About
Sophie Gilpin is an award-winning theatre, opera and film director, arts manager, and educator with an extensive portfolio career. She is a Jette Parker Artist at the Royal Ballet and Opera for the 24/25 season; co-founder of SWAP’ra (Supporting Women and Parents in Opera); and a Trustee for Music and Theatre for All.
Upcoming work as a director includes Pimpinone at the Linbury Theatre (RBO) and opera scenes for the Summer Performance on the Royal Opera House main stage. She recently staged dramatic concert productions of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice for Opera North and Opera Favourites for Welsh National Opera, directed Hänsel und Gretel for Birmingham Conservatoire, and has been the Creative Producer for two SWAP’ra Retreats: at Glyndebourne and Snape Maltings.
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Sophie’s film of Pauline Viardot's Cendrillon for Northern Opera Group won Opera of the Year in the Classical Music Digital Awards 2020. Other work as a director includes Acis and Galatea for the Vache Baroque Festival; Cosi fan tutte for Regents Opera (UK and France tour); La traviata at Teatro Garibaldi in Sicily and Jackson's Lane in London; the SWAP'ra Gala at Opera Holland Park; Romeo et Juliette at the Rose Theatre Kingston; and Duet by Katharine Armitage at Wilton's Music Hall and Oxford Lieder Festival. She has also directed critically acclaimed productions of La bohéme, Don Giovanni, Tosca, and Die Feldermaus as well as premieres of two new operas at the Arcola Theatre and new plays at both the Park Theatre and Theatre503. She works as an Assistant Director for companies including the Royal Ballet and Opera, Opera North, Welsh National Opera, Garsington Opera, and Buxton International Festival, and has assisted directors Tim Albery, Oliver Mears, John Cox, Sir David Pountney, and Olivia Fuchs. Sophie has also directed numerous education projects for organisations including the Royal Ballet and Opera, Opera North, British Youth Music Theatre, Birmingham Conservatoire and Leeds Conservatoire.
A regular guest speaker and discussion panelist on directing, arts leadership, and diversity, Sophie's highlights include events for the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Music Studies (EDIMS) Network, the Royal Ballet and Opera, Opera North, Buxton International Festival, and the Mosaic Collective. Radio interviews include multiple appearances on BBC Radio 3's In Tune as well as BBC Radio Leeds and BBC Radio Kent. She has a Master’s degree in Arts Management, Policy & Practice from the University of Manchester where her research focus was on cultural policy and the Levelling Up agenda, policy responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, diversity and inclusion in classical music, and arts advocacy. She was previously awarded a BA in Theatre & Performance Studies from the University of Warwick.
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