The theme of the 2025/26 Orchestra Unwrapped concerts is centered around the history of the Philharmonia Orchestra, which was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge and celebrates its 80th birthday in 2025. Legge worked for a company called EMI, who was responsible for making recordings of classical music. 

The pieces you’ll hear take us on a journey through time linking to the exciting history of the Philharmonia, from 1945 to today – a history you are all part of by being part of Orchestra Unwrapped in its 80th year!

London: Orchestra Unwrapped

Southbank Centre

Each season ticket purchase will provide you with one ticket to each of the upcoming six concerts of the season. If there is a concert you cannot attend, we can either donate your ticket to a student/veteran or provide you with extra tickets to a different concert date.

EPSG:4326

A Rhapsody of Passion & Elegance​

La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 opens with one of the most famous musical statements of all time – a defiant gesture in the face of fate.

Paired with Bizet’s Carmen Symphony, this program explores resistance in many forms: Beethoven’s heroic struggle through adversity, and Bizet’s bold portrayal of passion, class and freedom in a world that expected convention.

Fate and Defiance

The Vista Center for the Arts

Feel the fiery passion and unforgettable melodies of Bizet’s Carmen as the Abilene Philharmonic brings this iconic opera to life in a thrilling symphonic concert. Experience the drama, romance, and excitement of one of classical music’s most beloved masterpieces.

Masterworks IV: Carmen

Abilene Convention Center

Step into the enchanting world of Paris with A Night in Paris!—a captivating concert that will transport you straight to the City of Light. Join us for an unforgettable evening, featuring the sensational guest soloist Rosana Eckert, as we journey through the heart of French music. From Offenbach’s lively Can-Can to the lush melodies of Piaf’s La Vie en Rose and Sous le Ciel de Paris, the night will be filled with passion and beauty. Experience the haunting Danse Macabre by Saint-Saëns, the dreamy Clair de Lune by Debussy, and the mesmerizing Daphnis & Chloe, Suite No. 1 by Ravel. With powerful orchestral works like Bizet’s L’Arlésienne and Berlioz’s Le Corsair Overture also on the program, every note will be a celebration of French artistry. Let the music sweep you away on a magical night in Paris you’ll never forget!

A Night In Paris!

Michael Abels’ More Seasons is a modern interpretation of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, specifically “Spring” and “Summer,” but with a “maniacal, Minimalist abuse” of the original themes, as Abels himself has stated. It’s often described as “Vivaldi in a Mixmaster.” A review of the first performance stated that Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto “is the most admirable, singular, artistic and complex Beethoven concerto ever.” Written in 1855 at the age of 17 and never played during his lifetime, Bizet’s Symphony in C was “discovered” in 1933. It has been in the symphonic repertoire ever since due to its beautiful melodies, rich orchestration, and elegant charm.

Beethoven & Bizet

Duluth Entertainment Convention Center

Violinist Tessa Lark and conductor Shiyeon Sung make welcome returns for a program of Lili Boulanger, Barber’s Violin Concerto, and music from Bizet’s classic opera Carmen.

A traditionalist in the era of atonality, Barber’s concerto contrasts lyricism with folk-like melodies and an incredibly breakneck finale. An American classic, it remains one of the most performed 20th century violin concertos.

Bizet and Barber

Linda Ronstadt Music Hall

The Farewell tour
Lust! Jealousy! Intrigue! Murder! It can only be Georges Bizet's simmering tale of a woman scorned - Carmen! Presented by the award-winning Ellen Kent Productions and Opera International and featuring the Ukrainian Opera & Ballet Theatre Kyiv, give yourself over to the delectable sights and sounds of this unforgettable opera. Featuring world-famous arias including the Toreador Song and the alluring Habanera, Ellen Kent's classic production will have you hot under the collar as it heads on its farewell tour in 2026!

Ellen Kent's Carmen

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre

Carmen in Concert

Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center

Do you know the story of Carmen, this free and intrepid bohemian? Coveted by the officer Don José, madly in love with the beauty, and the proud bullfighter Escamillo, she turns many heads... Between love, jealousy and passion, vibrate to the sound of the famous Habanera and Bizet 's Chanson du Toréador , and accompany the OPRL on this revolutionary journey. A live show full of surprises, telling the incredible destiny of this independent and liberated heroine.

