Costume Designer

The Knights of the Holy Grail are in decline. Their ruler, Amfortas, is ailing from an unhealable wound. While the knight Gurnemanz wistfully recalls the prophecy of a guileless youth who will restore the order, he refuses to believe that the naive, young man before him could be that savior. And so the youth, Parsifal, leaves on what will become a journey that will bring him full circle back to the knights.

For the first time in 25 years, Wagner’s final opera returns in a brand-new San Francisco Opera production. Matthew Ozawa— whose work was last seen in the acclaimed Orpheus and Eurydice—directs this meditation on compassion, focusing on the intersection of Eastern and Western spiritual traditions in a mythical world of knights and sorcerers.

Music Director Eun Sun Kim continues her exploration of Wagner’s works through this sublime score, brought to life with a cast of Wagnerian superstars joined by the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Chorus, and Dancers.

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Parsifal

War Memorial Opera House

Countless fans know and love Leonard Bernstein’s landmark work, but few have seen it like this. Originally conceived as an opera, we’re paying tribute to Bernstein’s impact with the grand operatic treatment. Rather than a small-scale instrumental ensemble, we’re unleashing the power of the LA Opera Orchestra—not to mention a magnificent cast in top vocal and physical form. Be there as James Conlon and director Francesca Zambello dive into one of the most emblematic works of American theater with this elevated, maximalist take that incorporates the iconic original choreography created by the legendary Jerome Robbins.

New York City’s West Side is split between the Jets and the Sharks—but these warring gangs never imagined that two of their own could fall in love. Tenor Duke Kim is Tony, a former Jet who finds himself falling for Maria (the radiant Gabriella Reyes). But Maria is promised to another, and her brother Bernardo is more than willing to rally his Sharks to keep it that way. The two lovers dream of a happily ever after, but their neighborhood can see tragedy coming a mile away.

West Side Story

The Music Center

Verdi master James Conlon conducts Rigoletto, featuring some of the most famous music in history. Quinn Kelsey, the premier Verdi baritone of his generation, returns to star in the title role, with tenor René Barbera as the suave and sadistic Duke and Italian soprano Rosa Feola as Gilda, his unsuspecting prey. Stage director Tomer Zvulun updates the action to Mussolini’s Italy, transporting audiences to a realm of glittering grandeur that’s absolutely rotten to the core.

Rigoletto

### Virginia Opera and Richmond Symphony Announce New Opera on Loving v. Virginia

The Virginia Opera and Richmond Symphony have announced a groundbreaking new opera centered on the historic United States Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia. This operatic retelling will premiere as part of Virginia Opera’s 50th Anniversary Season in 2025. The opera will be composed by Damien Geter with a libretto by Jessica Murphy Moo.

**Event Highlights:**
- **Premiere Date:** 2025
- **Venues:** Harrison Opera House in Norfolk, Dominion Energy Center in Richmond, and Center for the Arts at George Mason University in Fairfax.
- **Composer:** Damien Geter
- **Librettist:** Jessica Murphy Moo

**Background:**
Loving v. Virginia was a landmark civil rights decision by the United States Supreme Court, which invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage. The case was brought by Mildred and Richard Loving, who were sentenced to prison in 1958 for marrying each other, a union that was illegal in Virginia due to the Racial Integrity Act of 1924. Their conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court in 1967, a decision that has had lasting impacts on civil rights and was cited in the 2015 decision that legalized same-sex marriage.

**Statements from Key Figures:**
- **Damien Geter, Composer:** Emphasized the personal significance of the case and the importance of telling the Lovings' story to honor their legacy and advance the art form.
- **Jessica Murphy Moo, Librettist:** Highlighted the inspirational nature of the Lovings' story and its relevance to themes of equality, home, and love in opera.
- **Adam Turner, Artistic Director of Virginia Opera:** Expressed excitement about featuring a Virginia story and a Virginia composer for the 50th Anniversary.
- **Peggy Kriha Dye, General Director and CEO of Virginia Opera:** Spoke about the opera's role in promoting equality and the collaboration with Richmond Symphony and the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU.
- **Lacey Huszcza, Executive Director of Richmond Symphony:** Stressed the importance of the Lovings' story for equality and social justice, and the alignment of missions between the Symphony and Virginia Opera.

