Sven Ortel

Since 2000, Sven Ortel has explored and advanced the use of imagery and projection in live arts, particularly how digital technologies can create engaging narrative experiences. He collaborates with experts and creatives on complex scenic and production design challenges that center live audiences.

Originally from Cologne, Germany, Sven earned his BA in Lighting Design in London, designing media for Simon McBurney’s *Measure for Measure* at the National Theatre in 2004. He created projection designs for opera, dance, musicals, and plays across Europe and the US. In 2012, he was nominated for a Tony Award for Disney’s *Newsies*, and in 2014, he received a Drama League nomination for Julie Taymor’s *A Midsummer Night’s Dream*.

Recent projects include NHKS4220 at New York’s Artechouse, Thoughts of a Colored Man (Broadway, Drama Desk nomination), Parade (Broadway, Outer Critics Circle nomination and winner of Best Revival of a Musical), and Once Upon a One More Time (Broadway). He also premiered the multimedia installation Lamentations at Liesbeck at Mesa’s Mix Center.

Sven seeks innovative ways to tell stories through media and create cohesive visual environments that fully engage audiences.

For the past ten years, he’s educated designers, artists, and thought leaders at public research universities. His academic work adapts effective creative processes from the performing arts, especially projection design, to address design challenges in other live experiences, especially emerging rich media like immersive and XR productions. This research is central to his roles as a professor of practice in immersive and entertainment design at Arizona State University and a faculty member at Mesa’s innovative Mix Center.

Outside of work, he’s a passionate landscaper dedicated to restoring and stewarding the land. He enjoys camping, running, hiking, and mountain biking. More info at svenortel.com