Carmen, the rebel bird

Flagey

Philharmonic Hall of Liege

Senbla presents Ellen Kent’s Farewell Opera Tour featuring Opera International Kyiv, Ukraine, with Highly-Praised Soloists and Full Orchestra.

Ellen Kent: The Farewell Tour - Carmen

New Victoria Theatre

The National Opera Studio Young Artists present an extraordinary evening celebrating the Studio’s collaboration with two of its partner companies: English National Opera and Scottish Opera. In this special showcase performance, immerse yourself in captivating operatic scenes spanning the 19th and 20th centuries.

Act Three

Blackheath Halls

The well-known opera connoisseur Lasse Walldov comes to Sjöbo and tells you all about "Carmen" by Georges Bizet, which has long been one of the world's most performed operas. It premiered in Paris in 1875, and has been performed again and again since then.

Lasse Walldov talks about "Carmen"

Parish house, Sjöbo

Experience the drama and passion of Bizet’s Carmen brought to life by guest opera vocalists.

Carmen!

Louis G. Kaufman Auditorium

He wrote magnificent works, the French composer Georges Bizet! But where did he get all his ideas from? Sometimes it sounds Spanish, sometimes Italian, or even Oriental. Or, quite obviously, like something from the children's room next door? Pia sets out to find out, because his music was a bit unfamiliar to people back then. Pia seeks answers to all these questions and has to solve a few puzzles along the way. But one thing is clear: Bizet's "Carmen" music is still a real hit today...

In Carmen's footsteps

Old Congress Hall, Munich

From the moment Carmen makes her entrance on her motorcycle, she becomes the center of a carousel of passion, jealousy and drama. A fiery, strong and confident woman who refuses to be captured becomes a red herring for the men who want to possess her. And as so often in real life, it has fatal consequences. 

Georges Bizet's opera about the seductive and independent Carmen is one of the world's most performed and beloved operas. 

The captivating music is known far beyond opera circles and is frequently quoted in pop culture. It can be heard in films, pop songs, advertising jingles and at sporting events. Even those who have never set foot in an opera house can whistle  Toreadorarian  and know the passionate and freedom-loving Carmen. 

Carmen

Malmo Opera, Malmo

Lust! Jealousy! Intrigue! Murder! It can only be Georges Bizet's simmering tale of a woman scorned - Carmen! Presented by the award-winning Ellen Kent Productions and Opera International and featuring the Ukrainian Opera & Ballet Theatre Kyiv, give yourself over to the delectable sights and sounds of this unforgettable opera. Featuring world-famous arias including the Toreador Song and the alluring Habanera, Ellen Kent's classic production will have you hot under the collar as it heads on its farewell tour in 2026!

New Theatre Oxford

A brass quintet of exceptional caliber. When trumpet, trombone, horn, and tuba come together in the hr concert hall, you can expect a rich, magnificent sound and a varied and captivating program. Frankfurt Radio Brass was founded in 2023 by five members of the hr Symphony Orchestra with the desire to present the audience not only with orchestral repertoire but also with the broad and brilliant spectrum of brass music at the highest level. From Baroque and Romantic to contemporary, there's something for everyone, because the musicians of Frankfurt Radio Brass have made it their mission to present every genre of music with the same passion, musicality, and technical perfection that listeners have come to expect from the hr Symphony Orchestra. The joy of making music together is always paramount and is visible and palpable to everyone.

Brass Connection

Hessischer Rundfunk

Senbla presents Ellen Kent’s Farewell Opera Tour featuring Opera International Kyiv, Ukraine, with Highly-Praised Soloists and Full Orchestra.

An evening of passion, sexual jealousy, death and unforgettable arias.

This dazzling production with orchestra features Bizet’s unforgettable melodies including ‘The Toreador’s Song’, Carmen’s enticing ‘Habanera’, and Don José’s lyrical ‘Flower Song’ in a setting evoking the stunning architecture of Seville and its main square with Roman and Moorish influences.

Carmen: Ellen Kent’s Farewell Opera Tour - featuring the Opera International Kyiv, Ukraine

Fairfield Halls

Spanish music has an atmosphere of its own which Manuel de Falla captured in concert works better than anyone else. His music for Serge Diaghilev’s ballet The Three Cornered Hat thrusts bright colours, crisp rhythms and harmonic panache up against one another and here sets up an evening of Spain-inspired works to include red-hot music by Falla, Rodrigo’s fragrant guitar concerto and pieces by French composers Bizet and Massenet who couldn’t resist the allures of the impassioned dances and folk songs south of the border. Guest conductor from Spain Antonio Méndez leads the orchestra with superstar guitarist MILOŠ for company.

