(Credit: Jan Rattia)

Miguel Alejandro Castillo Le Maitre emerged as the winner of The Juilliard School’s Marcus Directing Fellowship for 2025-26.

Castillo Le Maitre was named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2024 and was also a 2025 National Dance Project finalist from the New England Foundation for the Arts. He choreographed and assistant-directed David Lang’s “Prisoner of the State” and John Adams’ “The Gospel According to the Other Mary.”

“Miguel is a deeply thoughtful, multi-talented, original stage artist, and we feel he can make a significant contribution to the opera world. We are excited to have him in our midst next season,” said Brian Zeger, Artistic Director of Vocal Arts at Juilliard, per an official press release.

As a fellow, Castillo Le Maitre will work throughout the season in collaboration with Stephen Wadsworth, who will serve as teacher and mentor. There will be a daily acting intensive with eight advanced singers, a weekly seminar with Wadsworth, and he will also act as assistant director for two opera productions at Juilliard.

Meanwhile, the three other finalists, including McCall Cadenas, Nina Goodheart, and Emma Grimsley, will be invited to be the main participants for the Opera Directing Seminar with Stephen Wadsworth for a duration of seven consecutive weeks.

“I’m jazzed about being able to work with four gifted and wildly intelligent directors this year,” says Wadsworth. “Usually there’s just one. I look forward to learning from each of them and helping them learn more about themselves as artists and as people.”

Read Related Stories

• Juilliard’s Fall Festival Returns With Interdisciplinary Programs & Collaborations

• The Juilliard School Announces Fundraising Effort In Efforts to Eliminate Tuition for Students

• Juilliard Opera to Present ‘Dialogues des Carmélites’