Ran Arthur Braun is a graduate of the Piano and Classical Singing class of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, studied stage direction at the La Monnaie Opera Studio and continued his postgraduate studies at the Early Music Department of the Royal Conservatory of the Hague.
Since 2004, he has worked as stage manager and fight choreographer at the Bregenz Festival. He has worked as revival director, associate director and stage manager for more than 50 productions in opera houses throughout Europe, and was producer and head of stage management for Teatro Sociale di Como in Italy.
He is also an established fight choreographer and director of movement, with over 80 work credits, including recent work for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Salzburg Festival, among others. He directed and designed the set for La Bohème, Estonian National Opera, for which he won the Theatre and Music Award 2011, in Estonia. This production toured to Lithuanian National Opera and was revived with great success this season at the Opera House in Poznan.
Ran co-directed Parsifal (together with Nicola Raab) for the Estonian National Opera in collaboration with Nargen Festival in 2011. In 2012/2013 he directed (together with Rob Kearley) and designed Faust for Opera North, in Leeds. This production will guest at the Birgitta Festival in 2013.
Ran will return to direct and design the Polish premiere of Cyberiade, by Meyer, for the Poznan Opera, during 2012/2013. Most recently he directed and designed the World Premiere of "Two Heads and a Girl" for Settimana Musicale Senese Festival in Italy, a production that will be revived at Bemus Festival, Belgrade.
Future work includes choreography (stunt and action) for Bregenz Festival's lake production of The Magic Flute (Directed by David Pountney) and more.
La Bohème for Estonia Theatre
Ekspress
Estonia Theatre has come out with a classical opera production, in a way, that the outcome is fresh, modern, positive and sublime from the beginning till the end - conceptually very different from the old-fashioned La bohème production in 1993
Faust for Opera North at the Grand Theatre, Leeds
Opera Brittania
Tells the story from a gripping and totally believable contemporary angle . . . The Personenregie is engaging and imaginatively thought out. I really enjoyed . . . new take on the piece and found the use of video imagery (designed by Lillevan) to be particularly effective and atmospheric . . . absolute must-see . . .visually astonishing staging.
Faust for Opera North at the Grand Theatre, Leeds
The Independent
flickering images of high finance, dirty politics and private angst move in approximate parallel to Gounod's velvet and organza orchestral textures.
Faust for Opera North at the Grand Theatre, Leeds
The Art Desk
White cubes, reminiscent of a Tate installation, fulfill ingenious multiple roles....... visual effects are frequently stunning.
Faust for Opera North at the Grand Theatre, Leeds
The Sunday Times
This staging will be an eye-opener. Opera North bring Gounod's cheesy fable forcefully and cleverly up to date.
Miss Fortune at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
The Wall Street Journal
Superbly choreographed.
Miss Fortune at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Opera Today
"When one of the breakdancers spins dangerously on the top of his head, risking his neck and spine, he expresses more about the nature of fate than anything in this music. It’s not a good sign when a choreographer can say more about the meaning of an opera than a composer. Wonderful dancing, however. These men (members of the Soul Mavericks) were so good that they almost rescued the whole show"
La Boheme for Estonian National Opera
Päevaleht
The Director squeezes everything out from the rhythm of action in the
opera and equally well in using his own strong points. The stage
movement of men along with the captivating video makes La Boheme thrilling.
La Boheme for Estonian National Opera
Päevaleht
Trusting Ran Arthur Braun with La Boheme was a very good step, which
led the National Opera considerably closer to the ideal of modern
musical theatre.
La Boheme for Estonian National Opera
Postimees
Opera and the staging rhymed, the hall of Estonia seemed to be shaken
by the collective catharsis. It was total success, a whole new level...
La Boheme for Estonian National Opera
Postimees
Instead of the traditional set, the visual part of the staging was
shaped by eight giant panels, that moved with mesmerising grace and
choreography during the scene changes.