Spanish Nights with MILOŠ

University of Oxford

MSM Symphony Orchestra and MSM Opera Theatre present Opera in Concert

Manhattan School of Music

This operatic tour de force features highlights from two of the greatest operas ever written—Bizet’s Carmen and Puccini’s Turandot—in an electrifying concert with acclaimed Canadian tenor David Pomeroy,  soprano Krista da Silva, soprano Andrea Hill, mezzo-soprano Barbara King and a stellar cast from the Calgary Concert Opera Company.

An Afternoon at the Opera

Arts Commons

He deserts, renounces a budding relationship with Micaëla, a girl from his village, and joins Carmen's band of smugglers. This time too, Carmen's feelings grow cold and she is only interested in the bullfighter Escamillo. An argument between Don José and Carmen escalates in front of the arena: Filled with jealousy, Don José kills his former lover.

Vienna State Opera

Dmitri Kabalevsky’s quirky, lighthearted The Comedians was originally incidental music for a children’s play. It has become one of his best-loved works, and it is the springboard for the creativity of our puppeteering friends at Huntsville M.E.T. in this year’s FREE Family Concert, open to the entire community. Also on the program are two well-known short pieces by Edvard Grieg, and a reprise of Bizet’s Children’s Games from earlier in the concert season. It’s a fantastically fun way to introduce families and youngsters to the symphony orchestra! The performance is preceded by musical games and activities in the concert hall lobby. All ages are welcome.

The Comedians

Von Braun Center

The Copenhagen Phil's honorary guest conductor is on a musical mission. In his concert series ROOTS, Thomas Dausgaard traces symphonic music back to its folk music roots. Joining him on stage is the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra, which specializes in the distinctive folk music from Andalusia, which is so closely connected to the Arab musical tradition.

Dausgaard Roots #2: Spain

The Conservatory Concert Hall

Carmen's Kiss

Prairie Home Alliance Theater

Every evening, when the heavy bells of St. Jakobi Church announce midnight, a mysterious clacking, stomping, tiptoeing, and rumbling can be heard from the Lübeck Theater. Theater ghost Johann von Rasselstein has been on the trail of the mystery for years – because every night they awaken: forgotten dancing shoes, old boots, worn-out slippers... What drives the shoes? And why do they only dance when no one is looking? It's high time to unravel the mystery.

2.  Children's concert Shoe -Pranks at Midnight

Theater Lübeck

Liverpool Empire Theatre

“Et si je t'aime, prends garde à toi – if I love you, take care,” sings Carmen in her world-famous Habanera. Love is a game to her, or at least a rebellious bird. Lively, perhaps capricious, but fun. Don José's love, on the other hand, is really dangerous – not a game, but deadly serious. If I love you, beware: not a flirtation, a threat. Sebastian Nübling's production shows Carmen as a gripping journey into the subconscious of a murderer, far removed from all Spanish clichés. With audience favorite Atalla Ayan as Don José and the Carmen debut of Ida Ränzlöv.

Stuttgart Opera

Valentine’s Day weekend, emotions will run high at Hearts Aflame: a dramatic, intoxicating evening of music that thrills and seduces.

Hearts Aflame

Central Presbyterian Church Denver

Mapleton Arts Center

Latin American Chronicles:” 2026 Spring Masterworks

Gateway High School

This dazzling production features Bizet’s unforgettable melodies, including The Toreador’s Song, Carmen’s enticing Habanera, and Don José’s lyrical Flower Song in a setting evoking the stunning architecture of Seville and its main square with Roman and Moorish influences.

Carmen: Ellen Kent’s Farewell Opera Tour

The Anvil

On Valentine’s Day, VSO welcomes Grammy Award-winning violinist Jennifer Koh to perform Philip Glass’ Violin Concerto No. 1 in an eclectic concert mixing American and Romantic music. A student of VSO’s fourth music director Jaime Laredo during her studies at the Curtis Institute, Koh is a hugely in-demand performer of contemporary violin repertoire with premieres of more than 100 works composed especially for her. Glass’ Violin Concerto, one of the composer’s most often performed works, is preceded by Frank Zappa’s fast-paced, riveting piece from his 1993 album The Yellow Shark. For the romantic at heart, lush orchestral suites from Georges Bizet’s Carmen and music by 19th C. French composer Augusta Holmès complete the afternoon concert.

