He joined Scottish Opera as a production assistant in 1970 and made his professional debut directing The Rake’s Progess for the company in 1972, followed by Janacek’s Katya Kabanova for the Wexford Festival. He became Director of Productions for Scottish Opera in 1976, during which time he instigated a cycle of Janacek operas in partnership with Welsh National Opera.

In 1974 he made his American debut, directing Verdi’s Macbeth at Houston followed by many other works for Houston, Chicago’s Lyric Opera, San Francisco and New York Metropolitan Opera.

He was appointed Director of Productions at English National Opera in 1982, part of a team with Lord Harewood, Mark Elder and later Peter Jonas, during which time the theatre became a powerful engine of radical experiment in opera production and performance. During 11 years at ENO he directed more than 20 operas for the company including several world premieres.

He left ENO in 1993 to work as a freelance director in the major opera houses of the world, in America, Japan and Europe, including a significant body of work for the Bregenz Festival. This included three productions for the vast outdoor stage on the lake: The Flying Dutchman, Nabucco and Fidelio, as well as other productions by Martinu and Rimsky-Korsakov for the indoor theatre. He is a recipient of both the Janacek and Martinu Medals.

He was appointed Intendant of the Bregenz Festival in 2003.