British stage director John Copley first appeared with San Diego Opera directing Eugene Onegin in 1985 (and in 1994) followed by The Marriage of Figaro in 1986 and 1992, La bohème in 1990, Così fan tutte in 1991, The Barber of Seville in 1993, Ariodante in 2002, Norma in 2003, Julius Caesar in Egypt in 2006 and Peter Grimes in 2009. He began his theatrical career performing the Apprentice in the first Covent Garden production of Peter Grimes in 1949. Soon after, he became the Stage Manager of Sadler's Wells Opera and Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet. He then joined the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Stage Manager, then became Assistant Producer and subsequently Principal Resident Producer. His productions there include Così fan tutte, The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, La bohème, Faust, The Elixir of Love, Ariadne auf Naxos, Maria Stuarda, Lucrezia Borgia, Alceste and Semele. Among his milestone productions are Il pirata at Metropolitan Opera, The Barber of Seville seen in Chicago, San Francisco and The Dallas Opera and Midsummer Marriage and for San Francisco Opera. Copley has worked English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera and the English Opera Group. He has directed with The Metropolitan Opera, the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Opera Australia, New York City Opera, Canadian Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and San Francisco Opera, among others. Several of his productions are available on video including Julius Caesar in Egypt, Maria Stuarda, Adriana Lecouvreur, Tosca, La bohème, Lucrezia Borgia and Così fan tutte.