September 19, 21, 26, and 28, 2025 Academy of Music
Il viaggio a Reims
Company Premiere
September 19, 21, 26, 28, 2025
Academy of Music
Music by Gioachino Rossini
Libretto by Luigi Balocchi
Corinna
La Marchesa Melibea
La Contessa di Folleville
Madama Cortese
Il Cavaliere Belfiore
Il Conte di Libenskof
Lord Sidney
Don Profondo
Il Barone di Trombonok
Maddalena
Don Alvaro
Don Prudenzio
Don Luigino
Antonio Zefirino/Gelsomino
Modestina
Delia
Conductor Director
Revival Director
Set Designer
Lighting Designer
Costume Designer
Hair and Make-Up Designer
Chorus Master
Stage Manager
*Opera Philadelphia debut
Emilie Kealani*
Katherine Beck*
Lindsey Reynolds
Brenda Rae
Minghao Liu*
Alasdair Kent
Scott Conner
Ben Brady*
Daniel Belcher
Sarah Scofield*
Alex DeSocio*
Anthony Reed*
Fran Daniel Laucerica*
Brandon Bell*
Mongrui Ren*
Maya Mor Mitrani*
Olivia Prendergast*
Corrado Rovaris
Damiano Michieletto*
Eleanora Gravagnola*
Paulo Fantin*
Alessandro Carletti*
Carla Teti*
Amanda Clark
Elizabeth Braden
Jennifer Shaw
Performed in Italian with English supertitles.
Production from Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam, Royal Danish Opera, Copenhagen, and Opera Australia
This production is dedicated to the memory Opera Philadelphia’s past President and Board Chair, Jack Mulroney, with deepest gratitude to Agnes Mulroney for her generous support. We honor his transformative contributions to this company.
By arrangement with Hendon Music, Inc., a Boosey & Hawkes company, Sole Agent in the U.S., Canada and Mexico for Casa Ricordi/Universal Music Publishing Ricordi S.R.L., publisher and copyright owner.
Cover art: Fragments (Turning Back), 2024, courtesy of Joanna van Son and General Assembly. Photo by Jack and Jess Hall.
Il viaggio a Reims
OPERA PHILADELPHIA STAFF
LEADERSHIP
Anthony Roth Costanzo, General Director & President
Corrado Rovaris, Jack Mulroney Music Director
Veronica Chapman-Smith, Vice President of Community Initiatives
Jonathan Neumann, Chief Development Officer
Catherine Reay, Vice President of Administration & Human Resources
MUSIC
Michael Eberhard, Director of Casting & Artistic Administration
Sarah Williams, Director of New Works & Creative Producer
Elizabeth Braden, Director of Music & Chorus
Timothy M. Ressler, Orchestra Librarian & Personnel Coordinator
J. Robert Loy, Assistant Orchestra Librarian
Nathan Lofton, Orchestra Contractor & Personnel Manager
PRODUCTION
Bridget A. Cook, Director of Production
Drew Billiau, Director of Design & Technology
Stephen Dickerson, Technical Director
Millie Hiibel, Costume Director
Emily Wanamaker, Associate Director of Production
Will Vence Jr., Artistic Operations Coordinator DEVELOPMENT
Derren Mangum, Director of Institutional Giving
Adele Mustardo, Director of Events
JT Newman, CFRE, Director of Development
Veronika Perez, Development Manager
Colby Calhoun, Development Operations Manager
MARKETING & GUEST SERVICES
Claire Frisbie, Director of Marketing
Michael Knight, Director of Guest Services
Jeffrey Mason, Guest Services Manager
Yvette Bedgood, Guest Services Associate
Frank Luzi, Public Relations Consultant
Ryan Self, Graphic Design
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
Abby Weissman, Assistant Manager of Youth and Community Programs
Chloe Lucente, Teaching Artist
Elizabeth Gautsche, Teaching Artist
Valentina Sierra, Program Manager, Residency
Chabrelle Williams, Community Arts Facilitator
Dr. Lily Kass, Scholar in Residence & Program Manager, Dress Rehearsal
Karim Boyd, Backstage Pass Consultant
SCENE
Daniel Jin Applebaum
Courtney Beck
Cordelia Istel
Gwyneth Muller
Aisha Wiley
FINANCE
Jeremiah Marks, CFO Client Consultant
COUNSEL
Ballard Spahr, LLP, General Counsel
Opera Philadelphia’s 50th Anniversary Season starts RIGHT NOW, and I’m so happy you’re here for it! To celebrate all this company represents, and everything it will mean to audiences for years to come, we have put together a season for you unlike any other. I sat down with my notebook and pen trying to think of a phrase that could distill the essence of what I wanted this season to represent, and I finally landed on a few short words: Opera, but different. Everything you will see us do in 25/26 is very much OPERA, but all of it, in one way or another, is different from what you’d expect. No matter which performance you attend, no matter whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth, I hope you will discover something that thrills you.
