Artelize - Opera Columbus: A Celebration of Timeless Stories and Emerging Voices
main-artelize-logo

Loading...

Featured

Opera Columbus: A Celebration of Timeless Stories and Emerging Voices

Opera Columbus is set to captivate audiences with a series of immersive performances and a prestigious vocal competition. Ranging from the enigmatic tales of 'Rappaccini’s Daughter' to the heart-rending tragedy of 'La Traviata', these events promise an enriching experience. Alongside these operatic masterpieces, the Cooper-Bing Competition seeks to discover and support the next generation of opera talent. Whether you're a seasoned opera lover or new to the genre, these events are a testament to the enduring power and evolution of opera.

Jul 20, 2025
frame icon Share
1. Rappaccini’s Daughter
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.
titleImage
19 - 21 Sep, 2025
Opera Columbus

Columbus, OH · The Westin Great Southern Columbus

2. The Old Man And The Sea
Based on the Ernest Hemingway 1952 novella, this innovative adaptation of The Old Man and the Sea is the result of a collaboration between illustrious composer Paola Prestini, librettist Royce Vavrek, and conductor and stage director Karmina Šilec. Breathtakingly staged with eight pools of water enhanced with dynamic lighting, costumes, and sound, the performance combines the Hemingway text with original portraits of everyday life to create a look at aging, legacy, and our relationship to the ocean. Onstage you’ll hear music from longtime collaborators and muses of Prestini’s including Jeffrey Zeigler as the featured cellist, as well as percussionists and a 16-person chorus featuring students from Ohio State’s School of Music. The cast brings to life the book’s pivotal characters: Santiago, Manolin, and the wife, who’s rewritten as La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, a goddess in the Afro-Caribbean faith Santería found floating off the coast of Cuba in 1628. Themes of baseball, ecology, religion, and economy paint a conflict between progress, tradition, passion, and exploitation, ultimately shedding contemporary perspectives on this timeless tale.
titleImage
10 - 12 Oct, 2025
Opera Columbus

Mershon Auditorium + 1 other locations

3. The Anonymous Lover
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.
titleImage
13 - 15 Feb, 2026
Opera Columbus

Columbus, OH · Palace Theatre

4. La Traviata
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.
titleImage
25 - 26 Apr, 2026
Opera Columbus

Columbus, OH · Ohio Theatre

5. The Cooper-bing Competition
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! The 2025 competition will be emceed by Christopher Purdy.
titleImage
May 17, 2026
Opera Columbus

Columbus, OH · The Westin Great Southern Columbus

Conclusion
Opera Columbus's upcoming season is a tribute to the timeless and transformative power of opera. From classic tales to bold reimaginings, each performance and event promises to captivate audiences with its emotional depth and artistic brilliance. The inclusion of the Cooper-Bing Competition highlights Opera Columbus's dedication to supporting the next generation of opera talent. Whether you're attending for the storytelling, the music, or the opportunity to witness rising stars, this season is not to be missed.
frame icon Share
2025 Artelize