Name: Project: Opera - Romeo & Juliet
Start: 2026-04-18T19:00:00
Location: TCU Music Center

Fort Worth Opera presents an exciting lineup for 2026, featuring events that cater to a wide array of artistic tastes. From sipping whiskey at 'Opera Shots' to celebrating the essence of the American West during 'Cowboys and Culture', and experiencing timeless operas like 'Madama Butterfly' and 'Romeo & Juliet', there’s something for everyone. These events not only showcase the talent of the Fort Worth Opera but also highlight the city’s vibrant cultural scene. Join us as we explore each event's unique offerings that promise to captivate audiences and enrich the community.

Fort Worth Opera's Diverse 2026 Lineup: From Whiskey Nights to Western Melodies

Get ready to experience an unforgettable season with the Fort Worth Opera, as they present a series of captivating performances and events that skillfully blend tradition with contemporary flair. From the whiskey-infused evening of 'Opera Shots' to the culturally rich 'Cowboys and Culture' and the return of Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly,' audiences are in for a treat. Plus, 'Project: Opera - Romeo & Juliet' promises a fresh take on a classic love story. Dive into the world of opera like never before in the heart of Fort Worth.

Fort Worth Opera's Remarkable Season: A Celebration of Tradition and Innovation

Fort Worth Opera

Fort Worth Opera welcomes internationally renowned Trinidadian soprano Jeanine De Bique for a one-night-only recital at Van Cliburn Concert Hall. Appearing with distinguished Belgian pianist Aaron Wajnberg, De Bique brings her extraordinary artistry to an intimate concert setting that places her luminous voice—and her singular interpretive voice—in full focus. 

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Hailed for her “dazzling virtuosity” (Gramophone) and praised for performances that are “electrifying” and “fearlessly individual,” De Bique has rapidly emerged as one of the most compelling sopranos of her generation. Celebrated for her flawless technique, sparkling coloratura, and keen dramatic intelligence, she captivates audiences with performances that are at once virtuosic and deeply personal. Her versatility allows her to move seamlessly across Baroque, Classical, and contemporary repertoire, bringing clarity, immediacy, and emotional truth to every phrase.

Jeanine De Bique in Concert

TCU Music Center

One of the most talked-about contemporary operas of the past decade, Scalia/Ginsburg—the sharp-witted and unexpectedly touching comedy by American composer-librettist Derrick Wang—comes to the historic Ridglea Theater. This North Texas premiere brings one of opera’s most celebrated modern works to Fort Worth audiences.

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Since its 2015 debut, Scalia/Ginsburg has earned widespread acclaim for its wit, warmth, and surprising emotional depth. The late Ruth Bader Ginsburg herself famously called it “a dream come true,” while critics have praised it as a “perfect…jewel” (Opera Today) and “the kind of opera that should be everywhere” (OperaWire). The Los Angeles Times went even further, declaring: “Could we please make it a constitutional requirement that no one can be sworn into office in the White House or Congress without having first seen Scalia/Ginsburg?”

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This sharp-witted and unexpectedly moving opera explores the unlikely friendship between U.S. Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg—and the pivotal moment that would shape the Court for years to come. Directed by celebrated American director, writer, and producer Audrey Chait and conducted by Stephanie Rhodes Russell, Resident Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Associate Professor and Music Director of Opera at the University of North Texas, the production brings theatrical clarity, musical agility, and electric chemistry to this iconic pairing.

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Award-winning tenor Peter Scott Drackley embodies the formidable and incisive Scalia, while Metropolitan Opera and Broadway leading lady Jennifer Zetlan brings intelligence, wit, and commanding presence to the role of Ginsburg. Powerful lyric bass Andrew Simpson appears as the Commentator, a quick-tongued narrator who frames the action with comic precision and theatrical flair.

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The ensemble features musicians of the Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth, whose artistry and precision provide a vibrant, intimate soundscape perfectly suited to Wang’s sparkling score, continuing a valued artistic collaboration into the 2026–2027 season.

Scalia/Ginsburg

Ridglea Theater

The holiday season begins with Fort Worth Opera’s return to Stage West Theatre on Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13, 2026, for Gian Carlo Menotti’s beloved Christmas opera Amahl and the Night Visitors, a heartwarming family tradition for local audiences. This quietly magical work has been cherished since its historic premiere, broadcast live on NBC on Christmas Eve 1951 as the first opera ever composed for television.

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Directed by Anthony D. Pound, this new production features the company’s talented Hattie Mae Lesley Resident Artists, including tenor Cecil Garrison as the warm and whimsical King Kaspar, bass Noah Mond as the noble King Melchior, and mezzo-soprano Lauren Salazar as the Page and Shepherdess. This timeless production honors the opera’s enduring legacy as a work that speaks with clarity and compassion to audiences of all ages.

Amahl and the Night Visitors

Stage West Theatre

The holiday festivities continue with Wintersong, Fort Worth Opera’s annual free holiday concert and heartfelt gift to our community. Now in its fifth year, this Fort Worth favorite fills First Presbyterian Church with joyful seasonal music, featuring the company’s Hattie Mae Lesley Resident Artists performing beloved Christmas carols, timeless holiday classics, and selections ranging from traditional favorites to opera-inflected seasonal gems.

 

More than a concert, Wintersong is a shared celebration. Alongside spirited performances by Fort Worth Opera’s singers, audiences are invited to join in a joyful sing-along of cherished holiday tunes, continuing a beloved tradition of carol singing that brings families, friends, and neighbors together for an afternoon of music, memory, and community cheer.

Wintersong 2026

First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth

The 20th Biennial Marguerite McCammon Voice Competition returns to the stage of the Kimbell Art Museum’s Renzo Piano Pavilion, placing one of the opera world’s most prestigious and closely followed vocal competitions in one of Fort Worth’s most iconic cultural settings. Since its founding in 1985, the McCammon has earned an international reputation as the “American Idol” of opera—a thrilling, career-defining showcase where extraordinary emerging singers compete before leading industry professionals in an unforgettable afternoon of artistry, ambition, and discovery.

20th Biennial Marguerite McCammon Voice Competition

Kimbell Art Museum

The 81st Season comes to a jubilant close with the return of The Barber of Seville, Gioachino Rossini’s riotously funny comic masterpiece, at Bass Performance Hall. A Fort Worth favorite that last had audiences rolling in the aisles in 2016, Barber returns in a vibrant new production bursting with quicksilver wit, buoyant physical comedy, and some of the most instantly recognizable music ever written for the stage.

 

​​​​​​​​​Since its premiere, Rossini’s Barber of Seville has become one of the most frequently performed operas in the world—and it’s clear from the opening notes of the overture. Drawing inspiration from Pierre Beaumarchais’ razor-sharp comedy, Cesare Sterbini’s sparkling libretto and Rossini’s effervescent score deliver nonstop comic invention: disguises pile up, plans unravel, and laughter comes fast and often. As the Minnesota Star Tribune raved, it’s “a delirious joy…a burst of sumptuous music [and] gales of laughter.”

Project: Opera - Romeo & Juliet

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