Opera Columbus has announced its 2026-27 season celebrating its 45th anniversary season with American Icons.

General Director + CEO Julia Noulin-Mérat said, “This isn’t a nostalgia season: it’s a bold re-examination of American identity through ambitious storytelling on a truly city-wide scale. These are iconic works, but we’re engaging with them in ways that feel immediate, provocative, and alive today.”

The season opens with “Pirates! The Penzance Musical” by Gilbert & Sullivan. A citywide co-production with the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts, this reimagining relocates the classic to New Orleans with a jazz- and blues-infused soundscape.

Performance Dates: Nov. 6–8, 2026

The season continues with the “Messiah Sing-Along” series popping up in breweries, cafés, and gathering spaces across Columbus.

Performance Dates: December 2026

Puccini’s “La Fanciulla del West” will conducted by OC Principal Guest Conductor Everett McCorvey and directed by Kenneth Overton.

Performance Dates: Feb. 26 & 28, 2027

“The Shining” by Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell will be performed.

Performance Dates: April 16–18, 2027

The season will conclude with the Cooper-Bing Competition.

Five finalists will compete for the grand prize of $10,000.

Performance Date: May 16, 2027