I'd really been interested in opera when I was about 16, and I really like staging them.

In opera, everyone's watching from a fixed viewpoint, and that really challenges you. Lighting, the sets, stage groupings, the music-but doesn't relate too much to film.

Directing an opera is similar to directing a play. The singing must not get in the way of the drama.

When the music and the characters are flawlessly synchronized, the opera develops an emotional force that movies and plays cannot match.

The number of opera houses around the world and the high attendance rates show that opera an art form that is more popular than ever.

There were movies that always made me want to be a director. You see brilliant scenes and the way the emotions were handled. I thought, I'd really like to do that.