VSO: Love Notes

The Flynn

On Valentine's Day, we invite you to a special family concert – full of excitement, goosebumps, and lots of music! Together with the Halle State Orchestra, we'll explore one of the greatest feelings of all: love. But what exactly is love? A flutter in your stomach? Deep affection for loved ones? Or perhaps simply a warm smile?

2nd Family Concert

Konzerte Volkspark Halle e.V.

On Valentine’s Day, VSO welcomes Grammy Award-winning violinist Jennifer Koh to perform Philip Glass’ Violin Concerto No. 1 in an eclectic concert mixing American and Romantic music. A student of VSO’s fourth music director Jaime Laredo, Koh is a hugely in-demand performer of contemporary violin repertoire with premieres of more than 100 works composed especially for her. Glass’ Violin Concerto No. 1, one of the composer’s most often performed works, is preceded by Frank Zappa’s fast-paced, riveting piece from his 1993 album The Yellow Shark. For the romantic at heart, lush orchestral suites from Georges Bizet’s Carmen and music by 19th C. French composer Augusta Holmès complete the afternoon concert.

VSO at the Flynn: Love Notes

The Alhambra Theatre

From piccolo to contrabassoon, the musicians of the Orchestre de Paris offer us an alchemy of registers and timbres in this ‘curious quintet’ which, exploring Bach, Bizet and Ravel, is really a curious quintet!

Curious Quintet

Philharmonie de Paris

Carmen tells the story of the downfall of Don José, a naïve soldier who falls head over heels in love with Carmen, a seductive, free-spirited femme fatale. The infatuated Don José abandons his childhood sweetheart and neglects his military duties, only to lose the fickle Carmen to the glamorous toreador Escamillo.

Buxton Opera House

Sommets musicaux: Concert

Kirche Saanen

Blending the charm of French music with the elegance of classical storytelling. The evening begins with Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite, a whimsical collection of fairy tale-inspired movements that delights listeners of all ages.

Fables & Fantasy

Darke Hall

The concert begins with Strauss’ Roses from the South and Beethoven’s lighthearted Overture to Fidelio. From a menacing beginning to an electrifying finish, Georges Bizet memorable Carmen Suites tells the fated story of a lovestruck soldier and passionate Carmen in two suites. York Symphony’s Concertmaster Denise Dillenbeck shines in Nancy Ives’ Immortal Beloved. Ives arranged the piece to celebrate Beethoven’s unknown muse and showcases these women’s voices.

Carmen Meets Beethoven

Appell Center for the Performing Arts

Bizet’s Carmen has seen countless interpretations over the past 150 years, but never one like this! Acclaimed choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano brings this full-length ballet to the stage, inspired by tauromaquia—the art of bullfighting—breathing a modern life into the legendary opera character through Ballet Hispánico’s electrifying CARMEN.maquia. Carmen has become a cultural icon, inspiring generations of composers, choreographers, and writers to attempt to capture her elusive and alluring nature. One of today’s most sought-after choreographers, Sansano’s quintessential ballet invigorates this timeless tale with an unrelenting energy that leaves you breathless. Highly original and full of explosive movement, CARMEN.maquia is a bold reimagining of this classic story. 

Ballet Hispánico

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

Bizet’s Carmen has seen countless interpretations over the past 150 years, but never one like this! Acclaimed choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano and Ballet Hispánico bring this full-length ballet to the stage, invigorating this timeless tale with an unrelenting energy that leaves you breathless. Highly original and full of explosive movement, CARMEN.maquia is a bold reimagining of this classic story. 

Ballet Hispánico | Student Matinee

Join us for an electrifying evening showcasing the fiery virtuosity of guest pianist Ilya Yakushev in Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3. A true tour de force, this concerto brims with lyrical beauty and relentless energy—perfectly suited to Yakushev’s commanding artistry. The program opens with Mozart’s elegant Symphony No. 27 in G Major, a charming and sophisticated gem that captures the composer’s youthful brilliance, and Bizet’s Symphony in C brings the evening to a close, radiating lyrical warmth and French finesse.

