UPDATE: On the Record: Andy Pharoah, President of the WNO Board of Trustees has said in a statement “The WNO has no plans to move out of the Kennedy Center and we are proud to be part of America’s cultural center, entering our 70th season.” The Washington National Opera (WNO) is considering leaving the Kennedy Center. In a report from {…}
Soprano Joélle Harvey is set to join the cast of the Washington National Opera’s production of Mozart’s “Le nozze di Figaro.” In her house debut, the soprano will take on the role of Susanna, joining a cast that stars Rosa Feola, Will Liverman, Le Bu, John Holiday, and Elizabeth Bishop. Robert Spano conducts the production, which opens on Nov. 14, {…}
The Washington National Opera is set to kick off its 70th anniversary season with Opera in the Outfield on August 23, 2025, at Nationals Park in Washington, DC. The free community event will be presented by Mars and will feature a screening of George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” There will be a pre-show arts & crafts with a bonus family {…}
Washington National Opera has announced the 2025-26 Cafritz Young Artists. The first-year artists include baritone Chandler Benn, bass-baritone Robert Frazier, soprano Lauren Carroll, tenor Hakeem Henderson, baritone Thandolwethu Mamba, bass Atticus Rego, pianist Deven Shah, and mezzo-soprano Veronica Siebert. Returning artists include soprano Viviana Goodwin, tenor Nicholas Huff, soprano Anneliese Klenetsky, pianist Tongyao Li, and mezzo-soprano Michelle Mariposa. Young Artists {…}
The Washington National Opera is set to present “Porgy and Bess” in Artistic Director Francesca Zambello’s acclaimed production. Zambello’s production was first seen on the Kennedy Center stage in the 2005–2006 season and the return marks the 90th anniversary of this work. In a statement, Zambello said, “It is hard to believe it’s been 20 years since I first directed {…}
Nicholas Newton has been named the 2025 Marian Anderson Vocal Award. Named for the groundbreaking African American contralto, the award recognizes a young American singer in opera, oratorio, or recital repertory and is given annually by the Kennedy Center, offering its winner a cash prize, a residency at Washington’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and a recital presented by {…}
The Washington National Opera has announced its 2025-26 season. Mainstage Productions The season opens with Verdi’s “Aida” in Francesca Zambello’s production. Kwamé Ryan conducts with Jennifer Rowley starring in the leading role. She is joined by Adam Smith, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Agnieszka Rehlis, Shenyang, and Morris Robinson. Amber R. Monroe and Robert Watson also star in the lead roles. Performance Dates: {…}
Following the upheaval at the Kennedy Center, the Washington National Opera will move forward with the highly-anticipated “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs,” created by Kennedy Center’s first Composer-in-Residence Mason Bates and librettist Mark Campbell. The Grammy Award®-winning opera follows the life of Steve Jobs and his quest for inner peace. The production will feature baritones John Moore and Jonathan Patton {…}
Washington National Opera has announced the slate for the 12th season of American Opera Initiative. Set to take place on Jan. 18, 2025, the showcase features three world premieres of 20-minute chamber operas. This year’s works include “Tati” by Kyle Brenn and Lex Brown, Cry, “Wolf” by JL Marlor and Clare Fuyuko Bierman, and “Mud Girl” by Omar Najmi and Christine Evans. “From my own experience as a director, I firmly believe that {…}
(Photo credit: Jeremy Kramer) The Washington National Opera will present Key’mon Murrah in the Marian Anderson Vocal Award Recital on Dec. 17, 204 at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. The countertenor will be joined by pianist Brian Zeger in a program that features arias from such operas as Rossini’s “Zelmira” and Händel’s “Rinaldo” and “Ariodante.” There will be songs by {…}
Washington National Opera’s Opera in the Outfield returns to Nationals Park on August 24 with a screening of WNO’s sold-out production of “Turandot” from May 2024. The evening will be hosted by WNO General Director Timothy O’Leary and WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and sponsored by Mars. In a statement, O’Leary said, “Opera in the Outfield is one of Washington {…}