What you’re about to see tonight is the company premiere of Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims, which premiered exactly 200 years ago. It wasn’t as much an opera then as it was a celebration of Charles the X's coronation, slyly poking fun at the pomp and circumstance. The inventive and bold director Damiano Michieletto has rendered it all the more theatrical, shifting the time and place to a presentday art museum on the cusp of a major exhibition opening. In his long-awaited American opera house debut, Damiano’s production is sure to provoke the joy we at the Opera feel bringing this art to you!
Throughout this season, you’ll encounter that spirit of invention. There's December’s reimagined Vivaldi with dish soap, The Seasons, and February’s Complications in Sue, with the music of ten composers woven together through the libretto by Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning playwright Michael R. Jackson. You can even find us outside an opera house altogether: join in the fun at Pipe Up!, a performance series that brings together some of Philadelphia's greatest cultural creators and organizations to fill the vacant, historic John Wanamaker department store with life and beauty.
For all of this, you just pick your seat and Pick Your Price, with any seat available for just $11. None of the art on stage, the work behind the curtain, or the ease with which people can experience it, would be possible without our incredible supporters who make this company what it is. I am so grateful for this collective belief in the power of beauty to give life meaning.
Warmest,
Anthony Roth Costanzo
General Director & President
SYNOPSIS
By Dr. Lily Kass
The Golden Lilium Gallery is packing up its current exhibition and preparing for a new one to be presented. Maddalena, the gallery’s manager, directs the workers to hurry up as they pack away some paintings. Don Prudenzio checks in with Maddalena, congratulating himself on a job well done preparing the exhibition to be shipped to its next location in Reims. Everyone freezes at attention when the gallery’s owner, the elegant Madame Cortese, arrives to assess their progress. She wishes she could travel with the exhibit to its next destination, but she unfortunately cannot. She contents herself with micromanaging Maddalena’s work. She then turns her attention to the other workers, instructing them, at a frantic pace, as to exactly how they should treat each of the exhibits. The workers finally speed up and make considerable progress, leaving the gallery’s walls bare of paintings and the floor strewn with crates.
A disembodied voice calls for help. Suddenly the Contessa di Folleville tumbles out of one of the crates, and her maid, Modestina, unwraps herself from packing tape. Luigino pops out of a storage bin and announces that the Contessa’s belongings have been lost or damaged on their way to her. The Countessa feels faint with horror at this news. Don Prudenzio and the Barone di Trombonok check for vital signs and fear that she is in grave danger. The Countessa is afraid that she will not be able to travel at all without her beloved clothes, and she rejects the replacements the others offer her. At last, the Countess finds something that pleases her: Madama Cortese’s handbag. Although Maddalena tries to keep it safe from her clutches, the Countessa succeeds in taking control of the bag, delightedly putting on the other fashion accessories she finds inside. Her good mood is restored, and she triumphantly leaves the room, ready to travel in her new, 21st-century attire.
End of Act I | 20-minute Intermission
The Barone, partially clothed in priestly vestments, consults with one of the workers about the costs of the trip. When he processes out, Don Profondo, an antiquarian, enters the exhibition room. Conte di Libenskof and the Marchesa Melibea emerge partially clothed from storage boxes. Don Alvaro enters, brandishing his sword. He and Libenskof are rivals, fighting for Melibea’s attentions. As they duel, they freeze in a framed tableau that Don Profondo carefully examines and appraises as Madama Cortese looks on.
