennsylvania, United States) is an American film, theater and television director based in New York City. He married his wife, Carla Azar, in 2011, and has two children.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/fashion/weddings/06STUART.html|title=Carla Stuart, Habib Azar: Weddings|last=Mallozzi|first=Vincent M.|date=2011-02-04|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-06-06|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
==Career== ===Film=== Azar directed the 2018 cinemacast of Marnie for the Metropolitan Opera's Live in HD series. Azar directed the ''Live From Lincoln Center'' film production of ''Pipeline,'' a play by Dominque Morisseau, during its 2017 Off-Broadway run at Lincoln Center Theater's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/dominique-morisseaus-pipeline-arrives-on-broadwayhd-october-9|title=Dominique Morisseau's Pipeline Arrives on BroadwayHD October 9 {{!}} Playbill|website=Playbill|date=9 October 2018|language=en|access-date=2018-10-19}}</ref> He is the director of the New York Philharmonic's Facebook live series.
His first feature film, ''Armless'' is an off-kilter comedy about a man who suffers from body integrity dysphoria. The film was selected by the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, as part of a new category for innovative low-budget films.<ref>^ {{cite web|url=http://festival.sundance.org/2010/press_industry/releases/2010_sundance_film_festival_announces_films_in_premieres/|title=2010 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FILMS IN PREMIERES | Sundance Festival 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100409063514/http://festival.sundance.org/2010/press_industry/releases/2010_sundance_film_festival_announces_films_in_premieres/|archive-date=2010-04-09|url-status=dead|access-date=2010-08-03}}</ref> His second feature film ''Saint Janet'' stars Kelly Bishop and was released by Indie Rights.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://nyphil.org/about-us/artists/habib-azar|title=New York Philharmonic|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903014406/https://nyphil.org/about-us/artists/habib-azar|archive-date=2019-09-03|url-status=dead|access-date=}}</ref><ref name="broadwayworld.com">{{Cite web|last=Desk|first=Movies News|title=Kelly Bishop to Star in Indie Film SAINT JANET|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Kelly-Bishop-to-Star-in-Indie-Film-SAINT-JANET-20130701|access-date=2020-08-09|website=BroadwayWorld.com|language=en}}</ref>
===Stage=== Azar's stage work focuses on world premiere and rarely performed contemporary operas.
He directed the world premiere of the original chamber version of Du Yun's ''Angel's Bone'' with the International Contemporary Ensemble commissioned by the Mann Center for the Performing Arts. ''Angel's Bone'' went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in Music.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2017/04/10/523304153/du-yun-wins-music-pulitzer-for-angels-bone|title=Du Yun Wins Music Pulitzer For 'Angel's Bone'|website=NPR.org|date=10 April 2017|language=en|access-date=2019-06-06|last1=Huizenga|first1=Tom}}</ref>
He directed the American stage premiere of Georg Friedrich Haas' ''ATTHIS'' in a production that had the heroine bound in duct tape. In the climactic scene she stripped naked by violently ripping the duct tape from her body in what the New York Times said 'must be one of the most searingly painful and revealing operatic performances of recent times.'<ref>{{cite news|last1=Fonseca-Wollheim|first1=Corinna|title=New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/18/arts/music/ariadne-greifs-searing-moment-in-opera-cabals-atthis.html}}</ref>
His other productions include the world premiere of Lewis Nielson's ''USW'' with Opera Cabal of Chicago<ref>{{Cite web|title=Opera Cabal at Galapagos: The revolution will be multimedia {{!}} Music, Blogs, The Volume blog {{!}} reviews, guides, things to do, film|url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/the-volume-blog/opera-cabal-at-galapagos-the-revolution-will-be-multimedia|access-date=2020-08-09|website=Time Out New York|language=en|archive-date=2016-09-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918025732/https://www.timeout.com/newyork/the-volume-blog/opera-cabal-at-galapagos-the-revolution-will-be-multimedia|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the 2007 production of Luigi Nono's rarely performed ''A Floresta e Jovem e Cheja de Vida'' with the International Contemporary Ensemble toured the US and Mexico and was the subject of an extended analysis in ''The Drama Review''.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Lochhead|first=Judith Irene|date=2008-03-20|title=On Recent Performances of Luigi Nono's The Forest Is Young and Full of Life|url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/233849|journal=TDR: The Drama Review|language=en|volume=52|issue=1|pages=182–189|doi=10.1162/dram.2008.52.1.182|s2cid=57564443|issn=1531-4715|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
Azar has directed numerous plays including ''Gorilla Man'' at PS122.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2005-03-15/theater/growing-pains/ |title=Growing Pains - Page 1 - Theater - New York - Village Voice |website=www.villagevoice.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128090149/http://www.villagevoice.com/2005-03-15/theater/growing-pains/ |archive-date=2010-01-28}}</ref>
===Television=== In 2013 Azar directed all 8 episodes of the groundbreaking series ''The All Star Orchestra'' for PBS. The program gathered principal musicians from major American orchestras to film concert works especially for television.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wakin|first=Daniel J.|date=2012-08-31|title=Pickup Orchestra of Stars, Made for TV|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/01/arts/music/all-star-orchestra-records-series-for-wnet.html|access-date=2020-08-09|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Other live multi-camera arts specials directed by Azar include Yo-Yo Ma for ''Live from Lincoln Center'', The New York Philharmonic, Kronos Quartet, Lang Lang, Mariinsky Orchestra, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, the National Symphony Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.<ref name="broadwayworld.com"/>
Azar has worked extensively in soap operas, having directed multiple episodes of ''As the World Turns'', ''The Young and the Restless'', ''All My Children'', and ''One Life to Live''.
==Awards and nominations== Azar has won 8 Emmy Awards for his work in TV.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Habib Azar|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1656173/awards|access-date=2020-08-09|website=IMDb}}</ref>
Daytime Emmy Award *Win, 2007, Directing, ''As the World Turns'' *Nominated, 2012, Directing, ''The Young and the Restless'' *Win, 2014, Directing, ''One Life to Live''
Northwest Regional Emmy Award
* Win, 2016, Directing, ''The All Star Orchestra''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nominations & Recipients |url=https://www.natasnw.org/nominations-recipients |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=NATAS Northwest |language=en-US}}</ref>
New York Emmy Award *Win, 2014, Directing, ''The All Star Orchestra'' *Win, 2015, Directing, ''The All Star Orchestra'' *Win, 2017, Directing, ''The All Star Orchestra'' *Win, 2019, Directing, ''US Marine Band with The All Star Orchestra<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwclassical/article/US-Marine-Band-With-The-All-Star-Orchestra-Wins-Emmy-20190507|title=US Marine Band With The All-Star Orchestra Wins Emmy|author=BWW News Desk|website=BroadwayWorld.com|language=en|access-date=2019-06-06}}</ref>'' *Win, 2021, Director, ''The All Star Orchestra''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Habib Azar |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1656173/awards |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=IMDb}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|1656173}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Azar, Habib}} Category:American television directors Category:1979 births Category:American people of Lebanese descent Category:Living people Category:Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts alumni