Annilese Miskimmon

Born in Belfast in 1974, Annilese Miskimmon came to Christ’s in 1992 to read English. After graduating, she studied Arts Management at London City University and went on to be a staff producer at the Welsh National Opera. Thus began a career which has seen her travel the world, working with conductors including Rattle, Gardiner, Elder, Jurowski, McGegan, and Mackerras. During her time as a freelance director, director of opera at Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, as well as artistic director at the Opera Theatre Company, Annilese worked with the English National Opera, at Glyndebourne and with the BBC Orchestras and Proms. Her opera directing career to date has taken her to the San Francisco Opera, Bologna, Toronto, Le Châtelet (Paris), Oslo, Glyndebourne and Frankfurt. In 2008, she returned to Christ’s College to direct a student performance of Comus as part of the Milton 400th anniversary celebrations.

In 2019, Annilese was named the new artistic director of English National Opera, beginning her post in September 2020.