Louisa Proske, co-founder of the innovative Heartbeat Opera, is making her Metropolitan Opera debut as the director of the company’s new production of Verdi’s “Macbeth,” which opened the Met’s 2026 season. The production features an all-star cast and represents a significant step in Proske’s artistic career, moving from the experimental conditions of a small contemporary opera company to one of the world’s leading opera houses.
Proske, who helped launch Heartbeat Opera in 2014, took on the Met assignment less than a year ago after the original director withdrew, an unusual circumstance given that planning for new productions typically begins years in advance. Peter Gelb, general manager of the Met, said that Proske’s work at Heartbeat and her availability on short notice made her a natural choice for the position. “He said, ‘Can you do it very, very fast? The design was due yesterday,’” Proske recalled. Despite the tight timeline, she embraced the challenge.
The production’s design blends stark modern imagery with elements drawn from Shakespeare’s original period setting. Set designer Jon Bausor created a war-ravaged landscape, featuring a large concrete wall with a blasted opening that frames scenes unfolding on a rotating stage. Costume designer Montana Levi Blanco’s designs contrast this with Renaissance-era robes and gowns, highlighting themes of power through their regal appearance. Proske describes the witches in the production as omnipresent figures—likened to creeping insects or mold—who gradually invade the space as the characters descend into violence and moral decay.
Proske’s directorial approach aims to carry the same sense of visceral storytelling that defined her work at Heartbeat Opera, where she cultivated a reputation for inventive and precise narrative techniques. After leaving Heartbeat in 2021, she spent several seasons directing at Oper Halle in Germany before returning to freelance work in Europe and the United States.
The cast is led by baritone Quinn Kelsey in the title role, soprano Lise Davidsen as Lady Macbeth, tenor Freddie De Tommaso as Macduff, and bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green as Banquo. Yannick Nezet-Seguin, the Met’s music director, conducts the orchestra and chorus. The production runs for ten performances, with a live broadcast planned for the October 17 matinee.
Proske draws upon her longstanding familiarity with “Macbeth,” having completed her thesis on the Shakespeare play at the University of Cambridge. She views the opera as a sharp commentary on the corrupting nature of power, societal breakdown, and the descent into tyranny. “It only takes three steps for all guardrails to be gone, the world descending into total savagery and bloodshed,” she said, emphasizing the work’s contemporary relevance.
Colleagues from Heartbeat Opera expressed pride in Proske’s advancement to the Met stage. Jacob Ashworth, Heartbeat’s artistic director, highlighted the reciprocal relationship between smaller, experimental companies and major institutions, noting that innovative ideas generated downtown often influence productions at larger venues.
The Met’s “Macbeth” under Proske’s direction seeks to merge the intensity of small-scale opera-making with the grandeur of a major opera house, offering audiences a vivid interpretation of a timeless and troubling story.