The sound of a harp filters into the room, dispelling tensions. The stage is lit only by candlelight. A statue of three figures is unveiled, and a voice begins to sing, accompanied by the harp. The other characters watch, enchanted, as the figures begin to dance. The spell is broken when the voice stops singing, and the figures return to their static poses.
A new shipment of artwork arrives, and members of gallery staff unload famous works of modern art and mount them on the walls. As this occurs, the subjects of the paintings come to life, walking around the gallery. Libenskof, Melibea, the Barone, and the others subjects of 19th-century paintings seem quite confused by these new arrivals, but the museum staff is happy to have the new exhibit up and running.
One of the paintings that is delivered needs some touchups, and Lord Sidney, an art restorer, works on it. He falls in love with its subject, and, Galatea-like, it comes to life, covering him in paint as it embraces him. When all the living art exits, and the art restorer is left alone with a lifeless canvas, Don Profondo asks him for help finding specific British artifact. The art restorer brushes off his request and leaves to find his beloved.
Clärchen & Matthias Baus for Dutch National Opera
Corinna, an art student, walks into the gallery with her sketchbook and is surprised to find the Cavaliere Belfiore there, ready to chivalrously woo her. Corinna takes him as her subject for a sketch, as he moves into more and more dramatic postures. When someone enters the gallery, Belfiore, determined to be more than a figure model for Corinna, holds up the visitor with his sword and demands his clothes. Belfiore quickly changes outfits, suddenly looking like a 21st-century art student himself. Corinna, who has been too focused on her art to notice this altercation, introduces herself to Belfiore, thinking that he is a different person. She flirts with him and even lets him sketch her. He triumphantly kisses her before running off with a crumpled pile of his 19th-century clothes.
Before Corinna can run after him, an auction begins, presided over by Don Profondo. He successfully auctions off the lots, and the proud owners go home with their new treasures.
At this point, the Barone runs in with the tragic news that their planned trip to Rheims has been cancelled. This unexpected turn of events shocks them all, freezing them in place. However, a letter from Paris arrives that tells them all is not lost. They can go to Paris instead. Alvaro and the Count almost duel again, but Melibea calms them down. One by one, the characters disappear into a large picture frame behind them, peeking their heads through the paper that covers the canvas.
End of Act II | 20-minute Intermission
Melibea and the Libenskof have a lovers’ quarrel, and from their vantage point within the huge picture frame they witness two visitors to the museum having a similar argument. Melibea and Libenskof each coach their real-life counterpoint towards a reconciliation, rejoicing when they succeed.
Antonio enters with a large rack of clothes that he shows to Maddalena. It is full of the 19th-century costumes that will complete the outfits of all of the inhabitants of the large picture frame. Maddalena excitedly helps distribute the costumes to their wearers, supervised by Madama Cortese. They all leave the frame to get dressed. White-suited workers go into the frame to restore the painting’s background, which is revealed in all its richly-colored glory when they remove the white drop cloths. One by one, the characters enter the painting where they belong and sing a celebratory patriotic anthem. The Barone represents Germany, Melibea Poland, Libenskof Russia, Alvaro Spain, Lord Sidney , whose love for the woman in the painting he restored earlier has transformed him into a painted subject as well, represents England, and England, the Countess and the Cavalier e sing for France. Even Madama Cortese and Don Profondo join in with a Tyrolese anthem. Finally, Corinna is asked to improvise an ode on the subject of King Charles X of France, in honor of the painting they will create. As she sings, she walks through the painting, as the tableau is assembled. Once the tableau is indistinguishable from the painting itself, Corinna, Profondo, and Cortese admire the artwork and decide the exhibit is ready to open. Cortese ceremonially cuts the ribbon, and the museum workers toast the opening as the first visitors view the finished painting in awe.
PROGRAM NOTE
A Night at the Opera meets a Night at the Museum
& Matthias Baus for Dutch National Opera
Il viaggio a Reims by Gioachino Rossini was written in 1825, to celebrate the coronation of the French King Charles X, and it is one of few operatic works that is unapologetically about its time. In the opera, a group of aristocrats is trying to make its way from a hotel in the spa town of Plombières-les-Bains to the Cathedral in Reims to witness the coronation. The multinational group includes a Polish widow, a Russian general, a French officer, an English colonel, a Spanish admiral, a German major, a French countess, a Roman poetess, and a Greek orphan. Unlike most operas, the basic plot of Il viaggio a Reims can be summed up in just a few sentences. The guests make plans to go to Reims, helped by the hotel’s staff. A shortage of horses prevents them from going, so instead they hold their own party, toasting to the coronation in the hotel’s garden. The next day, they will travel to Paris where they will stay at the Countess’s home and celebrate the return of the new King Charles to the capital city.
