Oliver Mears

English director Oliver Mears became The Royal Opera’s Director of Opera in March 2017. He joined The Royal Opera from Northern Ireland Opera, where he was its founding Artistic Director (2010–17). He studied English and History at Oxford University before assisting playwright Howard Barker. In 2004 he co-founded London-based opera company Second Movement for whom he directed numerous site-specific productions. His NIO productions included L’elisir d’amore, Der fliegende Holländer, Macbeth, Salome, Agrippina, Hansel and Gretel, The Turn of the Screw and Noye’s Fludde, also for Beijing and Shanghai Music Festivals.

For The Royal Opera Mears has directed Semele (also at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées), Trouble in Tahiti/A Quiet Place, The Rape of Lucretia (also at Aldeburgh), Rigoletto and Jephtha. He has directed for other companies including  the Salzburg Easter Festival (La Gioconda), Norwegian National Opera (L’elisir d’amore), Bergen National Opera (Don Giovanni), Aldeburgh Music (Albert Herring), Theater Magdeburg (Aida), Opera North (Hansel and Gretel), Scottish Opera (Eugene Onegin, Orpheus in the Underworld), Welsh National Opera (Macbeth), the Young Vic (My Dad’s a Birdman), Pimlico Opera, Nevill Holt Opera, Early Opera Company, Nederlandse Reisopera and the National Opera Studio.

In the 2025/26 Royal Opera Season, he directs Tosca and his production of Rigoletto returns.

The position of Director of The Royal Opera is generously supported by Sir Mick and Lady Barbara Davis.