Kaley Karis Smith has worked as a stage director and assistant director with opera companies across the country, including Houston Grand Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, Michigan Opera Theater, Opera Delaware, Opera Omaha, and Virginia Opera.

In May of 2022, she completed a two-year contract with Pittsburgh Opera as the Resident Artist Stage Director, where she directed Soldier Songs and The Rose Elf, and
was the assistant stage director for the world premiere of Chris Cerrone and Stephanie Fleischmann’s In A Grove, directed by Mary Birnbaum.

Other directing credits include: The Telephone with Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Make a Scene! with Opera Delaware, The Turn of the Screw and The Crucible with Chicago Summer Opera, As One Open Rehearsals Series and The Bremen Town Musicians at The Chautauqua Opera Company, Le Nozze di Figaro at Augusta University, and Petunia and Jack and the Beanstalk with FBN Productions, Inc.

Ms. Smith returns to Houston Grand Opera to join their assistant directing staff for La traviata, El Milagro del
Recuerdo, Werther, and to direct La traviata at the Miller Outdoor Theater in their 2022-23 season. She will be
directing new productions of La traviata at Opera Delaware and Opera Baltimore as well as Rusalka at Opera Idaho in the spring of 2023.