Stuart Barker grew up in Ongar and studied Physics with Astrophysics at Royal Holloway, University of London.

He is Artistic Director of The Minotaur Music Theatre for whom he has directed A Dinner Engagement, Comedy on the Bridge, Sāvitri, The Waiter’s Revenge, Hin und zurück, A Man of Feeling, L’occasione fa il ladro, Riders to the Sea, The Bear, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Così fan tutte, Don Giovanni, Dido and Aeneas, Cox and Box, La bohème, The Wandering Scholar, La Cenerentola and Rita.

Productions for other companies include Stephen Oliver’s Euridice (British Youth Opera at the Peacock Theatre), La voix humaine (Kypria International Festival, Cyprus), Suor Angelica and L’enfant et les sortilèges (Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama), L’elisir d’amore (British Youth Opera at the Anghiari Festival), Les contes d’Hoffmann, The Rake’s Progress, Samson, Aida, Eugene Onegin, Cavalleria rusticana, Pagliacci, Die Zauberflöte, Trouble in Tahiti, The Beggar’s Opera, The Pirates of Penzance, Iolanthe, HMS Pinafore, Merrie England, To the Edge, and Scenes from the Savoy as well as revivals of Carmen (English Touring Opera) and Don Pasquale (European Chamber Opera). Musicals include Hermes and Alice in Wonderland.

He has directed opera scenes for the Royal College of Music, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Birmingham Conservatoire, British Youth Opera at the Anghiari Festival and Birkbeck’s Opera Diploma Course, and run workshops for Co-Opera Co and Advanced Performers Studio.

Stuart has a long association with the work of British Youth Opera.