Rhoda Levine

Rhoda Levine
Born
Rhoda Jane Levine

(1932-06-15)June 15, 1932
New York City, U.S.
DiedJanuary 6, 2026(2026-01-06) (aged 93)
New York City, U.S.
EducationBard College (BA)
Occupations
  • Opera director
  • choreographer
  • educator
Years active1975–2026
Employers
AwardsNational Institute for Music Theater Award

Rhoda Jane Levine (June 15, 1932 – January 6, 2026) was an American opera director, choreographer and a faculty member at several schools of music.

Early life and career

Levine was born in New York City on June 15, 1932.[1][2] She wrote the libretto for Opus Number Zoo by Luciano Berio and also wrote children's books. She was the artistic director of Play It By Ear, an improvisational opera group.[3][4] She was the recipient of the National Institute for Music Theater Award. She got her BA at Bard College.[5]

In the summer, she taught at the John Duffy Composers Institute, in Norfolk, Virginia.[6]

Levine was a faculty member at the Curtis Institute of Music, Yale School of Drama, The Juilliard School, and Northwestern University, and taught at Manhattan School of Music from 1992 and Mannes College and was a frequent guest teacher and visiting artist at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU.

Personal life and death

Levine died in New York City, aged 93. She left no immediate survivors.[2][7]

Operas directed by Rhoda Levine

Opera Company Year Notes
Porgy and Bess[4] Cape Town Opera 1996 South African premiere
Der Kaiser von Atlantis[4] Chicago Opera Theatre Viktor Ullmann
Orpheus Descending Chicago Opera Theatre World premiere
The Good Soldier Schweik Glimmerglass Opera
Lizzie Borden Glimmerglass Opera
Rigoletto Glimmerglass Opera
Little Women[4] Glimmerglass Opera By Adamo
Susannah Kentucky Opera
The Marriage of Figaro Kentucky Opera
Der Kaiser von Atlantis Nederlandse Opera 1975 Viktor Ullmann; world premiere
Le Nozze di Figaro Nederlandse Opera 1986
Lulu Nederlandse Opera
The Good Soldier Schweik Nederlandse Opera
From the House of the Dead Nederlandse Opera
The Love for Three Oranges Nederlandse Opera
The Fantasticks Nederlandse Opera
Macbeth Nederlandse Opera
Of Mice and Men Nederlandse Opera
The Marriage of Figaro Nederlandse Opera
Medea New York City Opera 1982 Directing debut
Of Mice and Men New York City Opera 1997
Little Women[4] New York City Opera 2003 By Adamo
Lizzie Borden New York City Opera 1996
Rigoletto New York City Opera
The Ballad of Baby Doe New York City Opera
X, The Life and Times of Malcolm X[4] New York City Opera World premiere; by Anthony Davis
From the House of the Dead[4] New York City Opera American stage premiere; by Janacek
Die Soldaten[4] New York City Opera By Zimmermann
Mathis der Maler New York City Opera 1995
Wakonda's Dream[4] Opera Omaha By Anthony Davis
Treemonisha Opera Theatre of St. Louis 2000
La Bohème Opera Theatre of St. Louis
A Death in the Family Opera Theatre of St. Louis 1986
Under the Double Moon Opera Theatre of St. Louis World premiere
Madama Butterfly San Diego Opera 1982
La Bohème San Diego Opera 1985
Lucia di Lammermoor San Diego Opera 1989
Of Mice and Men San Diego Opera 1999
Figaro Santa Fe Opera
L'histoire du Soldat Santa Fe Opera 1987
Kabbalah By Stewart Wallace
Where the Wild Things Are Music composed by Oliver Knussen

Additionally, she directed productions at Belgium's Opéra National; Scottish Opera; San Francisco Opera; Festival of the Two Worlds; Cabrillo Festival; and Holland Festival, and helmed and choreographed productions on and off-Broadway, in London's West End, and for CBS and WNET.

Books

  • Levine, Rhoda (1961). Prince What-Shall-I-Do. Illustrated by Sandy Wilson. New York Review of Books. ISBN 978-1-59017-354-1. OCLC 30222994. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  • Levine, Rhoda (1962). Arthur. OCLC 1651323.
  • Levine, Rhoda (1963). The Quiet Story. New York Review of Books. ISBN 978-1-59017-354-1. OCLC 1415095. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  • Levine, Rhoda (1963). Three Ladies beside the Sea. Illustrated by Edward Gorey. OCLC 1203946.
  • Levine, Rhoda (1964). Harrison Loved His Umbrella. OCLC 1415085.
  • Levine, Rhoda (1968). He was There from the Day We Moved in. Illustrated by Edward Gorey. New York Review of Books. ISBN 978-1-59017-354-1. OCLC 87510.
    • Levine, Rhoda (1977). Er war da und saß im Garten (in German). Illustrated by Edward Gorey. New York Review of Books. ISBN 978-1-59017-354-1. OCLC 1203944.
    • Levine, Rhoda (1977). Il etait la, il attendait (in French). Illustrated by Edward Gorey. New York Review of Books. ISBN 978-1-59017-354-1. OCLC 301610899.
    • Levine, Rhoda (2012). He was There from the Day We Moved in. Illustrated by Edward Gorey. New York Review of Books. ISBN 978-1-59017-515-6.
  • Levine, Rhoda (1969). The Herbert Situation. New York Review of Books. ISBN 978-1-59017-354-1. OCLC 2156186.

References

  1. ^ Wlaschin, Ken (2006). Encyclopedia of American Opera. McFarland. p. 205. ISBN 978-1-4766-1238-6.
  2. ^ a b Nossiter, Adam (January 17, 2026). "Rhoda Levine, Pathbreaking Opera Director, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved January 17, 2026.
  3. ^ "Faculty Bio: Rhoda Levine". Manhattan School of Music. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Levine 2012, About the Author
  5. ^ "Rhoda Levine". New York Review Books. September 30, 2025.
  6. ^ "Directing Rhoda: the Arts of Living". IFP Fiscal Sponsorship.
  7. ^ "RHODA LEVINE Obituary (2026) – New York, NY – New York Times". Legacy.com. January 15, 2026. Retrieved January 15, 2026.
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