Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos
Fri, Oct 30, 2026 at 7:30pm
Sun, Nov 1, 2026 at 2:00pm
Lucian and Nancy Morrison Theater
Brockman Hall for Opera
Christian Reif, conductor
Paul Curran, director
Joshua Winograde, Director of Opera Studies & Professor of Opera
Shepherd School Chamber Orchestra
Can tragic opera and slapstick comedy coexist? When a wealthy patron demands both genres be performed simultaneously, backstage egos collide and artistic tempers flare. Richard Strauss’s brilliant masterpiece offers a witty look at the clashing personalities—from the lovelorn heroine Ariadne to the feisty Zerbinetta—who turn theatrical chaos into art. Pairing soaring vocals with opulent melodies, this inventive "opera-within-an-opera" proves that even pandemonium can lead to something truly transcendent.
Sung in German with English surtitles.
Inside Opera: Pre-show Talk one hour before curtain time with Christian Reif.
Bel Canto Opera Scenes
Sun, Feb 7, 2027 at 2:00pm
Lucian and Nancy Morrison Theater
Brockman Hall for Opera
Joshua Winograde, Director of Opera Studies & Professor of Opera
Shepherd School Chamber Players
Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor
Experience the elegance of bel canto—the art of "beautiful singing." Shepherd School vocalists take center stage in a showcase of scenes dedicated to the golden era of 19th-century Italian opera. Accompanied by the Shepherd School Chamber Orchestra and conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya, this year’s Opera Scenes highlights the voice at its purest and most expressive.