“This is an opera which doesn’t have a real drama in it,” says our production’s director, Damiano Michieletto. “So, when I started working on it, I tried to find a storyline that was not only funny but brilliant. I needed a chain of events that were related to the reason why this stage work was originally written.”
Michieletto, a Venetian filmmaker making his long-awaited debut at a major American opera house, sets the story in a museum preparing a new exhibition.
“All the characters are anxious and in a state of uncontrolled excitement for the forthcoming event, which in the libretto corresponds to the departure for Reims,” he explains. “Some characters are real: Madama Cortese, for example, is the director of the Museum. Other characters are historical figures, belonging to the paintings on display in the museum. The arrival of a large and mysterious painting will give the story a twist, closely connected to the historical occasion for which both Il viaggio a Reims was originally written, and the painting was originally commissioned: the coronation of Charles X, King of France.”
Clärchen
This "mysterious painting" is a real work of art that can be found today at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Chartres, France. Its creator, François Gérard, is better known for his smaller portraits, but he occasionally painted larger, historical scenes to demonstrate the full range of his talents. “The Coronation of Charles X,” completed two years after the coronation in 1827, can be viewed as collection of detailed portraits, combined to form a tableau. In Michieletto’s production, the figures in this historical painting arrive in separate boxes. They are all in various states of undress and confusion, unsure of where they belong, and trying to find their frame. When they ultimately find their place, Gérard’s painting is brought to life on stage, to be admired by the museum’s staff and visitors, and by the opera’s audience alike.
This sumptuous production, which comes to Opera Philadelphia from the Dutch National Opera, Royal Danish Opera, and Opera Australia, shows the opera’s characters inhabiting and interacting with figures from famous works of modern art by Pablo Picasso, Keith Haring, and John Singer Sargent, among others. Michieletto’s direction is complemented by Paolo Fantin’s epic set design, Carla Teti’s lavish costumes, and Alessandro Carletti’s dramatic lighting design, creating an excitingly fresh interpretation of this unique work. The museum setting draws together past and present, allowing Rossini’s gentle lampooning of 19th century aristocratic culture in an increasingly cosmopolitan
Europe to become newly relevant today, while the production’s surrealist aesthetic allows for all sorts of delightful visual surprises.
So welcome to this popup of The Golden Lily Gallery, onstage for a short time at the Academy of Music. Sit back, relax, and watch the art come to life before your eyes.
Artworks appearing in the production
René Magritte, "Son of Man"
© 2025 C. Herscovici / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Frida Kahlo, "Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird"
© 2025 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
A BREATH of FRESH AIR
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Pet Friendly
Clärchen & Matthias Baus for Dutch National Opera
ARTISTS Il viaggio a Reims
Katherine Beck (she/her)
La Marchesa Melibea Bennington, VT
Opera Philadelphia debut
Recent: Rosina, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Minnesota Opera, Florentine Opera; Lola, Cavalleria rusticana, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra; Elizabeth Lavenza, Kallor’s Frankenstein (world premiere), Arizona Opera
Next: Angelina, La cenerentola, Arizona Opera
Daniel Belcher (he/him) Il Barone di Trombonok Houston, TX
Recent: Pandolfe, Cendrillon, Orlando Opera; Officer Krupke, West Side Story, Houston Grand Opera; Harold Hill, The Music Man, Charlottesville Opera
Next: Dulcamara, L'elisir d'amore, Utah Opera
Brandon Bell (he/him) Antonio Pittsburgh, PA
