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Regarded as one of the greatest operas ever written, The Marriage of Figaro is a screwball comedy complete with disguises, surprises, and compromises, and comes to life with an impressive cast of singers. The barber of Seville is getting hitched today! The passions and perils of love and marriage collide in one uproarious day as Figaro struggles to get his bride, Susanna, to the altar unscathed. Identities are concealed, manners upended, plots foiled … Soon, everyone’s involved in the farcical antics, from a vengeful doctor and his matronly housekeeper to a bumbling teenage page!

The Cooper-Bing is an internationally recognized vocal competition that has celebrated and supported emerging young artists in opera. Dubbed “The Olympics of Opera”, this competition encourages talent, creates artistic opportunity, and helps welcome the next generation into the professional opera community. Five finalists compete for the grand prize of $10,000!

Rappaccini’s Daughter (1992) was composed by Daniel Catán and adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s haunting short story, Rappaccini’s Daughter is set in the mysterious city of Padua. It follows Dr. Rappaccini, a brilliant but secretive botanist who raises his daughter, Beatrice, in a secluded garden teeming with toxic plants—rendering her own touch lethal. When Giovanni, a curious young student, encounters Beatrice, he is drawn into a perilous romance marked by obsession, forbidden knowledge, and the dangerous consequences of scientific ambition.

Based on the Novel by Ernest Hemingway, Produced by Beth Morrison Projects in a Columbus partnership between the Wexner Center for the Arts, and Opera Columbus we proudly present The Old Man and the Sea at Mershon Auditorium on October 10 and 12, 2025.

The Anonymous Lover (1780), known in French as L’Amant Anonyme, this charming two-act romantic comedy chamber opera by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges is adapted from a comedic play by Stéphanie Félicité de Genlis (Madame de Genlis). It centers on Léontine, a wealthy widow who begins receiving ardent letters and gifts from a secret admirer. Unbeknownst to her, the devoted suitor is actually her close friend Valcour, who conceals his identity out of fear of rejection. Through spirited misunderstandings and heartfelt revelations, Léontine learns the truth, culminating in a joyful resolution that celebrates the power of genuine devotion and trust. Will love win? Joseph Bologne’s stirring music is complemented by a fresh book adaptation from the pen of Obie Award-winning Boston playwright Kirsten Greenidge, mixing English dialogue with the original French singing. The third of Bologne’s six operas, The Anonymous Lover was his most successful opera, and the only one that has survived to this day. The work holds a significant place in the annals of music history, standing as one of the first known operas composed by a Black artist.

In a co-production with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, CAPA and Opera Columbus. Composed by Giuseppe Verdi and inspired by Alexandre Dumas Fils’s play La Dame aux camélias, La Traviata unfolds as a poignant tragedy. Officially the most performed opera worldwide, La Traviata is Verdi’s twisting love story that explores class, reputation and devotion, with heartbreaking consequences. The story centers on Violetta Valéry, a celebrated courtesan who discovers true love in the arms of Alfredo Germont. However, social pressures and Alfredo’s disapproving father compel her to renounce their love for the sake of his family’s reputation. Overcome by heartbreak and illness, Violetta ultimately finds her way back to Alfredo, but their reconciliation comes too late—she dies in his arms, underscoring the opera’s powerful themes of love, sacrifice, and societal judgment.

The Cooper-Bing is an internationally recognized vocal competition that has celebrated and supported emerging young artists in opera. Dubbed “The Olympics of Opera”, this competition encourages talent, creates artistic opportunity, and helps welcome the next generation into the professional opera community. Five finalists compete for the grand prize of $10,000!