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. She just finished two years with Pittsburgh Opera as the Resident Artist Stage Director, where she directed Soldier Songs and The Rose Elf.

Recently, she was the assistant stage director for the world premiere of Chris Cerrone and Stephanie Fleischmann’s In A Grove, directed by Mary Birnbaum at Pittsburgh Opera, Barrie Kosky’s production of Saul at Houston Grand Opera, the assistant director for Cinderella and stage director for Goldie B. Locks and the Three Singing Bears at Virginia Opera, and was the assistant director for Orpheus and Euridice at West Edge Opera.

Other directing credits include: 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 will also be directing Le Nozze di Figaro at Red River Lyric Opera this summer, and then returns to Houston Grand Opera to join their directing staff for La Traviata and Werther in their 2022-23 season.