**Development and Support:**
The project will be supported by a series of workshops starting in November 2022, focusing on the libretto, vocal writing, orchestral score, and production design. Early support has been received from OPERA America’s 2022 Repertoire Development Grant, with additional funding from corporations, foundations, and government agencies. Individuals can support the project by joining the Commissioning Club, which offers special access to workshops and the creative team.

**Contact Information:**
- **Virginia Opera:** Amanda J. Ely, Director of Marketing, amanda.ely@vaopera.org, 757-627-9545 ext. 3322
- **Richmond Symphony:** Sara Hunt, Public Relations, sarahuntpr@gmail.com

This new opera aims to celebrate the Lovings' contribution to racial justice and ensure their story resonates with future generations.

Loving v. Virginia

George Mason University

Dominion Energy Center

Harrison Opera House

Experience the powerful and poignant opera "Blue," co-produced by Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Glimmerglass Festival, and Washington National Opera. This compelling narrative delves into the life of a Black middle-class family in Harlem, whose aspirations for their teenage son are tragically disrupted when he is shot by a white police officer. The opera features the evocative music of Tony-winning composer Jeanine Tesori, paired with a deeply sensitive libretto by Tazewell Thompson. The production stars the formidable bass Kenneth Kellogg, who has garnered acclaim in previous performances of this work, alongside mezzo-soprano Zoie Reams and baritone Norman Garrett. Sung in English with projected English titles, "Blue" is a moving exploration of contemporary social issues, brought to life through a combination of powerful vocals and dramatic storytelling. The production also includes accessible features such as ASL interpretation, audio-described performances, and touch tours, ensuring an inclusive experience for all audience members.

Blue

Lyric Opera House

Experience the profound emotional depth of Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera, "Fidelio," at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. This production, conducted by the esteemed Enrique Mazzola, is a powerful political thriller that delves into themes of justice and freedom. The story follows the courageous Leonore, who disguises herself as a young man to infiltrate a prison and rescue her husband. The production, directed by Matthew Ozawa, has been praised for its transformative and thoughtful examination of these timeless ideals.

The cast features the vocally radiant South African soprano Elza van den Heever as Leonore, alongside American tenor Russell Thomas and baritone Brian Mulligan, both of whom are Lyric favorites. The opera is sung in German with projected English titles, ensuring that the audience can fully engage with the narrative and its emotional nuances.

Adding to the immersive experience, the Lyric Opera offers guided touch tours tailored for patrons who are blind or have low vision, as well as audio-described performances that provide concise, objective descriptions of new scenes, settings, costumes, and body language. Additionally, the innovative SoundShirt technology allows wearers to feel the music through touch sensations on their upper body, synchronizing with the orchestra and singers in real time.

This presentation of "Fidelio" is generously supported by The Negaunee Foundation, an anonymous donor, and Patricia A. Kenney & Gregory J. O’Leary. The production team includes lighting designer Yuki Nakase Link, costume designer Jessica Jahn, and chorus director Michael Black, all contributing to a visually and aurally stunning performance.

Fidelio

In 1943, the National Negro Opera Company is set to perform on a floating barge to evade racially-segregated venues. But when bad weather threatens—pushing the performance to a segregated performance hall—visionary impressaria Mary Cardwell Dawson must find a way forward.

The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Smiling snowmen, snow angels, and warm bubble baths: experience the magic of Ezra Jack Keats’ beloved children’s book come to life on the opera stage. The Snowy Day follows the adventures of young Peter as he explores his neighborhood on a snowy day, making new friends and encountering unexpected wonders along the way. 

The Snowy Day

Portland'5 Centers for the Arts

A lecherous playboy. A vengeful father. A tragic love affair. Giuseppe Verdi’s definitive tragic opera comes to Atlanta as a co-production with the Houston Grand Opera and the Dallas Opera. Rigoletto is a master of the tongue, a wily wordsmith with a malicious edge. But as he finds himself cursed by an affronted courtier, Rigoletto will discover the true consequences of his words will have an indelible impact on that which he holds most dear. Jasmine Habersham returns home to perform the role of Gilda in The Atlanta Opera’s production of Rigoletto.

