Daniel Ellis (director), Jaime Mejia (set designer), Angela M. Kahler (costume designer), Cheri Prough DeVol (lighting designer) are recipients of 2021 OPERA America’s Robert L. B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize, generously funded by the Tobin Theatre Arts Fund.   Mr. Ellis made his European debut in 2016 directing the third revival of Barrie Kosky and Suzanne Andrade’s production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte at the Komische Oper in Berlin. Subsequently, he has directed revivals of the production for both Cincinnati Opera and Opera Philadelphia’s Inaugural “O” Festival as a part of their 2017 seasons. In addition, Mr. Ellis was honored to direct the European debut of Sir David McVicar’s production of Wozzeck at the Grand Théâtre de Genève in Geneva, Switzerland in 2017 and again for the Finnish National Opera in 2019.   Besides opera, Daniel works extensively in theatre and musical theatre. In 2019, he directed The Elephant Man for Williams Street Repertory in Crystal Lake, IL. Praised for his “sensitive, intuitive and astutely intelligent direction” Daniel will return this year for their Main Stage productions of Spring Awaking this fall.  Daniel also recently directed his first film, Heart of Stone, currently in post-production.   Made in during the height of the pandemic, the film deals with the effects of isolation and was created entirely with a team of isolated artists.   Ellis has directed over 10 world premieres including the Off-Broadway production of Frank Gagliano’s comedy, Dancing with Joy. Daniel joined Opera Philadelphia's Double Exposure project to present works from two new operas by composers-in-residence, David T. Little and David Hertzberg. In collaboration with the Arkansas Symphony, Daniel directed and conceived the premiere of Stay Tuned, featuring the nationally recognized vocal ensemble Five By Design. A nostalgic look at the golden age of television, it has been performed with over 40 symphony orchestras and performing arts centers throughout the United States and Canada during its five-year tour, including Utah, Colorado Springs, Grand Rapids, Charlotte, Vancouver and Edmonton.    Among the numerous accolades Ellis has received for his work, his production of The Beaux’ Stratagem was awarded the 2nd place honor in the 2015 American Prize in Directing Competition, and it was named the Best Overall Production by Lavender Magazine for the 2014-2015 season. His production of Griffelkin with Minnesota Opera’s Project Opera performed with over 60 children between the ages of 7-17 also won the 3rd Place award in the 2014 American Prize in Directing Competition. Daniel’s co-directed production of Scarlet Woman for Sunset Gun Productions received the Best of Fest Awards from both the Winnipeg Fringe and Edmonton International Fringe Festivals. In addition, Daniel is an alumni of  Minnesota Opera’s Resident Artist Program.   Balancing his career with his long-standing commitment to education in the arts, Daniel has received numerous commissions to develop original programming and scripts for such organizations as the Ft. Worth Symphony’s Kinderconcerts; The Philharmonic Society of Orange County’s Concerts for Fifth Graders; Swarthmore College; Monterrey Symphony, and the Palm Beach Symphony.  Ellis has worked for Lyric Opera of Chicago, Dallas Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Portland Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Mill City Opera, San Diego Opera, and Minnesota Opera alongside world-renowned directors including Sir David McVicar, Graham Vick, Michael Cavanagh, Fenlon Lamb, Thaddeus Strassberger, Kevin Newbury, Renaud Doucet, Joel Ivany, Sam Helfrich and David Lefkowich. He is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and a member of AGMA.