Prokofiev Prowess

Overture Center for the Arts

In 2020, the National Opera in Warsaw celebrated the 55th anniversary of the reconstruction of its historic home on Teatralny Square. The ambitious project of raising the theatre from ruins was completed 20 years after the war, with the grand opening of the modernized Grand Theatre on November 19, 1965. Shortly thereafter, the Warsaw Opera ensemble, including its distinguished choir, moved in from its temporary home on Nowogrodzka Street.

Chorus Opera

Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera

This opera’s 1875 premiere in Paris caused a scandal, after the title character’s anarchic nature and lustful femininity disturbed the bourgeois audience’s sensibilities. But Bizet’s opera soon began its triumphal march, becoming a myth of modern times. To this day, «Carmen» fascinates audiences with its relentless drama and the elemental power of its melodies. Andreas Homoki’s production pays homage to the place where the opera was created, the Opéra comique in Paris. 

Zurich Opera House

	
What better way to ring in the New Year than with an exciting program featuring all your favorites from the world of opera performed by members of The Santa Fe Symphony and Chorus. Enjoy overtures and melodies from Mozart, Rossini, Bizet and Leoncavallo alongside dances, choruses and other works from Verdi, Borodin, and Wagner. 

operatic favorites

Lensic Performing Arts Center

The Space Coast Symphony Orchestra’s commitment to artistic growth, new music, and the next generation of talent is on full display in this special program. In addition to Aaron Collins at the podium, the orchestra welcomes guest conductor Andrés Rivas, who will lead several works as part of Aaron’s ongoing effort to highlight and mentor emerging conductors—an initiative that reflects the SCSO’s belief in nurturing the future of the art form alongside celebrating its greatest traditions.

Audience Choice Concert

Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy - Upper School

Community Church of Vero Beach

A sparkling tradition to welcome the new year: the Residentie Orkest's New Year's Concert. This edition is all about colour, virtuosity and French flair. Under the baton of the charismatic Mei-Ann Chen, a conductor known for her sheer passion, you'll experience an evening where festive traditions and glorious music come together. Join us in raising a glass to a wonderful new year! 

New Year's Concert 

Amare

Spending the New Year in Spain? Yes! But which one? Here are three, presented by Yutaka Sado and the National: the idealized one, of a Capriccio made to "shine with the virtuosity of its orchestral coloring," says Rimsky-Korsakov, that musician "of the starry night and the golden sun" admired by Vladimir Jankélévitch; the other, more earthy and bloody, of Bizet and Carmen ; finally, between the fragrances of magnolias, the song of birds and the trickling of fountains, that of Rodrigo and his Concerto under the fingers of Thibaut Garcia.

The Grand Tour: Dijon

Archipelago Theatre

Dijon Opera

Grain Market

Maison de la culture de Grenoble

Olympia Theater Arcachon

Salins Theater

Théâtre Molière Sète National Stage and the Bassin de Thau

During the Twelfth Night weekend, Norrlandsoperan" class="css-u850">Norrlandsoperan opens its doors for a glittering, high-class opera gala with carefully selected treats for opera connoisseurs and beginners alike. Swedish rising star Rebecka Wallroth makes her debut at Norrlandsoperan and as the male counterpart we hear the well-known tenor Per Lindström.

The evening begins in the good spirit of La Scala with Italian splendor. Rebecka Wallroth sets the tone with the famous Rossini aria “Una voce poco fa” from The Barber of Seville followed by the duet “Un soave non so che” from Cinderella by the same composer. This is followed by another soprano number from the bel canto repertoire, this time from Bellini’s opera I Capuleti ei Montecchi . The first set is rounded off in grand style by Per Lindström with Puccini’s beloved tenor arias “E lucevan le stelle” from Tosca and “Che gelida manina” from La Bohème.

Thirteenth Day Concert

Norrlandsoperan

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) celebrated her as a "sensation for the music world" – award-winning saxophonist Asya Fateyeva captivates with her multifaceted playing and unique sound. Originally invented by Adolphe Sax in 1840, the saxophone is often associated with jazz. But Fateyeva demonstrates that it can do much more: sometimes powerful, sometimes gentle, and reminiscent of the human voice...

Golden Swing & Silver Strings

Pfalzbau Ludwigshafen

Aranjuez Concerto / Thibaut Garcia

Maison de la Radio et de la Musique

Break out the bubbly and ring in the new year in style with the SLSO’s sparkling New Year’s Eve Celebration, led by Music Director Stéphane Denève. Revel in an evening of lively music, from Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Bernstein’s Candide Overture to Bizet’s Selections from L’Arlésienne and more.

