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A free spirit comes at a price in Bizet’s blockbuster tragedy. An incredible cast performs this vibrant opera directed by Francesca Zambello and conducted by Evan Rogister.
Washington National Opera
Il trovatore
Oct. 22 - Nov. 7, 2022
A mother’s tragic past haunts her as she struggles to protect her son in Verdi’s powerful and dramatic masterpiece.
Washington National Opera
Elektra
Oct. 29 - Nov. 12, 2022
Tragedy follows Elektra as she plots revenge against her father's murderer—her own mother—in Richard Strauss’s epic opera inspired by the Greek tale.
Washington National Opera
The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson
Jan. 20 - 22, 2023
Visionary impresaria Mary Cardwell Dawson fights and triumphs as she establishes the National Negro Opera Company in Carlos Simon and Sandra Seaton’s new play with music.
Washington National Opera
AOI 20 Minute Operas
Sat. Jan. 21, 2023
Don’t miss three world premiere short operas staged in a concert performance, accompanied by a small chamber orchestra comprised of WNO Orchestra musicians.
Washington National Opera
Marian Anderson Award Recital: Leah Hawkins
Sun. Feb. 12, 2023
Soprano Leah Hawkins is praised for her “gleaming sound” (The Washington Post).
Washington National Opera
Blue
Mar. 11 - 25, 2023
A family and community struggle when a police officer kills a teenager in the D.C. premiere of Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson’s acclaimed new opera.
Washington National Opera
La bohème
May 13 - 27, 2023
Young love soars with joy and heartbreak through bustling cafés and gritty garrets in Puccini’s tribute to bohemian Paris.
Watch the documentary of the making of Blue, an opera commissioned by Washington National Opera.
Did you know that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had two great passions in life? One was law. The other was opera.
Explore questions raised by the WNO's short works opera "Written In Stone." Music by Carlos Simon. Libretto by Marc Bamuthi-Joseph
Watch a performance from Written In Stone. Music by Carlos Simon. Libretto by Marc Bamuthi-Joseph
Watch a performance from Written In Stone. Music by Carlos Simon. Libretto by Marc Bamuthi-Joseph
Watch a performance from Written In Stone. Music by Carlos Simon. Libretto by Marc Bamuthi-Joseph
Watch performances and interviews behind Washington National Opera's innovative short works exploring questions around the stories monuments tell -- the legacies they embody, and the memories they cement.
Watch America’s finest young singers and pianists perform some of their favorite arias, beautifully shot on location at The Barns at Wolf Trap. Tune in to subsequent episodes to meet all the artists and see them in action.
Because we could not present our live production of Fidelio in 2020 due to the pandemic, we’ve just released a reimagined version in an exciting format. Now, you can experience Beethoven’s only opera in a musical graphic novel format, just in time for his 250th anniversary.
Unfortunately, a lot of people think they don’t, and most of them have never seen one. In this audio story, opera fan Eleni and opera skeptic Samantha discuss how their experiences with opera as children influenced their opinions of the art form as adults.
A soprano is a soprano because they can sing high and a bass is a bass because they sing low, right? Not really...
Opera has always been addicted to love, and its romances can range from the hilarious to the dramatic. But don’t expect a standard “Boy Meets Girl” story when you take your seat at the opera house.
A beginner’s guide to some of opera’s most challenging female roles and a unique look at how opera does girl power.
The barber of Seville is getting hitched--and it's a day of madness in the palace! Mozart's comic masterpiece comes to life through enchanting music and absurd mix-ups in a charming exploration of the perils of temptation and the triumph of love.
Often considered the first great American opera, Porgy and Bess soars with original music melding jazz, gospel, and folk styles. Themes of community resilience, acceptance, and redemption weave through this poignant story, ultimately asking if even the most unwavering of loves can conquer the force of personal addiction.
Verdi’s everlasting story of fate and sacrifice, renowned for its soaring arias and heart-wrenching ending.
In Mozart’s final and beloved opera, a handsome young prince and his silly bird-catcher sidekick are enlisted by the mysterious Queen of the Night to rescue her kidnapped daughter.
Mozart's whimsical and wry tale of two young men who place a bet on fidelity, putting the women they love to the test through deception and seduction
Passionate singer Tosca takes matters into her own hands when dreaded chief of police Scarpia hunts for her lover. But no one is guaranteed to get out alive.
A woman raised by soldiers must convince her "fathers" to let her marry a peasant--just as a mysterious Marquise comes to whisk her away to become a proper lady.
Family ties fray and unravel in Verdi's spectacle of forbidden passion, political intrigue, and shattering betrayal set at the height of the Spanish Empire
"Figaro! Figaro! Fiiigarooo!" Can the sharp-witted barber of Seville help Count Almaviva woo the beautiful Rosina away from a bumbling doctor?
A notorious lover meets his ultimate fiery punishment in Mozart’s celebrated tragicomedy. He’s spent his life betraying women. Now time’s up.
In Leonard Bernstein's funny, philosophical, and fast-paced take on Voltaire's biting satire, very bad things happen to very good people (and plenty of bad ones too)
Watch and practice breathing exercises for better health from professional singers including Christine Baranski, Jamie Barton, Angel Blue, Lawrence Brownlee, Kristin Chenoweth, Kurt Elling, Denyce Graves, Angelique Kidjo, Audra McDonald, Kelli O'Hara, Vanessa Williams, Stacie Aamon, Tom Sweitzer, and Indre Viskontas.
Watch and practice breathing exercises for better health from professional singers including Christine Baranski, Jamie Barton, Angel Blue, Lawrence Brownlee, Kristin Chenoweth, Kurt Elling, Denyce Graves, Angelique Kidjo, Audra McDonald, Kelli O'Hara, Vanessa Williams, Stacie Aamon, Tom Sweitzer, and Indre Viskontas.
Faced with the challenges of closures due to the pandemic, the Washington National Opera Pop-Up Opera Truck takes the show to neighborhoods across the city with performances by WNO’s Cafritz Young Artists. Presented by MARS Incorporated, the concerts are performed on a mobile stage provided by The Concert Truck.
To make your visit a memorable one, the Kennedy Center offers many pre-performance activities for you to enjoy.
This resident-training program offers artists on the verge of international careers a course of intensive training, study, career guidance, and performance opportunities in Washington, DC and beyond.
WNO’s Opera Institute is an intensive three-week summer training program for dedicated young singers from around the country who are interested in a career in opera.
WNO Young Associates provides high school students in the Greater Washington, DC area the opportunity to explore opera as an art form and discover the many career possibilities within the field.
Support the Washington National Opera’s impact on audiences and students all over the globe as they perform and take part in unique events.
