ALISON

POGORELC

about

about Alison

Alison Pogorelc is an American director celebrated for her innovative and multidisciplinary approach to storytelling across opera, theater, and film.

work

SELECTED WORK

directing

Assisting

Blood and Brains: Directing 'Salome'

Iowa Public Radio | July 16, 2024

"Salome is often a shocking, controversial show. But Pogorelc’s directorial approach was to bring out the material’s human element..."

Iowa’s Star-Powered Strauss

Opera Today | July 18, 2024

"...But opera should be a marriage of thrilling music and compelling theatre, and on that latter front the creative team also spectacularly delivered. Director Alison Pogorelc staged a wonderfully nuanced and varied production, taking full advantage of Steven C. Kemp’s visually arresting set design."

Des Moines Metro Opera Announces Director Change for ‘Salome’

Opera News | June 13, 2024

"Des Moines Metro Opera has revealed that Alison Pogorelc will make her company debut as stage director for Strauss's Salome."

Metropolitan Opera's Live in HD will put work of Whitefish Bay sisters on the big screen

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | April 15, 2024

"Emily and Alison Pogorelc of Whitefish Bay both play key roles in Met Opera's La Rondine...."

UPDATES

UPCOMING

The knock at Central City Opera

This summer, Alison joins Central City Opera as Associate Director for the regional premiere of Alison Moritz's production of The Knock. Set during the Iraq War, this poignant opera by Aleksandra Vrebalov and Deborah Brevoort explores the strength of military spouses facing the fear of a life-changing knock at the door.
More info:
https://centralcityopera.org/project/the-knock/

Madison Opera directing debut

A Wisconsin native, Alison, makes a very exciting directing debut at Madison Opera this fall with Puccini’s La Bohème. Performances take place November 7 and 9, 2025. Learn more:
https://www.madisonopera.org/boheme/

Metropolitan Opera's 2025/26 Season

As a member of the Metropolitan Opera’s directing staff, Alison will be working on new productions of Bellini’s La Sonnambula and I Puritani, Yuval Sharon’s new staging of Tristan und Isolde, and Michael Mayer’s production of La Traviata.

More 2025/26 updates to come

Other upcoming projects include new collaborations with The New York Choral Society and Washington National Opera’s Cafritz Young Artists Program—details to be announced soon.

IN DEVELOPMENT

Transport

Produced by The Why Collective, the project is a double bill fusion of the one-woman chamber opera, Another Sunrise (Heggie/Scheer), and the rarely performed oratorio, Judas Maccabeus (Handel). The project utilizes interdisciplinary story-telling, staging, music, dance, interactive projections, and ASL to tell a story of survival and ask questions of what it means to be a hero. To learn more about the project and see video from our workshop, click here: https://www.thewhycollective.art/projects-in-development

Updates