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

Beethoven’s only opera follows the story of Leonore, a woman who disguises herself as a man to go undercover into the very prison where she suspects her husband is being held as a political prisoner. As she descends deeper into the prison’s cells, she uncovers a sinister plot of abuse and oppression.

Canadian Opera Company

Returning once again to Free Shakespeare in the Park, director Kenny Leon commands The Delacorte stage with a nine-week, tour-de-force production of the Bard’s masterpiece, HAMLET, a riveting, contemporary present-day take on Shakespeare’s classic tale of family and betrayal, as enduring as the stars above Central Park. 

Hamlet

The Delacorte Theater

In Harlem, a couple celebrates the birth of their firstborn—a boy, Black and beautiful. As the mother worries for her son’s future in today’s America, the father wrestles with his role as a police officer, a “Black man in blue.” When the unimaginable happens years later and a white officer kills the son, their deepest fears will come true.

Following its postponement in our 2020–2021 season, WNO presents the long-awaited D.C. premiere of Blue, the “Best New Opera of 2020” (The Music Critics Association of North America). Tony Award®–winning composer Jeanine Tesori and NAACP Theatre Award–winning librettist Tazewell Thompson’s new opera is inspired by contemporary events and Black literature, including Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me and James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time. Jeanine’s signature genre-blending style captures the grief of a community, the bonds of a family, and the vulnerabilities of protecting a child. By giving voice to the joy and pain of families that are often unheard, Blue places timely issues at the forefront of modern opera and invites audiences to the emotional epicenter of their impact.

Kennedy Center

Visionary impresaria Mary Cardwell Dawson fights and triumphs as she establishes the National Negro Opera Company in Carlos Simon and Sandra Seaton’s new play with music.

She trained hundreds of African American youth to sing. She founded the longest-running, all-Black opera company. She organized opera guilds in the country’s biggest cities. Mary Cardwell Dawson’s dream to bring music to African American audiences came true—and it changed the future of opera.

The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson makes its highly anticipated mainstage premiere to celebrate the remarkable founder of the historic and groundbreaking National Negro Opera Company, established in 1941. Starring acclaimed mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves in the title role, this play with music by Mark Twain Award-winning playwright Sandra Seaton includes selections from the repertory of the National Negro Opera Company and original music composed by Kennedy Center Composer-in-Residence and 2023 Grammy nominee Carlos Simon.

The story starts in Washington, D.C. in 1943, where the company is set to perform on a floating barge to evade racially-segregated venues. But when bad weather threatens—pushing the performance to a segregated performance hall—Mary Cardwell Dawson must find a way forward.

What death has stolen, the musician Orpheus is determined to bring back. With Love as his guide, Orpheus journeys into the underworld to save his wife, Eurydice. But there is one condition: he must not look back at her until they return to the mortal world. Orpheus and Eurydice returns in a fully staged production for only the second time in the Company’s history. In this new production, director Matthew Ozawa joins award-winning choreographer Rena Butler to take us on a heartfelt journey into the stages of grief.

Orpheus and Eurydice

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Treachery, seduction, and a raging father dead set on revenge. Rigoletto—he’s the jaded jester paid to make others laugh in the debauched court of Mantua. But when his innocent daughter is cruelly seduced by the salacious Duke, Rigoletto stops being funny and vows revenge. Seething with rage, he launches an elaborate plot to avenge his beloved child. But everything goes terribly, terribly wrong…Experience Verdi at his most dramatically potent, with melody after irresistible melody sung by our incredible cast.

AT&T Performing Arts Center

In 1965, two of America’s intellectual giants were invited to debate whether “the American Dream is at the expense of the American Negro,” bringing into sharp focus our country’s deepest divisions.

Costume Designer

Jessica Jahn

Events

Past events

Oct 25 - Nov 13, 2025

Parsifal · San Francisco Opera

Sep 20 - Oct 12, 2025

West Side Story · LA Opera

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