[ Heather Tan ]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"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".

 

Born 1996 into a non-artistic family, Heather found her way to becoming a (Opera/Musiktheater) Stage Director, Producer and founder of 2 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 forming her own collective "EU Youth Opera" and the organisation "Opera Festival Asia e.V". 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.

 

She has directed various operatic repertoire such as "Die Zauberflöte", "La Cenerentola", "La Boheme", "Don Pasquale", "Carmen", "Le nozze di Figaro" and oratorio "Händels the Messiah", "Pagliacci" and Pastiches, across the world, in countries Singapore, China, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Belgium and Greece. Her work is heavily influenced by German and South East Asian Culture.

 

In 2024, she will have two major productions, namely to stage "Matildas Liebestod", a performative staged work of Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder and Schönberg's "The Book of the Hanging Gardens" at Staatstheater Augsburg, where she also holds a fixed contract for assisting. She will be directing 2 installative works, "Immigration", a compiled song cycle from various composers in Singapore, to tell the story of migrant workers in South East Asia, at Staatstheater Augsburg and "die Puppe", a combined Lieder Cycle evening of Schubert and Greek Folk Music at Festival Portoheli in Greece. She is also working with Youths, and will be directs "Le nozze di Figaro" at Conservatorium Brussels, Belgium.

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In 2024, Heather organises the first Silk Road Format Festival with her company "Opera Festival Asia e.V.", with programmes planned across the whole world.

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She is also coaching interpretation of works at Mysync contemporary conservatory of Athens.

 

In 2025, she is planed at the Tete-a-tete Festival in London.

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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 also tends to do abstract work.

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Languages: English, German, Chinese, basic Italian, basic Slovene, basic Melayu

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