James Robinson is regarded as one of America's most inventive and sought-after stage directors. He has won wide acclaim for productions that range from the standard repertory to world premieres to seldom performed works, and he is considered the most widely performed director of opera in North America.
Past season productions include Il Trittico at San Francisco Opera, Casanova's Homecoming at Minnesota Opera, The Ghosts of Versailles at Wexford Festival Opera, and Abduction from the Seraglio at Welsh National Opera.
James Robinson has directed numerous new productions for the New York City Opera including Il Trittico, Il Viaggio a Reims, Lucia di Lammermoor, Hansel and Gretel (co-produced with Los Angeles Opera), and the widely acclaimed La bohème (broadcast on Public Television as part of "Live from Lincoln Center" in 2001). In 2002, he made his Houston Grand Opera debut with a new production of Abduction from the Seraglio and followed up this production with La bohème, Lucia di Lammermoor, and Giulio Cesare. He has directed new productions of Elektra and Norma for the Canadian Opera Company, The Rake's Progress and Così fan tutte for the Santa Fe Opera, Carmen for the Seattle Opera, Antheil's Transatlantic and Lucia di Lammermoor for the Minnesota Opera, and Eugene Onegin for Boston Lyric Opera. In 2004, James Robinson directed the world premiere of Daniel Catan's Salsipuedes for the Houston Grand Opera.
His production of Turandot, first produced for the Minnesota Opera in 1995 has been seen by more than twenty-five companies in North America. James Robinson has also directed Katya Kabanova and Eugene Onegin for Opera Ireland, Norma for the Royal Swedish Opera, Handel's Rinaldo for Opera Australia, and Handel's Radamisto, Dominick Argento's Miss Havisham's Fire for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. His 2004 production of Nixon in China, first produced by St. Louis has been seen throughout the United States.
In 2008, James was appointed Artistic Director of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Following his appointment, his first production was a landmark version of John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles (a co-production with the Wexford Festival in Ireland).
In the 2010/2011 season, James will be directing Un Ballo in Maschera at Washington Opera, The Golden Ticket at the Wexford Festival, Nixon in China at the Canadian Opera Company, and Jeanne d'Arc au Bucher at Carnegie Hall.