PJ Harris
Awards
2025 Sky Arts Award for Simon Boccanegra with Opera North
2015 BBC Performing Arts Fund Fellow
Nominations
2025 UK Theatre Awards: Achievement in Opera for Simon Boccanegra with Opera North
2021 ENO’s Drive & Live: La bohème nominated for an Royal Television Society Award under the Live Event category
2021 ENO’s Drive & Live: La bohème nominated for Royal Philharmonic Society Award under the Opera and Music category
PJ is an award-winning British opera director originally from the Midlands. He initially trained as a musician, holding a first-class degree in Music from the University of Leeds. Since being listed as “one to watch” by the BBC in 2015, his work has taken him across Europe including the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Glyndebourne, Royal Swedish Opera, Opéra de Lyon, Norwegian National Opera, Opera North, Scottish Opera and Polish National Opera. In 2024 PJ co-founded the arts charity coalign with Hannah Kumari on a mission to create more new writing in opera.
“Simon Boccanegra - Opera North
I doubt whether anything will stir the soul, shiver the spine and raise the roof like this concert staging of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra”
“La bohème Drive & Live - Alexandra Palace
... a project on an ambitious scale, managed with formidable efficiency in the service of artistic values that are as high as any at the Coliseum.”
“Vespers of 1610 - Garsington Opera
A thrilling, operatic take on this spectacular musical showcase.”
Gallery
2025
Production |
Company |
|---|---|
| Simon Boccanegra (Concert staging) | Opera North, Dir. PJ Harris, Des. Anna Reid |
2024
Production |
Company |
|---|---|
| Götterdämmerung | London Philharmonic Orchestra |
| Idomeneo | Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Dir. PJ Harris, Des. Anna Yates |
2023
Production |
Company |
|---|---|
| Displaced: A Woolwich Arsenal Opera | Woolwich Works for Tete a Tete Festival |
| L’étoile | Royal Conservatoire of Scotland |
2022
Production |
Company |
|---|---|
| Billy Budd (Revival) | Finnish National Opera, Dir. Annilese Miskimmon, Des. Annemarie Woods |
| Gods of The Game: a Football Opera | Grange Park Opera, Dir. PJ Harris, Des. Jamie Vartan |
| Brundibár | Opera North |
2020
Production |
Company |
|---|---|
| La bohème | ENO: Drive & Live at Alexandra Palace, Set Des. Chloe Lamford, Costume Des. Camilla Clarke |
2019
Production |
Company |
|---|---|
| Vespers | Garsington Opera |
| Cupboard Love | Byre Opera |
| Riders to the Sea | Byre Opera |
| Billy Budd (Revival) | Teatr Wielki Opera Narodowa, Original Dir. Annilese Miskimmon, Des. Annemarie Woods |
2018
Production |
Company |
|---|---|
| Salome | Opera North |
2017
Production |
Company |
|---|---|
| Eugene Onegin | Rhosygilwen Opera |
| The Cunning Little Vixen | Byre Opera | Jenůfa (Revival) | Royal Swedish Opera, Original Dir. Annilese Miskimmon |
2016
Production |
Company |
|---|---|
| La Voix Humaine | The Forge, Camden |