# Stuart Maunder

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Australian opera director and theatre administrator

Stuart Maunder AM Born 1957 (age 68–69) Boggabri, New South Wales, Australia Occupations Theatre director Artistic administrator Years active 1981[1]–present

**Stuart Lionel Maunder** [AM](/source/Member_of_the_Order_of_Australia)[2] (born 1957)[3] is an Australian theatre director, currently appointed as the artistic director of [Victorian Opera](/source/Victorian_Opera). He has also directed for [Opera Australia](/source/Opera_Australia), [State Opera of South Australia](/source/State_Opera_of_South_Australia), [West Australian Opera](/source/West_Australian_Opera), [New Zealand Opera](/source/New_Zealand_Opera) and [Scottish Opera](/source/Scottish_Opera).[4]

## Biography

Born in Sydney but raised in [Boggabri](/source/Boggabri), Maunder studied law,[5] but turned to the stage and started his career as a [stage manager](/source/Stage_manager) in 1978 at [The Australian Opera](/source/Opera_Australia) before becoming a resident director in 1981. Whilst continuing to direct in Australia, he joined [The Royal Opera](/source/The_Royal_Opera), London, as a staff director in 1992. In 1999 he was appointed artistic administrator of Opera Australia by [Simone Young](/source/Simone_Young) and then became executive producer from 2004 to 2008.[6]

In 2012, he was made a Member of the [Order of Australia](/source/Order_of_Australia) (AM) "for service to the performing arts, particularly with Opera Australia, as an artistic director, and as a mentor to emerging artists."[2]

From 2014 until 2018 Maunder was general director of [New Zealand Opera](/source/New_Zealand_Opera), before being appointed artistic director of [State Opera of South Australia](/source/State_Opera_of_South_Australia) in 2018.[7][8]

Maunder was married to pianist and soprano Anne-Maree McDonald;[9] they have a daughter, musical theatre performer [Lucy Maunder](/source/Lucy_Maunder).[10]

In 2023 Maunder became a patron of Opera Brava, UK.[11]

## Repertoire

His opera directing includes *[Carmen](/source/Carmen)*, *[The Pearl Fishers](/source/The_Pearl_Fishers)*, *[Peter Grimes](/source/Peter_Grimes)*, *[La fille du régiment](/source/La_fille_du_r%C3%A9giment)*, *[The Cunning Little Vixen](/source/The_Cunning_Little_Vixen)*, *[Manon](/source/Manon)*, *[La bohème](/source/La_boh%C3%A8me)*, *[L'Orfeo](/source/L'Orfeo)*, *[The Magic Flute](/source/The_Magic_Flute)*, *[The Tales of Hoffmann](/source/The_Tales_of_Hoffmann)*, *[Orpheus in the Underworld](/source/Orpheus_in_the_Underworld)*, *[Tosca](/source/Tosca)*, *[Il signor Bruschino](/source/Il_signor_Bruschino)*, *[La scala di seta](/source/La_scala_di_seta)*, *[Macbeth](/source/Macbeth_(Verdi))* and *[Rigoletto](/source/Rigoletto)*.[4] His production of *Tosca* for New Zealand Opera in 2016 was shown in cinemas nationwide.[12] Maunder directed the first opera production in Australia since [COVID-19 restrictions](/source/COVID-19_pandemic_in_Australia) were introduced, Berlioz' *[Béatrice et Bénédict](/source/B%C3%A9atrice_et_B%C3%A9n%C3%A9dict)*, conducted by [Johannes Fritzsch](/source/Johannes_Fritzsch), at the [Queensland Conservatorium](/source/Queensland_Conservatorium).[13]

His musical theatre direction includes *[Carousel](/source/Carousel_(musical))* (State Opera of South Australia), *[Into the Woods](/source/Into_the_Woods)*, *[Sunday in the Park with George](/source/Sunday_in_the_Park_with_George)*, *[Sweeney Todd](/source/Sweeney_Todd%3A_The_Demon_Barber_of_Fleet_Street)* (Victorian Opera, State Opera of South Australia), *[Candide](/source/Candide_(operetta))* (New Zealand Opera), *[A Little Night Music](/source/A_Little_Night_Music)* and *[My Fair Lady](/source/My_Fair_Lady)* (Opera Australia).

