JJ Hudson

Stage director JJ Hudson is senior lecturer of opera stage direction at the University of North Texas. Well known for his visually arresting and dynamic productions, Hudson previously served as interim artistic director of opera at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he directed the conservatory's productions. 

Recent professional productions include "Becoming Santa Claus" (Opera Louisiane); "West Side Story" (Wichita Grand Opera); "Rita" and "Il Segreto di Susanna" (Sarasota Opera); "La Bohème" for Mississippi Opera and the Natchez Music Festival; "Le Nozze di Figaro" for the Miami Music Festival; "La Belle Hélène," "Die Zauberflöte," "Carmen" and "Ariadne auf Naxos" for the Lake Area Music Festival; and "Tosca" for Tri-Cities Opera. 

Additional recent productions include "Così fan tutte" for Opera Tampa; "Lucio Silla" for Temple University Opera; "Bastianello" for Rochester Lyric Opera; "Pagliacci" and "Il Tabarro" for Opera in the Ozarks; "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Carmen" and "The Rake's Progress" for the Lake Area Music Festival; "South Pacific" and "La Cenerentola" for Opera Roanoke; "The Impresario" and "The Medium" for University of Kansas Opera; "Werther" for Temple University Opera; "Le Nozze di Figaro" for Opera in the Ozarks; "Carmen" for the Lake Area Music Festival; and "La Bohème" and "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" for Tri-Cities Opera. 

In December 2012, Hudson directed Schubert's "Winterreise" in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for the Make Music New York Winter Festival. The production received an enthusiastic review in The New York Times. Hudson has also worked for Opera North, Syracuse Opera, Tacoma Opera, Mercury Opera Rochester, Empire State Lyric Theater, Buffalo Opera Unlimited, Rochester Lyric Opera, Oswego Opera Theater, Eastman Opera Theater, Stony Brook University Opera Theater, Columbus State University, Concord University and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. 

In 2013, Hudson served on the directing staff of the Aspen Opera Theater, where he worked on productions of "Suor Angelica," "Gianni Schicchi" and "L'Incoronazione di Poppea." He holds a master's degree in stage direction and a doctorate in voice and opera performance from the Eastman School of Music, a master's degree in vocal performance from the University of Iowa, and a bachelor's degree in music composition and vocal performance from Stetson University. 

Edited – 7.10.26

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