Opera Philadelphia 2023 – 2024 Season Brochure

Would you like to hear a story?

Opera connects us through stories told in music.

Stories that shape our own identities and allow us to better understand those of our neighbors. Tales of heroes and villains, love and loss, laughter and tears. They take us on our own adventure as we gather, side-by-side, to experience the music, voices, and artistry of opera as one. A season of opera is the exciting next chapter in a storybook with no ending. Gather 'round. We’d like to tell you a story.

From left: Quinn Kelsey, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Karen Chia-ling Ho, Kiera Duffy, Karim Sulayman, Symone Harcum, Ana María Martínez

VERDI Simon Boccanegra

Part of Festival O23

New Production

Sept. 22, 24, 29, Oct. 1

BOLOGNE The Anonymous Lover

Company Premiere

February 2 & 4, 2024

PUCCINI Madame Butterfly

New Production

April 26, 28, May 3, 5, 2024

FESTIVAL O23

SEPT. 21–OCT. 1

ORTH/MOSCOVITCH

10 Days in a Madhouse

World Premiere

Sept. 21, 23, 26, 28, 30

The Wilma Theater

SULAYMAN Unholy Wars

Philadelphia Premiere

Sept. 23, 27, 30, Oct. 1

Suzanne Roberts Theatre

Afternoons at AVA

Recital Series

Sept. 23, 27, 30

Academy of Vocal Arts

Curtis Voices

Recital Series

Sept. 22 & 29

Curtis Institute of Music

Start the story of your opera season

The Academy of Music is part of the Kimmel Cultural Campus.

Simon Boccanegra

SEPT. 22, 24, 29, OCT. 1

ACADEMY OF MUSIC

A powerhouse cast and some of Verdi’s most sumptuous music fuel this sweeping story that mixes political turmoil with poignant family drama.

Baritone Quinn Kelsey stars as Simon Boccanegra, a leader coming into great power who must balance duty to his nation with his duties as a father after his long-lost daughter Amelia (soprano Ana María Martínez ) reenters his life. Surrounded by poisonous rivals, can he be the man those who love him need him to be and survive the plots of those who hate him?

MUSIC

Giuseppe Verdi

LIBRETTO

Francesco Maria Piave and Arrigo Boito

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM

Simon Boccanegra Quinn Kelsey

Amelia/Maria Ana María Martínez

Jacopo Fiesco Christian Van Horn

Gabriele Adorno Richard Trey Smagur*

Paolo Albiani Benjamin Taylor

Pietro Cory McGee*

Conductor Corrado Rovaris

Director Laurence Dale*

Set Design Gary McCann

Costume Design Fernand Ruiz*

Lighting Design John Bishop*

Chorus Master Elizabeth Braden

*Opera Philadelphia debut

Performed in Italian with English supertitles Runtime is approximately 3 hours including one 20-minute intermission

Production from Opéra Royal de Wallonie – Liège (Belgium). Maestro Corrado Rovaris' engagement as the Jack Mulroney Music Director has been made possible by Mrs. John P. Mulroney.

The Anonymous Lover

FEBRUARY 2 & 4, 2024

ACADEMY OF MUSIC

A romantic comedy ahead of its time, The Anonymous Lover centers on young widow Léontine. When she begins to receive a series of passionate letters from a secret admirer, she wrestles with whether she can love again, especially when it becomes apparent her friend Valcour is the unsigned author. Will love win?

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, was a pioneering Black composer and a contemporary of Mozart and Haydn. Discover the only surviving opera by this groundbreaking 18th century composer, also an accomplished musician, fencer, and horseman.

MUSIC

Company Premiere

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges LIBRETTO

François-Georges Fouques Deshayes, Desfontaines, based on the play L’Amant Anonyme by Stéphanie Félicité, Madame de Genlis

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM

Léontine Symone Harcum*

Valcour Matthew White*

Ophémon Johnathan McCullough

Jeanette Ashley Marie Robillard

Colin Joshua Blue

Conductor Corrado Rovaris

Director Dennis Whitehead Darling*

*Opera Philadelphia debut

Semi-staged Production

Performed in French with English supertitles

Runtime is approximately 80 minutes with no intermission

Maestro Corrado Rovaris' engagement as the Jack Mulroney Music Director has been made possible by Mrs. John P. Mulroney.

