The National Symphony Orchestra is set to present Samuel Barber’s “Vanessa” on Jan. 30 and Feb. 1, 2025.

The opera, which will be conducted by Gianandrea Noseda and will star Nicole Heaston in the title role, replacing Sondra Radvanovsky, who withdrew for personal reasons.

Heaston will be joined by tenor Matthew Polenzani, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, and baritone Thomas Hampson.

These performances of Barber’s “Vanessa” will showcase Noseda’s experience in and passion for both opera and symphonic works.

In a statement Noseda said, “We are excited to bring this extraordinary opera to our audiences. I have always wanted to perform Barber’s Vanessa, and the Kennedy Center is the ideal place for it. This opera follows the 20th-century operatic tradition of Puccini and Strauss, with a musical language of great effectiveness and refinement that uniquely and profoundly combines European and American schools. This opera is a mirror of our society—one we often refuse to look into—like the protagonist who covers the mirrors in her villa to avoid seeing the marks of time on her face. We cannot wait to bring this to our audiences with one of the greatest casts ever assembled for it.”

This marks the second year of the NSO’s annual Opera in Concert series, following a successful debut in June 2024 with Noseda conducting Verdi’s “Otello.”