José Cortés was born in San José, Puerto Rico, and is a highly accomplished US American opera director. He received the Theater, Opera, and Visual Arts scholarship of the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes for his work on Donizetti's Tudor Queens. Cortés is a graduate of the Hans Eisler Hoschule in Berlin, where he completed his studies in opera direction.

Before pursuing his passion for opera, Cortés earned a degree in Spanish Literature from the University of Puerto Rico. He has also studied painting, sculpture, architecture, fashion, graphic design, industrial design, art history, photography, and acting.

In 2021, Cortés made history by becoming the first black director to make his debut at the Bayreuth Festival. He was invited by Katharina Wagner to stage the first Festspielnacht am Goldbergsee with lead singers of the Festival 2021, where they performed highlights from "Tristan und Isolde," "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg," and "Der Fliegende Holländer."

Cortés' upcoming projects include Mozart's rarely performed Betulia Liberata in Berlin and a filmed version of the monologue "The Answering Machine" also in the capital of Germany. He is also currently working on a new opera project based on Kafka's Diaries, a collaboration with composer Constantin Stimmer titled: "In die Tiefe: Kafkas Tagebücher."

Throughout his career, Cortés has directed multiple opera productions, including "Othello" after Shakespeare, "Cosi fan tutte" by Mozart, "Die Fledermaus" by Strauss, "La Calisto" by Cavalli, and "150 Rimsky-Korsakov" – scenes from "Sadko," "Die Zarenbraut," and "Schneeflöckchen."

On "Semiramide" at the Deutsche Oper Berlin Cortés worked as a dramaturg with conductor Corrado Rovaris, and as an assistant director at various opera houses, including Komische Oper, Deutsche Oper, Staatsoper Berlin, Oper Graz, and Neuköllner Oper. He has attended seminars by renowned directors such as Claus Guth, Tatjana Gürbaca, Nadja Loschky, Michel Dijkema, Hanns Neuenfels, and Corinna von Rad.

José Cortés is a visionary opera director who has made a significant impact on the opera world through his innovative and creative work, which continues to inspire and entertain audiences.