Grant Preisser is a multidisciplinary artist whose unique background in both music and design has positioned him as a distinctive voice in opera. Currently serving as artistic director of Opera Orlando, Mr. Preisser has built a reputation for creating visually compelling productions that honor operatic tradition through contemporary storytelling.
In the 2025-26 season, Mr. Preisser has directed and designed a reimagined production of Puccini's La bohème, set in 1930s Shanghai, for Opera Orlando, and he has made his house debut with Opera Tampa, directing Britten's The Turn of the Screw. In February 2026, he continues with Opera Orlando, directing and designing the Orlando premiere of Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell’s Silent Night, and in April he will direct and design Lehár's The Merry Widow.
The 2024-25 season featured him as scenic designer for Opera Orlando’s all-new productions of Verdi's Macbeth, Massenet's Cendrillon, and Scott Joplin's Treemonisha, while also directing a site-specific production of Massenet's Werther and a double bill that paired a one-act version of Berlioz's Beatrice + Benedict—featuring a new English translation he developed in collaboration with Alan Olejniczak—with Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana. He also designed the world premiere of Four Lost Santas, an Opera Orlando commission by Spicer Carr and Rose Freeman, alongside Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors for the 2024 holiday season. In November of 2024, he made another company debut, directing and designing Humperdinck's Hansel & Gretel for the Helena Symphony Orchestra..
The 2023-24 season showcased Mr. Preisser's versatility across both disciplines. As scenic designer, he created new productions of Verdi's Tosca, Robert Xavier Rodriguez's Frida, and Philip Glass's The Juniper Tree for Opera Orlando. As stage director and production designer, he led productions of Dvořák's Rusalka and Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, both for Opera Orlando. That same season Mr. Preisser directed and designed St. Pete Opera’s Lucia di Lammermoor, and he also provided scenic design for Florida State Opera's production of Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia.
As Artistic Director of Opera Orlando, Preisser oversees artistic, production, and marketing operations, developing season structures that balance classic repertoire with new commissions and site-specific works. Under his leadership, the company has championed American opera and contemporary works, including the world premieres of The Death of Ivan Ilych, The Secret River, and Four Lost Santas. His commitment to expanding the operatic canon includes developing English translations and adaptations, including his new English translation of Berlioz's Beatrice + Benedict, a full-length English adaptation of Dvořák's Rusalka, and education/outreach versions in English of Massenet's Cendrillon and Humperdinck's Hansel & Gretel.
Mr. Preisser's work as both director and designer has been seen at companies across the United States, including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Savannah Voice Festival, Opera Steamboat, Chautauqua Opera, Opera in the Heights, University of Michigan, UrbanArias, and Lawrence Opera Theatre. Mr. Preisser’s work with UrbanArias in Washington, D.C. on contemporary American opera has been particularly notable and critically acclaimed. He designed the world premiere of The Last American Hammer (featured at Opera America's New Works Forum), which the Washington Post praised for his dramatically taut direction and set design, noting characters of considerable depth and complexity. His production of the Usonian Edition premiere of Daron Hagen's Shining Brow received widespread critical acclaim, with BroadwayWorld calling it a rare treat for DC theatre-goers where every nuance was thought through, and the MD Theatre Guide praising the production as triumphant in its intellectual depth and genuine poignancy under Mr. Preisser's expert direction.
As a scenic designer, Mr. Preisser has created over fifty production designs for opera companies nationwide. His design aesthetic balances visual elegance with practical functionality, often employing minimalist elements that allow singers to move freely while creating striking stage pictures. He has served as both production designer and scenic designer, demonstrating his comprehensive approach to a unified theatrical vision. Recent productions where he designed all visual elements include The Magic Flute, All is Calm: the Christmas Truce of 1914, Die Fledermaus, Alcina, and La Traviata.
Mr. Preisser's path to opera is an unconventional one. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music (voice) from Florida State University, followed by a Master of Science in interior design from the same institution. Returning later to Florida State University, he completed coursework toward a Master of Music in opera production with a concentration in stage direction. Before returning to opera full-time, he served as associate vice president of Savannah College of Art and Design's Hong Kong campus and worked as director of design at Heery International, Inc. His NCIDQ certification and extensive experience in architectural design inform his understanding of function, space, light, and three-dimensional composition.
With his dual expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and comprehensive understanding of both the artistic and administrative demands of opera production, Mr. Preisser’s work continues to enrich the opera landscape through thoughtful productions that honor the art form's traditions while embracing innovation and accessibility.