Opera Philadelphia debut
Recent: Morales, Carmen, Virginia Opera; Baritone Soloist, Santa Clara Chorale; Marcello, La bohème, Borderland Arts Foundation
Next: Santa Claus, Roger, Octogenarian, Death (cover), Complications in Sue, Opera Philadelphia
Elizabeth Braden (she/her)
Chorus Master Easton, PA
Recent: Chorus Master, Don Giovanni, Opera Philadelphia; Chorus Master, The Listeners, Opera Philadelphia; Director of Music, Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia
Next: Chorus Master, Sleepers Awake, Opera Philadelphia
Ben Brady (he/him) Don Profondo Denver, CO
Recent: Bartolo, Il barbiere di Siviglia, North Carolina Opera; Dr. Grenvil, La traviata, The Dallas Opera; Sparafucile, Rigoletto, Eugene Opera
Next: Lamoral, Arabella, The Metropolitan Opera
Alessandro Carletti (he/him)
Lighting Designer
Rome, Italy
Opera Philadelphia debut
Recent: Lighting designer, Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci, Bayerische Staatsoper; Lighting designer, Die Walküre, Royal Ballet and Opera (London); Lighting designer, Messiah, Komische Oper (Berlin)
Next: Lighting designer, Lohengrin, Teatro dell’Opera (Rome)
Scott Conner (he/him)
Lord Sidney
Olathe, KS
Recent: Ramfis, Aida, Arizona Opera; José Tripaldi, Ainadamar, The Metropolitan Opera; One-Armed Brother, Die Frau ohne Schatten, The Metropolitan Opera
Next: Zuniga, Carmen, The Metropolitan Opera
Alex DeSocio (he/him)
Don Alvaro
Wichita, KS
Opera Philadelphia debut
Recent: Sgt. Marcum, An American Soldier, Perelman Performing Arts Center; Papageno, Die Zauberflöte, Florida Grand Opera; Pirate King, The Pirates of Penzance, Central City Opera
Next: Lt. Audebert, Silent Night, Florida Grand Opera
Paolo Fantin (he/him)
Set Designer
Treviso, Italy
Opera Philadelphia debut
Recent: Set designer, Il nome della rosa, Teatro alla Scala, Milan; Set designer, Betrothal in a Monastery, Theater an der Wien; Set designer, La fille du régiment, Bayerische Staatsoper
Next: Set designer, Lohengrin, Teatro dell’Opera (Rome)
Eleonora Gravagnola (she/her)
Revival Director
Naples, Italy
Opera Philadelphia debut
Recent: Associate Director, The Tales of Hoffman, The Royal Opera House, London; Associate Director, Rigoletto, Teatro la Fenice, Venice; Assistant Director, Il nome della Rosa, Teatro alla Scala, Milan
Next: Associate Director, Carmen, Teatro Real, Madrid
ARTISTS Il viaggio a Reims
Emilie Kealani (she/her)
Corinna
San Francisco, CA
Opera Philadelphia debut
Recent: Calisto, La Calisto, Glimmerglass Festival; Jano, Jenůfa, Staatsoper Stuttgart; Musetta, La bohème, Glimmerglass Festival
Next: Host/Curator, Kapwa Concert Special, PBS WHYY TV-12
Alasdair Kent (he/him)
Il Conte di Libenskof
Perth, Australia
Recent: Marzio, Mitridate, re di Ponto, Teatro alla Scala; Idreno, Semiramide, Opéra de Rouen; Narciso, Il turco in Italia, Opéra national de Lyon
Next: Almaviva, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Staatsoper Berlin
Fran Daniel Laucerica (he/him)
Don Luigino
Miami, FL
Opera Philadelphia debut
Recent: Thomas, Woman With Eyes Closed, Pittsburgh Opera; Rinaldo, Armida, Pittsburgh Opera; Beppe, Pagliacci, Pittsburgh Opera
Next: Pylade, Iphigénie en Tauride, Washington Concert Opera
Minghao Liu (he/him)
Il Cavaliere Belfiore
Qingdao, Shandong Province/Chin
Opera Philadelphia debut
Recent: Comte Ory, Le Comte Ory, San Francisco Opera (Merola); Nemorino (cover), L'elisir d'amore, Florida Grand Opera; Ernesto, Don Pasquale, Opera Naples
Next: Narciso, Il turco in Italia, Glyndebourne Festival
Damiano Michieletto (he/him)
Original Director
Venice, Italy
Recent: Director, Betrothal in a Monastery, Theater an der Wien; Director, La fille du régiment, Bayerische Staatsoper; Director, Messiah, Komische Oper, Berlin
Next: Director, Falstaff, Semperoper Dresden
Maya Mor-Mitrani (she/her) Modestina
Tsur Moshe, Israel
Opera Philadelphia debut
Recent: Flora, The Turn of The Screw, Spoleto Music Festival; Barbarina, The Marriage of Figaro, Curtis Opera Theatre; Baron (The Devil), Infernal Angel, Curtis New Music Ensemble.