Madame Butterfly

APRIL 26, 28, MAY 3, 5, 2024

ACADEMY OF MUSIC

In this new production of Madame Butterfly, director Aria Umezawa constructs—and deconstructs—Puccini's fantasy of Japan, infusing the typical Westernized portrayal with Japanese history, culture, and artistry, while giving Cio-Cio-San a new sense of agency over her own story.

Karen Chia-ling Ho and Anthony Ciaramitaro bring the achingly beautiful score to life as the young geisha Cio-Cio-San and U.S. Navy Lt. Pinkerton. Anthony Clark Evans, who impressed in the title role of Rigoletto, returns as Sharpless, with mezzo Kristen Choi (The Raven) as Suzuki and tenor Julius Ahn as Goro.

MUSIC

Giacomo Puccini

LIBRETTO

Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM

Cio-Cio-San Karen Chia-ling Ho*

Pinkerton Anthony Ciaramitaro*

Sharpless Anthony Clark Evans

Suzuki Kristen Choi

Goro Julius Ahn

Yamadori Kyle Miller*

Conductor Corrado Rovaris

Director Aria Umezawa

Lighting Design Connie Yun*

Chorus Master Elizabeth Braden

*Opera Philadelphia debut

Performed in Italian with English supertitles

Runtime is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes including one 20-minute intermission

Maestro Corrado Rovaris' engagement as the Jack Mulroney Music Director has been made possible by Mrs. John P. Mulroney.

10 Days in a Madhouse

SEPT. 21, 23, 26, 28, 30

THE WILMA THEATER

Is she insane? Or just pretending? This psychological drama follows trailblazing reporter Nellie Bly through her internment at Blackwell’s Asylum, exposing, as Bly did, notions of madness and societal biases against women.

This world premiere from composer Rene Orth and librettist Hannah Moscovitch stars Kiera Duffy

( Breaking the Waves ) as Nellie, mezzo Raehann Bryce-Davis in her company debut as Lizzie, and baritone Will Liverman as Dr. Blackwell.

Daniela Candillari makes her company debut at the podium, and Joanna Settle (Sky on Swings) directs.

Designer Andrew Lieberman’s set evokes the dark labyrinth of the asylum and Nellie’s journey within its walls.

MUSIC

Rene Orth

LIBRETTO

Hannah Moscovitch

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM

The Madwoman/Nellie Kiera Duffy

Lizzie Raehann Bryce-Davis*

Josiah Blackwell Will Liverman

Nurse/Matron Lauren Pearl

Conductor Daniela Candillari*

Director Joanna Settle

Set Design Andrew Lieberman

Lighting Design Stacey Derosier*

Chorus Master Elizabeth Braden

*Opera Philadelphia debut

Performed in English with English supertitles Runtime is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission

World Premiere

Co-commissioned and co-produced with Tapestry Opera. The commissioning of Rene Orth for 10 Days in a Madhouse received funding from OPERA America's Opera Grants for Female Composers program, supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Unholy Wars

SEPT.

Unholy Wars closes the dusty history book and reframes the Crusades from a Middle Eastern perspective to reveal a new story of belonging and resilience. Conceived and created by Lebanese American tenor Karim Sulayman, music by Handel and Monteverdi is interwoven with that of composer Mary Kouyoumdjian to explore and reclaim representations of his identity. Reexamining Baroque interpretations of the Crusades and depictions of the Middle East, Sulayman asks “Can we lean into the discomfort of our collective history while forging a new path forward?”

This boundary-breaking piece premiered at Spoleto Festival USA, where critics called it “emotional” and “powerful.” The intimate staging directed by Kevin Newbury explores the tensions of history, representation, identity, and survival through music and dance.

