The Washington National Opera kicks off its season with a new production of “Il Trovatore” starting on October 22, 2022. The famed Verdi opera will receive a newly conceived period production by director Brenna Corner, with sets by Erhard Rom, a finalist of the International Opera Prize. There will also be wardrobe by Martin Pakledinaz. The cast will be led {…}
The Washington National Opera is set to celebrate the 17th year of its most popular community event with a free opera broadcast at the state-of-the art soccer stadium home of the D.C. United, Audi Field. Opera on the Field will present Georges Bizet’s “Carmen” on Sept. 25, 2022 and will be hosted by WNO General Director Timothy O’Leary and WNO {…}
AP News has reported that 150 items belonging to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg auctioned by Virginia-based The Potomack Company raised $803,650 for Washington National Opera—a surprising amount compared to Potomack’s pre-sale estimate of $50,000 to $80,000. Ginsburg was an ardent fan and fervent supporter of the art form and even appeared on stage in a WNO {…}
The Washington National Opera has announced its 2022-23 season. The season kicks off with Brenna Corner’s production of “Il Trovatore” starring Latonia Moore, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Gwyn Hughes Jones, Christopher Maltman, and Ryan Speedo Green. Michele Gamba conducts. Performance Dates: Oct 22 – Nov. 7, 2022 Next up is Strauss’ “Elektra” with Christine Goerke in the title role. The cast also {…}
Works & Process, the performing arts series at the Guggenheim, is set to present “Washington National Opera: Written in Stone” on Feb. 6, 2022. The event will take place in the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Peter B. Lewis Theater at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and will show a sneak peek of the work inspired by iconic monuments in Washington, D.C., {…}
On March 5, 2022, the Kennedy Center will present Washington National Opera’s world premiere of “Written in Stone.” This event, which comes during the center’s 50th anniversary season, is comprised of a prologue and three one-act operas which explore the meaning of monuments through three different perspectives. The work is commissioned by WNO from the artistic pairings of Alicia Hall {…}
(Credit: ©Barbara Anmüller) “Comedy today, tragedy tomorrow.” American soprano Sydney Mancasola uttered these words before going to the stage at the Adelaide Festival on March 13 2020, in the role of Bess in opera “Breaking the Waves.” The opera had a second performance on March 15, and at that time the coronavirus pandemic already begun its deadly march across Europe {…}
(Credit: Karin Cooper) During the Washington National Opera’s 2021-22 season Opening Night gala, the company announced that Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s family honored her love for the Washington National Opera with a gift of her piano. The gift also included the costume worn for her appearance in a WNO’s production of Donizetti’s “La fille du régiment” in 2016. The company was {…}
(Credit: Speranza Scappucci official website) The Musical Director of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège Speranza Scappucci has received the first edition of the De Sanctis Europa Prize, at the residence of the Italian Ambassador in Brussels. The De Sanctis Prize is an important Italian distinction, conferred by the De Sanctis Foundation in collaboration with the Council of Ministers and the {…}
The Washington National Opera is set to present “Come Home: A Celebration of Return,” a program featuring internationally acclaimed stars including a mix of WNO favorites, and new faces. The concert will feature soloists Pretty Yende in her WNO debut, Isabel Leonard, Lawrence Brownlee, and Cafritz Young Artist Alumna Alexandria Shiner. It will also include the highly anticipated mainstage debuts {…}
(Credit: Igor Saharov) The Washington National Opera has announced a cast change for its 2022 production of Mozart’s “Così fan tutte.” The organization revealed that Ferruccio Furlanetto will perform the role of Don Alfonso, taking over for Eric Owens, who was released by the company so that he could perform as Philippe II in the Met Opera’s first-ever production of {…}