New Year’s Eve Celebration

Powell Hall

Guest Concert

Tourist, Congress and Saalbau GmbH

Meistersingerhalle

The Worms Theatre

The Czech Philharmonic’s Advent begins with low strings and ends with low brass. This ensemble—made up of all members of the orchestra’s trombone and tuba sections —has consistently received warm acclaim. Spanning music from the Renaissance to the 20th-century, the programme honours not only the rich sound of brass but also pays tribute to Břetislav Kotrba, a long-time member of the Czech Philharmonic and a master of musical arrangements.

Advent Concert IV • Czech Philharmonic Low Brass Ensemble

Rudolfinum

A delightful collection of your favorite Christmas carols and light classics, including music by Johann Strauss, Bizet, Puccini, Mancini, Sousa and others. Soprano Kristin Vogel returns to celebrate the season with inspiring holiday songs and famous operatic arias. Acclaimed for her powerful lyric voice and onstage intensity, Soprano Kristin Vogel has been lauded for roles that require dramatic passion and sensitive musicality, such as Puccini’s Tosca, Mimi in La Bohème and Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Performing regularly in Europe and the United States, she divides her time between Vienna and the Pacific Northwest.

Holiday Pops

Edmonds Center For the Arts

Get into the holiday groove with a jazzy, joyful celebration! From Tchaikovsky’s Snow Maiden to A Charlie Brown Christmas, plus swinging Christmas favorites with the Dirty River Jazz Band and vocalist Faith Evangeline, this concert will have you tapping your toes and feeling festive. The New Braunfels Children’s Chorus adds their magic to the mix!

Christmas in New Orleans

Texas Lutheran University

She lives in the here and now, one of the best-known heroines in operatic history, she makes sergeant Don José lose his mind, throwing his life into confusion. His attempts to make her tow the line fail because she can’t be tied down. They gradually drive each other into corners. Bizet’s music brings the differences in their perceptions of love and relationships into contrast again and again: Their downfall starts with light-hearted operetta music, but ends in tragedy. Barrie Kosky’s production quickly achieved cult status after it blasted onto the stage in  2015, and has lost none of its impact, taking the most performed opera in the world back to its roots - Opéra comique. The story’s interspersed and told using concise texts, steering us towards its tragic end. En route, romantic, amusing moments and wonderful dance routines share the stage. Kosky’s vision is fascinating, toying masterfully with usual Carmen and Spanish clichés.

Oper Frankfurt

Immerse yourself in the fiery rhythms, vibrant colours, and intoxicating melodies of Spanish Impressions — a concert bursting with Iberian flair. From Chabrier’s exuberant España, alive with dance and drama, to Albéniz’s Suite Española No. 1, evoking the soul of Spanish cities through rich and poetic soundscapes, this program pulses with passion.

Bizet’s Carmen Suite brings operatic fire and unforgettable tunes, while Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnol dazzles with its virtuosity and orchestral brilliance. Let the heat, heart, and spirit of Spain sweep you away in this unforgettable musical celebration.

Romantic Spain

Eglinton St. George's United Church

Local favorites Steve and Allison Martin join HSO for festive selections from The Nutcracker, Leroy Anderson’s classic Sleigh Ride, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and some of the Martins’ favorite songs, including “The Prayer,” “O Holy Night,” and “Ave Maria.”  Rounding out the family-friendly concert will be the audience favorite “Christmas Singalong,” full of well-known holiday carols! Steve and Allison are well known in West Michigan, having sung on opera stages and musical productions locally and around the country.  Allison received her Masters of Music from Michigan State University.  Steve holds a doctorate and master’s in music from Michigan State University.  He has taught at the college level and is now Director of Music and Fine Arts at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas.

Home for the Holidays 2025 Matinee: Steve & Allison Martin

West Ottawa High School Performing Arts Center

Obsession turns fatal in Gulfshore Opera’s presentation of one of the world’s most beloved operas — Carmen. Featuring a cast of world-class vocalists and the Naples Philharmonic under the direction of internationally acclaimed conductor Jorge Parodi, Carmen tells the tale of a striking and dangerous factory worker who yearns for love but instead creates jealously and obsession between the two men vying for her attention.

