(Credit: Jiyang Chen)

The Washington National Opera kicks off its spring period with a production of Mozart and Da Ponte’s “Don Giovanni.”

Evan Rogister will lead the WNO Orchestra in his first staged production as principal conductor with director E. Loren Meeker leading the creative team.

Ryan McKinny sings the title role alongside Vanessa Vasquez, Keri Alkema, Alek Shrader, Kyle Ketelsen, and Peter Volpe

The company will also have a New Conversation Series in anticipation for the production with figures from arts, culture, academia, politics, and other fields to participate in a new series of conversations, Let’s Go There.

Using opera as a prism to examine and candidly discuss questions central to contemporary culture, the WNO hopes to create meaningful conversations and greater civic understanding around topics that challenge us. From #MeToo to Netflix’s You and the 2019 film “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” about Ted Bundy, WNO takes on the harsh truths of “Bad Romance” in opera.

“Don Giovanni” Director E. Loren Meeker, Anne Midgette, Linda Holmes, and Carina Chicano will explore how “Don Giovanni” is a springboard into a larger cultural dialogue about the glamorization of the villain in opera and pop culture.

“Don Giovanni” opens on Feb. 29 and runs through March 22, 2020.