He is also a [Gilbert and Sullivan](/source/Gilbert_and_Sullivan) aficionado,[14][15] having directed *[Trial by Jury](/source/Trial_by_Jury)*, *[H.M.S. Pinafore](/source/H.M.S._Pinafore)*, *[The Pirates of Penzance](/source/The_Pirates_of_Penzance)*, *[The Mikado](/source/The_Mikado)*, *[The Gondoliers](/source/The_Gondoliers)* and *[Iolanthe](/source/Iolanthe)*.[4] Several of these have been broadcast by [ABC Television](/source/ABC_Television_(Australian_TV_network)).[6]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-OA_1-0)** ["Stuart Maunder"](https://opera.org.au/artist/stuart-maunder/). *opera.org.au*. [Opera Australia](/source/Opera_Australia). Retrieved 18 April 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-smh_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-smh_2-1) ["Queen's Birthday Honours"](https://www.smh.com.au/national/queens-birthday-honours-20120610-2049o.html). *[The Sydney Morning Herald](/source/The_Sydney_Morning_Herald)*. Retrieved 18 April 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-nla_3-0)** Maunder, Stuart (2006). ["Stuart Maunder interviewed by Bill Stephens"](https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/34735308) (sound recording). Interviewed by Bill Stephens. [National Library of Australia](/source/National_Library_of_Australia). Retrieved 19 April 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-operabase_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-operabase_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-operabase_4-2) ["Stuart Maunder"](https://www.operabase.com/artists/stuart-maunder-16325/repertoire/en). *[Operabase](/source/Operabase)*. Retrieved 18 April 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-artsreview_5-0)** ["On the Couch with Stuart Maunder"](https://artsreview.com.au/on-the-couch-with-stuart-maunder/). *Australian Arts Review*. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-SOSA_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-SOSA_6-1) ["Stuart Maunder"](https://stateopera.com.au/productions/artist-stuart-maunder/). [State Opera of South Australia](/source/State_Opera_of_South_Australia). Retrieved 18 April 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Limelight_7-0)** McPherson, Angus (6 February 2018). ["Stuart Maunder announced as State Opera SA Artistic Director"](https://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/news/stuart-maunder-announced-state-opera-sa-artistic-director/). *[Limelight](/source/Limelight_(magazine))*. Retrieved 18 April 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-RNZ_8-0)** ["New Zealand Opera's General Director Stuart Maunder is moving on"](https://www.rnz.co.nz/concert/programmes/upbeat/audio/2018631213/new-zealand-opera-s-general-director-stuart-maunder-is-moving-on). [Radio New Zealand](/source/Radio_New_Zealand). 8 February 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-tiser_9-0)** Lloyd, Tim (9 January 2007). ["Adventures in G&S land"](https://amp.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/arts/adventures-in-gs-land/news-story/abc1a80eea884438bdc0850cafaa9bb0). *[The Advertiser](/source/The_Advertiser_(Adelaide))*. Adelaide. Retrieved 7 May 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Lucy_10-0)** ["My Music: Lucy Maunder"](https://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/features/my-music-lucy-maunder/). *[Limelight](/source/Limelight_(magazine))*. Retrieved 18 April 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Opera Brava announces new Patrons"](https://operabrava.com/opera-brava-news-2021.html). *Opera Brava*. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-nzherald_12-0)** Jennifer Dann (16 February 2016). ["Twelve Questions: Stuart Maunder, general director New Zealand Opera company"](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/twelve-questions-stuart-maunder-general-director-new-zealand-opera-company/DJLF7O4635SGG7AD3ZZFPDFTMU/). *[The New Zealand Herald](/source/The_New_Zealand_Herald)*. Retrieved 31 May 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Griffiths_13-0)** Louise Crossen (8 September 2020). ["Pandemic opera production is one for the history books"](https://news.griffith.edu.au/2020/09/08/pandemic-opera-production-is-one-for-the-history-books/). *[Griffith](/source/Griffith_University) News*. Retrieved 31 May 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-gns_14-0)** ["Stuart Maunder and Gilbert & Sullivan"](https://stateopera.com.au/stuart-maunder-and-gilbert-sullivan/). [State Opera of South Australia](/source/State_Opera_of_South_Australia). Retrieved 18 April 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-musictrust_15-0)** Stuart Maunder (30 June 2020). ["Inside the Musician. Stuart Maunder: Worshipping at the Shrine"](https://musictrust.com.au/loudmouth/inside-the-musician-stuart-maunder-worshipping-at-the-shrine/). Retrieved 31 May 2021.

## External links

- [Profile](https://web.archive.org/web/20201026150708/https://www.musicinaustralia.org.au/authors/author/stuart-maunder/), Music in Australia Knowledge Base

[Portals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents/Portals):
- [Biography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Biography)
- [Opera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Opera)

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF WorldCat National United States Poland People Trove Other IdRef

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