Festival Napa Festival has announced its 2026 season. “Opera Scenes” will feature Manetti Shrem Opera Fellows conducted by Ryan McAdams. Performance Date: July 8, 2026 Novack Concert for Kids will feature theYoung People’s Chorus of New York City Performance Date: July 9, 2026 Uytengsu Family Opening Night will feature from Beethoven to Getty to Dylan. Time for Three and the Young {…}
(Photo: Glodow Nead press) Festival Napa Valley celebrates its 20th anniversary July 4–19, 2026, featuring the world premiere of composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer’s new opera, “The Judgement of Paris.” This opera is commissioned by the festival and includes conductor Kent Nagano and director Jean-Romain Vesperini, alongside a stellar cast including soprano Danielle De Niese, baritone Quinn Kelsey, {…}
(Photo credit: Andrew Eccles) Festival Napa Valley has announced its 2026 summer season, which runs from July 4–19, 2026. The season opens with Festival Live! Concerts, a series of daily performances showcasing Festival artists in rotating programs presented in partnership with the Frost School of Music’s Blackburn Music Academy at CIA at Copia. Performance Dates: July 4–18, 2026 Festival Napa {…}
Festival Napa Valley has announced the commissioning and world premiere of “The Judgment of Paris,” a new one-act opera by acclaimed composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer. The work will debut on July 18, 2026, on the Festival Napa Valley Stage at Charles Krug Winery, as part of Festival Napa Valley’s landmark 20th Anniversary Season. It will mark the {…}
(Photo: Sam Roppola/Death of Classical) The Royal Opera of the Palace of Versailles, inaugurated in 1770 during the reign of Louis XV, was the largest concert hall in Europe at that time. The Orchestre de l’Opéra Royal (The Versailles Royal Opera Orchestra), was formed in 2019 specifically to perform John Corigliano’s opera, “The Ghosts of Versailles.” The orchestra, conducted by {…}
Festival Napa Valley has previewed its upcoming 2025 season. The organization will host the North American debut of the Versailles Royal Opera in a production of “The Daughter of the Regiment.” There will also be a concert with Joyce DiDonato and Tessa Lark as well as a tribute to famed composer Ennio Morriconne. There will also be an art song {…}
(Photo credit: Festival Napa Valley & Armstrong Music & Arts) Festival Napa Valley and the Beijing Poly Theatre Management Company have launched a multiyear Cultural Exchange. This initiative aims to foster collaboration and dialogue through music, education, food and wine events, and cultural tourism. Rick Walker, President and CEO of Festival Napa Valley said in a press release, “Music and {…}
(Photos by Octavio Valencia) Festival Napa Valley has concluded a historic production of “Don Pasquale.” The Donizetti classic was presented at the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for Performing Arts at UC Davis on Friday, Nov. 15, marking the first-ever staged opera at the venue. “We are honored to have partnered with Festival Napa Valley to present this exceptional production {…}
Festival Napa Valley has announced it is introducing a “Choose Your Price” ticket model for the 2025 Summer Season. This will be the first in the region and the new option, launching in March with single-ticket sales, advances the Festival’s Arts for All mission by allowing attendees to select ticket prices that fit their budgets. In a statement, Rick Walker, {…}
(Photo credit: J Henry Fair) Festival Napa Valley has announced the death of founding benefactor and longtime patron Jan Isaac Shrem. Sherm’s legacy will live on at Festival Napa Valley through the art programs he supported, including the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Vocal Art Series. “Jan was a tireless champion of the Festival, and he and his wife {…}
Festival Napa Valley presented composer Gordon Getty with the Angels of the Arts Award during a March 7, 2024 ceremony. The event included performances by such artists as sopranos Alexandra Armantrading and Lisa Delan; mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade; tenor Nathan Granner; baritone Lester Lynch; baritone/librettist Curt Branom; clarinetist David Barnett; pianist Kevin Korth; and pianist/composer Jake Heggie. There were also {…}