Olivia Prendergast (she/her) Delia Philadelphia, PA
Opera Philadelphia debut
Recent: Soprano Soloist, Revolución diamantina, Boston Symphony Orchestra/The Crossing; Calisto (cover), La Calisto, Glimmerglass Festival; Marie de' Medici, Galileo Galilei, Opera Theatre of St. Louis
Next: Of being numerous, Christopher Cerrone world premiere, The Crossing
Brenda Rae (she/her)
Madama Cortese Appleton, WI
Recent: Aminta, Die schweigsame Frau, Staatsoper Berlin; Gilda, Rigoletto, Opernhaus Zürich; Lulu, Lulu, Oper Frankfurt
Next: Petra, An Enemy of the People (World Premiere), Les Arts Valencia
Anthony Reed (he/him)
Don Prudenzio Chicago, IL
Opera Philadelphia debut
Recent: Geronte, Manon Lescaut, Opera Festival of Chicago; Masetto, Don Giovanni, Opera de Rouen; Commendatore, Don Giovanni, Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera
Hongrui Ren (he/him)
Zefirino/Gelsomino Changchun, China
Opera Philadelphia debut
Recent: Don Curzio, The Marriage of Figaro, Curtis Opera Theatre; Father, The Seven Deadly Sins, Curtis Opera Theatre; Monsieur Lacouf, Les mamelles de Tirésias, Curtis Opera Theatre
Next: L'Orfeo, Curtis Opera Theatre
Lindsey Reynolds (she/her)
La Contessa di Folleville
New Orleans, LA
Recent: Adina, L’elisir d’amore, New Orleans Opera; Mary Louise Smith, She Who Dared, Chicago Opera Theater; Ashley Devon, The Listeners, Opera Philadelphia
Corrado Rovaris (he/him)
Conductor
Bergamo, Italy
Recent: Conductor, Il barbiere di Siviglia, New National Theatre Tokyo; Conductor, I puritani, Opéra National de Paris; Conductor, Arabella, Ópera de Oviedo
Next: Conductor, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Teatro de la Maestranza (Seville)
Sarah Scofield (she/her)
Maddalena
West Lafayette, IN
Opera Philadelphia debut
Recent: Der Sandmännchen (performed) and Hänsel cover, Hänsel und Gretel, Utah Opera; Alto Soloist, Bach’s Magnificat and Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore, New England Symphonic Ensemble at Carnegie Hall; Alto Soloist, Messiah, Utah Symphony
Carla Teti (she/her)
Costume Designer
Rome, Italy
Opera Philadelphia debut
Recent: Costume designer, Carmen, Royal Opera House (London); Costume designer, Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Opera Australia; Costume designer, The Turn of the Screw, La Monnaie/De Munt
Next: Costume designer, Lohengrin, Teatro dell opera di Roma; Costume designer, La traviata, Bregenz Festival
CHORUS
SOPRANO
Veronica Chapman-Smith
Natalie Esler
Julie-Ann Green
Jessica Moreno
Jorie Moss
Jessica Mary Murphy
Sophia Santiago
Evelyn Santiago Schulz
ALTO
Joanna Gates
Noël Graves-Williams
Megan McFadden
Meghan McGinty
Maren Montalbano
Ellen Grace Peters
Natasha Nelson
Paula Rivera
DANCERS
Sydney Donovan
Abby Donnenfeld*
Amanda Rattigan*
SUPERNUMERARIES
Alex Hartley Chernenko*
Drew Russell DuBoff*
Timothy Vincent Gardocki
Olivia Grode*
Shelby Hastings*
Jed Krivisky
Alexis Lounsbury*
Megan Panter*
Erin Renee Russo*
Ryan Tygh
Will Vence Jr.*
TENOR
Nathaniel Bear
Matthew Coules
Gabriel Feldt
Christian Johnson
Andrew Skitko
Daniel Taylor
Cory O’Niell Walker
Steve Williamson
BASS
Jeff U. Chapman
Joel Clemens
Lucas DeJesus
Loren Greer
Daniel Laverriere
Brenton Mattox-Scott
Michael Miller
Frank Mitchell
COVERS
Conte di Libenskof & Il Cavaliere Belfiore: Fran Daniel Laucerica
Yes, this is the two-page spread where we ask for your support. But it’s also the moment to thank you for 50 years of joy, risk, and discovery.
