The artistic product is the result of translated perception.
“Every artistic work is a work of the soul, and regardless of how a script or a libretto is written, it is my task as a director to bring out the truth and the core of each work, with the spirit of all who are a part of each project. Every production is a product of all that realise it.”
Heather Tan
Born 1996 into a non-artistic family, Heather found her way to becoming a (Opera/Musiktheater) Stage Director, Producer and founder of two organisations through her youth education in piano and classical singing, and her experience in the TKGS and NJC choir as a conductor and a president. She is the first Singaporean to receive full formal education as an Opera Stage Director, with an education of “Musiktheaterregie” at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria, under renowned directors such as Beverly Blankenship, Michael Sturminger and Helen Malkowsky.
Since 2017, she has been actively involved in assisting and directing stagework and since 2020, filmic works. Her passion to direct has also lead her to founding Opera Asia and EU Youth Opera. She has assisted and interned at productions, such as at Schlosstheater Schönbrunn, Neue Oper Wien and notably at Vienna State Opera for “Tristan und Isolde” with Calixto Bieito.
From the age of 21, has directed various operatic repertoire such as “Die Zauberflöte”, “La Cenerentola”, “La Boheme”, “Don Pasquale”, “Carmen”, “Le nozze di Figaro”, “Window Shopping”, “Pagliacci”, “Don Giovanni”, “The Butterflies”(Jeffrey Ching) and oratorio “Händels the Messiah”, Lieder Cycles “Schwanengesang”, “Wesendonck Lieder”, “Das Buch den hängenden Gärten”, “20 songs of the greek people” and Several Self-made Pastiches, in countries Singapore, China, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Belgium and Greece across festivals, theatres and unconventional locations. Her work is heavily influenced by European and South East Asian Culture.
Heather’s artistic perspective is heavily inspired by culture and people, and aims to take the untaken perspective but natural and to tell stories close to the heart.
She currently is currently attached to the Staatstheater Augsburg as an artistic project manager and international relations, director of Opera Asia and freelancing as a stage director.
Languages: English, German, Chinese, basic Italian, basic Slovene, basic Melayu