Carmen with the Naples Philharmonic

Artis—Naples

A  full scale grand production of Bizet’s Carmen, where freedom and jealousy clash in music’s most passionate tale. Set in the sun-drenched streets of Seville, this bold production honors Bizet’s original vision with rich Spanish scenery, dramatic visuals, and vivid storytelling. With unforgettable arias like the “Habanera” and the “Toreador Song,”Carmen is a thrilling journey through fiery independence, irresistible desire, and the high cost of passion.

Carmen ~ Punta Gorda

The Charlotte Performing Arts Center

How can we fail to be moved by the privilege of hearing, in one of the most beautiful concertos in the repertoire, a great Mozartian like Mitsuko Uchida? Bizet's first symphonic steps and a new work by Anders Hillborg accompany this moment of grace.

Orchestre de Paris / Klaus Mäkelä

Freedom, Fervor, and Fate in a Bold Production That’s True to the Classic

Gulfshore Opera proudly presents a vibrant staging of Georges Bizet’s Carmen—a timeless story where the thrill of freedom collides with the dangers of possessive love. Set in 1830 amid the sun-drenched streets and bustling plazas of Seville, this production honors Bizet’s original spirit with traditional Spanish scenery, richly hued costumes, and bold, dramatic visuals that capture the opera’s fiery soul.

In the title role, Gulfshore Opera is thrilled to feature acclaimed mezzo-soprano Lisa Marie Rogali, has been praised for her “warm, nuanced voice” and “spontaneity” on the stage. A rising star, Rogali has performed with leading companies across the country, including Virginia Opera, Minnesota Opera, Detroit Opera, and Sarasota Opera. Her captivating artistry and powerful stage charisma promise a Carmen who is both irresistibly free-spirited and emotionally magnetic.

Florida SouthWestern State College

The 5,500 pipes of The Bridgewater Hall organ sing as Associate Artist Jonathan Scott performs a programme of some of the greatest music from the world of opera.

Jonathan Scott: The Organ at the Opera

The Bridgewater Hall

A Celebration of Spirit brings together masterworks that highlight the vitality and diversity of the human experience. Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 is based on a play by Ibsen that tells the story of a young man’s journeys in search of family redemption. Bizet’s Carmen Suite No. 1 features excerpts from his well-known opera Carmen, in which the protagonist is a gypsy woman who experiences challenges and misfortune but whose humanity shines through the story. Finally, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite transports us into a world of wonder, tradition, and imagination, marking the seasonal shift with timeless melodies.

A Celebration of Spirit

The Orpheum Theatre

Experience a night of rhythmic passion and orchestral storytelling. Bizet’s Suite No. 1 from Carmen ignites with fiery Spanish melodies and drama. Montero’s Latin Concerto blends vibrant Latin rhythms with lush melodies and rich textures. The evening concludes with Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe, a stunning masterpiece of Greek myth, filled with lyrical beauty and sensuous dance.

Shelley Conducts Carmen and Daphnis and Chloe

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

The November darkness may be thick, but we get to enjoy a dazzling opera gala with world-renowned tenor Jonas Kaufmann. This unique, generous evening offers familiar opera favourites, together with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and conductor Jochen Rieder.

Opera Gala with Jonas Kaufmann

Göteborgs Symfoniker

With a lush score and instantly recognisable arias, Carmen follows a fiercely independent woman whose passionate life ignites obsession and jealousy, leading to tragic consequences.

Susie Sainsbury Theatre

The Dance Symphony triptych includes ballets inspired by the music of three 19th-century composers: Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, and Georges Bizet. These choreographies offer an opportunity to explore the diverse relationships between dance and Romantic music.

Georges Bizet

Events

Upcoming events

Sep 21, 2025 - Mar 27, 2026

Carmen · Theater Lübeck

Oct 25, 2025 - Jun 12, 2026

Carmen · Deutsche Oper Berlin

Jan 22 - Apr 29, 2026

Chorus Opera · Polish National Opera

Feb 21 - Jun 11, 2026

Carmen · Wiener Staatsoper

26 - 28 Mar, 2026

Carmen · Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts

Past events

Mar 23, 2026

London: Orchestra Unwrapped · Philharmonia Orchestra

Mar 22, 2026

A Rhapsody of Passion & Elegance · Scottsdale Philharmonic

About

Georges Bizet hasn't added a bio