Juilliard’s Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts is set to present “Before and After” on Feb. 22, 2026.

The livestreamed opera program was conceived by Artistic Director of Vocal Arts Brian Zeger and stage director Mary Birnbaum and pairs mid-20th-century American repertoire with contemporary works inspired by Classical tragedy.

The showcase opens with Samuel Barber’s “Knoxville: Summer of 1915,” performed by Alison Kessler, Adriana Stepien, and Tivoli Treloar with chamber musicians on piano, harp, and flute. Then comes Osvaldo Golijov’s “Drag Down the Sky,” featuring Son Jin Kim, Yoonsoo Jang, and Yihe Wang with a string quartet of Juilliard students. The program concludes with “No Trouble,” a Juilliard-commissioned adaptation of Melinda Wagner and Stephanie Fleischmann’s “Dido Reimagined.” These works are sung by Kessler, Stepien, and Treloar with string quartet.

The performance marks the first integration of live video projections in a Juilliard Opera presentation, designed by Joshua Higgason. The singers operate cameras onstage during “No Trouble.”

Mary Birnbaum directs the program, with David Moody serving as music director, in collaboration with Juilliard Chamber Music and Juilliard Orchestra students.

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