Stephen was born and educated in Melbourne, Australia and has directed over 50 productions for many of the world’s leading opera companies including Santa Fe Opera, the Royal Ballet & Opera, The Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Glyndebourne Festival, San Francisco Opera, Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse and Opéra de Monte Carlo.
His recent work includes: Flight with State Opera South Australia, Scottish Opera, Opera Holland Park; Don Giovanni at Santa Fe, Marx in London with Scottish Opera; Tosca, Itch with Opera Holland Park; The Barber of Seville with Santa Fe & Grange Festival; Roméo et Juliette with Estonian National Opera; The Phantom of the Opera in Bucharest, Oslo, Athens, UAE; La Cenerentola at Grange Festival; Così fan tutte at Central City Opera, Colorado; Madama Butterfly with Danish National Opera; and Suor Angelica & Gianni Schicchi in Hong Kong.
Other productions include Rigoletto with Lyric Opera Chicago, Bucharest National Opera; La Rondine with The Metropolitan Opera, Théâtre du Capitole Toulouse; Carmen with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis; La Cour de Célimène at Wexford Festival and La traviata with Singapore Lyric Opera.