MUSIC

George Frideric Handel

Claudio Monteverdi

Mary Kouyoumdjian

Conceived and created by Karim Sulayman

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM

Tenor Karim Sulayman*

Soprano Raha Mirzadegan*

Bass-baritone John Taylor*

Dancer Coral Dolphin*

Director Kevin Newbury

Music Director Julie Andrijeski*

Visual Design Kevork Mourad*

Choreography Ebony Williams*

Lighting Design Jennifer Fok*

Costume Design David Woolard

Projection Design Michael Commendatore*

Sound Design Rick Jacobsohn

Creative Producer Jecca Barry

*Opera Philadelphia debut

Performed in Latin and Italian with English supertitles Runtime is approximately 70 minutes with no intermission

23, 27, 30, OCT. 1

SUZANNE ROBERTS THEATRE

Commissioned by Spoleto Festival USA, developed by Up Until Now Collective, and co-produced by Spoleto Festival USA and Up Until Now Collective.

Philadelphia Premiere

Afternoons at AVA

Sept. 23, 27, 30

Academy of Vocal Arts

Alumni of the Academy of Vocal Arts return to their training grounds and are joined by current Resident Artists of the prestigious institution for a recital series. Singers and repertoire to be announced this summer.

The Opera Philadelphia Channel

Stream opera from the comfort of home on the digital opera channel called “one of the best bets going, worldwide” by the New York Time s.

Sounds of America

Late Night Snacks

Curtis Voices

Sept. 22 & 29

Curtis Institute of Music

Emergent singers trained at Philadelphia’s prestigious Curtis Institute of Music perform in recital at the historic and intimate Field Concert Hall. Singers and repertoire to be announced this summer.

A multi-year celebration of the music of composers Florence Price and Margaret Bonds, with events presented in partnership with ONEcomposer, the National Marian Anderson Museum & Historical Society, the International Florence Price Festival, and more.

The Bearded Ladies Cabaret returns to share a new selection of guilty pleasures, soul nourishment, and tasty cabaret treats in the annual Late Night Snacks series, presented as part of Festival O23 and the 2023 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. A delicious venue and menu of performers will be announced this summer.

The Opera Philadelphia Channel has been made possible by the Mellon Foundation, the Disosway Foundation, Inc., and by Wyncote Foundation.

Your support drives our story

On stage and in our community, Opera Philadelphia members help make the 2023–2024 Season possible. We are committed to presenting artistic productions of the highest quality while being a fully welcoming place for everyone. Member support energizes our work and encourages our momentum forward as we expand access to the arts for all members of our community. We invite you to support this important work by making a gift to Opera Philadelphia. Throughout the year, members enjoy invitations to behind-the-scenes lectures and events, ticket discounts, and private sales. Thank you!

2023–2024 Packages

Save 20% on live performance tickets with a package Interest-free payment plans available

The Academy Series

Pick your favorite seats in the historic Academy of Music and keep them year after year. Includes three live performances: Simon Boccanegra, The Anonymous Lover, and Madame Butterfly

Academy + O23

Add 10 Days in a Madhouse and Unholy Wars to your Academy Series for the full O23 experience. Choose all five operas and we'll throw in a year of Channel streaming for free. For the ultimate festival experience, we also recommend the Curtis and AVA recitals for a 20% savings.

Create Your Own

Build your favorite package and save 20% on two or more performances—a popular option for September’s Festival O! Choose the full season tickets option with all five operas, and we’ll throw in a year of Channel streaming for free!

Streaming Pass

Stream the full catalog of opera films and additional programs. Save 50% when purchased with the Academy Series or Create Your Own packages.

We welcome guests with disabilities. Discover our accessibility services at operaphila.org/access

Opera Philadelphia, in consultation with all venues and taking into consideration the recommendations of public health officials, creates a welcoming live performance environment with enhanced safety protocols when deemed necessary. Please visit operaphila.org/safety for the most up-to-date information. Seating priority is based on current donor level, number of years as a donor, number of years as a subscriber, package type, and date order is received. Casting, program, schedule, and pricing subject to change without notice. Deposited checks or charges do not guarantee seating availability.