Features

Travel Notes

Our pick of the must-see events on the U.S. summer festival scene.
By Eloise Giegerich
Illustrations by Ben Kirchner

TO KICK OFF the summer festival season, OPERA NEWS highlights top offerings across the U.S. In honor of his centennial, Bernstein tributes abound; celebrate with Susan Graham and Thomas Hampson at Tanglewood, or visit Glimmerglass for West Side Story. Head west to the California Coast, stopping at Napa Valley for outdoor concerts; San Francisco, where star Wagnerians take on the Ring; and Los Angeles, for Russell Thomas in a concert Otello. In St. Louis, try Patricia Racette’s new Traviata staging; or for something rock ’n’ roll, Another Brick in the Wall in Cincinnati. There’s plenty more to explore, so pack your bags, and let the getaway begin!

Click below to see the full-size graphic.

SAN FRANCISCO OPERA
(ONGOING)

Francesca Zambello’s staging of the Ring cycle,
a coproduction with Washington National Opera, will feature a
star-studded cast of Wagnerians.
sfopera.com

MUSICAL CALIFORNIA SHINES

MEROLA
(Jul. 5–Aug. 18)
Across San Francisco and Palo Alto, catch Merola artists in Mozart’s Re Pastore and Stravinsky’s Rake’s Progress.
merola.org

OJAI
(Jun. 7–10)
Sopranos Kiera Duffy and Ah Young Hong, along with members of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, perform the world premiere of Michael Hersch’s I hope we get a chance to visit soon.
ojaifestival.org

MUSIC ACADEMY OF THE WEST
(Jun. 18–Aug. 12)
Vocal fellows, under the guidance of Marilyn Horne, honorary director of the Academy’s Voice Program, present a new staging of Figaro, from director James Darrah.
musicacademy.org

FESTIVAL NAPA VALLEY
(Jul. 20–29)
Grab your wine: Michael Fabiano and Larisa Martínez sing West Side Story and other Bernstein selections in concert; plus, dine alfresco for “opera under the stars,” with Nadine Sierra and Bryan Hymel.
festivalnapavalley.org

CARMEL BACH FESTIVAL
(Jul. 14–28)
Spend “A Night at the Opera” with soprano Mhairi Lawson, mezzo Meg Bragle, tenor Tom Cooley and baritone John Brancy, who sing selections from Trouble in Tahiti, Così Fan Tutte, Fidelio, Die Fledermaus, Tannhäuser and more.
bachfestival.org

LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC
(Ongoing)
Peter Sellars teams with media artist Refik Anadol for a new production of Das Paradies und die Peri, featuring Lucy Crowe, Ying Fang, Benjamin Bliss, Davóne Tines and others. Plus, a concert performance of Verdi’s Otello, starring Russell Thomas and George Gagnidze, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel.
laphil.com

Travel Notes NYS 618

1 CHAUTAUQUA OPERA (Jul. 7–Aug. 7) Catch performances of Don Giovanni and Candide, plus As One, with Sasha Cooke and Kelly Markgraf. chq.org	2 GLIMMERGLASS (Jul. 7–Aug. 25) Don’t miss West Side Story, which puts a contemporary spin on the classic and features the original choreography by Jerome Robbins. glimmerglass.org	3 OPERA SARATOGA (May 26–Jul. 15) At the Springs, take in a double-bill of Rocking Horse Winner and Vinkensport, or The Finch Opera. operasaratoga.com

4 BARD SUMMERSCAPE (Jun 28–Aug. 19) Feeling devilish? Head to the Hudson Valley for a new production of Rubinstein’sDemon. See "The Devil You Don't Know" for more. fishercenter.bard.edu/ summerscape	5 CARAMOOR (Jun. 16–Jul. 29) In Caramoor’s Sunken Garden, catch La Finta Giardiniera. Plus, Davóne Tines sings Mercurio in Handel’s Atalanta. caramoor.org	6 TEATRO NUOVO (Jul. 29–Aug. 5) The new bel canto festival offers semi-stagings of Tancredi and Medea in Corinto. See "Adventure Nuovo" for more. teatronuovo.org

REASONS

TO STAY IN

THE CITY

METROPOLITAN OPERA
(Jun. 11–29)
The Met’s summer recital series returns, with performances across all five boroughs; artists include Latonia Moore, Mario Chang and Joshua Hopkins.
metopera.org

MOSTLY MOZART
(Jul. 12–Aug. 12)
Carlus Padrissa of La Fura dels Baus directs Haydn’s Creation, in a U.S. premiere staging. Plus, Bernstein’s MASS, with Davóne Tines, and Verdi’s Requiem, with Jennifer Johnson Cano, Andrew Stenson and Ryan Speedo Green.
mostlymozart.org

PRELUDE TO PERFORMANCE
(Jul. 13–14)
This summer, Martina Arroyo’s foundation offers Falstaff and Don Pasquale.
martinaarroyofdn.org


Brick Work	Musical View
AS THE CENTERPIECE of its summer offerings, Cincinnati Opera presents the U.S. premiere next month of Another Brick in the Wall , an opera based on the iconic 1979 Pink Floyd concept album The Wall . It’s no mere pops orchestration of a rock record; it’s a new hybrid-genre staged work for the opera house, composed by Julien Bilodeau for classical singers, backed here by the Cincinnati Symphony. For more, visit cincinnatiopera.org.	BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA music director Andris Nelsons helps lead the Bernstein Centennial Celebration, featuring a top-tier lineup of stars, including Audra McDonald, Susan Graham and Thomas Hampson. Concerts and recitals abound, too, from Mahler’s Third Symphony (with Graham), to this year’s Festival of Contemporary Music. Plus, catch Kristine Opolais and Piotr Beczała in a semi-staged Bohème. For more, visit bso.org.