The Washington National Opera has announced its spring performances after leaving the Kennedy Center. The company said it was set to premiere of a new version of Scott Joplin’s “Treemonisha” directed by Denyce Graves and Robert Ward’s “The Crucible,” starring J’Nai Bridges and Ryan McKinny, both taking place at Lisner Auditorium in George Washington University, the same venue where WNO gave {…}
The Washington National Opera has launched a new website with information about its program. The new website includes a letter signed by Andy Pharoah, Timothy O’Leary, Francesca Zambello, and Eric Larsen in which they announce the end of the company’s partnership with the Kennedy Center. The letter writes that “the Center’s current Board and leadership established a new business model that {…}
AGMA has released a statement regarding the Washington National Opera’s decision to leave the Kennedy Center. The union said “AGMA is aware that the Washington National Opera Board has voted to sever its affiliation with the Kennedy Center. We will follow developments as more information becomes available, with our focus on supporting AGMA Artists at WNO. AGMA will consider the {…}
The Washington National Opera has announced it is leaving the Kennedy Center. In a statement to The New York Times, the company said, “Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity.” According to the article, the Opera’s {…}
Stephen Schwartz, the composer of the musical “Wicked,” has canceled his commitment at Washington National Opera following the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The composer said that “Last year, way before the change of Board and name of the Kennedy Center, I was invited by (director) Francesca Zambello to be part of a Washington {…}
Richard Grenell, the Executive director of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is slamming artists for canceling performances. Grenell took to X stating, “The artists who are now canceling shows were booked by the previous far left leadership. Their actions prove that the previous team was more concerned about booking far left political activists rather than artists {…}
(Credit: Soloman Howard) Puerto Rican soprano Kresley Figueroa is a graduate of the Cafritz Young Artist with Washington National Opera where she has performed in numerous productions including “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs,” “Partenope,” “La Périchole,” and “The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me.” She has also appeared alongside Renée Fleming, Thomas Hampson, and Denyce Graves in WNO’s annual gala. Figueroa {…}
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 {…}