Sondra Radvanovsky will make her role debut as Lady Macbeth with Opera Philadelphia's upcoming presentation of Verdi's Macbeth. She'll take on the Shakespearean villain alongside Roberto Frontali in the title role, Richard Trey Smagur as Macdugg, Rafael Moras as Malcolm, and Patrick Guetti as Banco.
Paul Curran directs the contemporary staging, with Opera Philadelphia Music Director Corrado Rovaris conducting. Performances run September 18–27.
The company's "Festival O20" lineup officially kicks off September 17–26 with the world premiere of composer Jennifer Higdon and librettist Jerre Dye's Woman With Eyes Closed, inspired by the real-life theft of seven works from Rotterdam's Kunsthal Museum of 2012. Christian Räth helms the Opera Philadelphia commission, which will feature three different endings over its performances as the masterpieces' whereabouts remain unclear. The cast includes Meredith Arwady, Kevin Ray, Fleur Barron, Amanda Woodbury, and Wei Wu.
The fall festival continues with a new production of Henze's El Cimarrón (September 19–24). The chamber opera will mark the company debut of Willard White, who plays Cuban slave-turned-Independence fighter Esteban Montejo. The programming also includes a bel canto recital from Lawrence Brownlee and Michael Spyres, concerts from students of the Curtis Institute of Music and Academy of Vocal Arts, and a series of pop-up cabarets billed as "Late Night Snacks."
Two additional titles play the Academy of Music when the company resumes in 2021, beginning with a concert performance of Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex (January 29 and 31) conducted by Robert Spano and featuring William Burden, Mark S. Doss, Rehanna Thelwell, and White. Rounding out the season is Teatro Regio di Parma's production of Puccini's Tosca, with Ana María Martínez making her role debut in the title part. She sings opposite Piero Pretti as Cavaradossi and Quinn Kelsey as Scarpio, under the baton of Rovaris.
The company is readying for its presentation of Puccini's Madame Butterfly, which heads to the Academy of Music this spring. For more information about the current and upcoming seasons, visit OperaPhila.org