You know how it goes… we tell you all the amazing things we’ve done: producing some of the best opera around, making all tickets $11 with Pick Your Price, becoming the only sold out opera company in America, provoking thought, wringing emotion, and inspiring community.
You read these things, nod your head, remember your favorite experiences here, and start to flip the page.
WAIT! Don’t flip just yet!
This 50th season marks a milestone celebrating both where we’ve been and where we’re going. For half a century, we’ve married tradition and innovation: great works from the canon alongside bold, brand-new operas that speak to today. But we are just getting started, and this is your
moment to help shape what opera can mean for the next generation. We need art more than ever right now.
If you’ve ever felt joy, exhilaration, tears, or laughter in one of these seats, don’t let it end here. Scan the QR code and make sure great opera thrives for years to come.
Thank you for being part of this extraordinary story.
Your Gift. Great Art. Opera for All.
ORCHESTRA
VIOLIN I
Max Tan, concertmaster
Meichen Liao-Barnes, assistant concertmaster
Donna Grantham
Elizabeth Kaderabek
Natasha Colkett
Rita Wang
Rachel Segal
Gared Crawford
Emily Barkakati
Maria Im
Mary Loftus
VIOLIN II
Tess Varley, principal
Luigi Mazzocchi
Heather Zimmerman Messé
Sarah DuBois
Paul Reiser
Maya Shiraishi
Rebecca Ansel
Yoori Kim Williams
Lisa Vaupel
VIOLA
Jonathan Kim, principal
Yoshihiko Nakano
Elizabeth Jaffe
Julia DiGaetani
Yumi Oshima
Shannon Merlino
Steven Heitlinger
CELLO
Branson Yeast, principal
Vivian Barton Dozor, assistant principal
Jasmine Pai
Brooke Beazley
David Moulton
Elizabeth Thompson
BASS
Anne Peterson, principal
Dimitrios Mattas, assistant principal
Stephen Groat
Daniel McDougall
FLUTE
Brendan Dooley, principal
Elissa Brown
Kimberly Trolier, piccolo
OBOE
Geoffrey Deemer, principal
Oliver Talukder
CLARINET
John Diodati, principal
Allison Herz
BASSOON
Emeline Chong, principal
Zach Feingold
HORN
John David Smith, principal
Todd Williams
Karen Schubert
Ryan Stewart
TRUMPET
Brian Kuszyk, principal
Steven Heitzer
TROMBONE
Robert Gale, principal
Matthew Moran
Phil McClelland
CIMBASSO
Paul Erion, principal
TIMPANI
Martha Hitchins, principal
PERCUSSION
Ralph Sorrentino, principal
David Nelson
HARP
Ruth Bennett, principal
FORTEPIANO
Grant Loehnig
ARTISTIC & PRODUCTION STAFF
Assistant Director
Assistant Set Designer
Assistant Lighting Designer
Assistant Stage Managers
Principal Pianist
Associate Pianist
Properties Supervisor
Assistant Lighting Designer
Supertitle Operator
Audio Description
Head Electrician
Head Properties
Head Flyman
Anderson Nunnelley
Gianluca Cataldo*
Fabio Barettin*
Ky Chassells* & Lillian Welsh
Grant Loehnig
Michael Lewis
AVISTA CUSTOM THEATRICAL SERVICES, LLC
Emmanuel Garcia-Castro*
Tony Solitro
Nicole Sardella
Christopher Hetherington
Samantha Higgins*
Magnus Adamow*
Programmer/Assistant Electrician
Wardrobe Supervisor
Costume Director
Associate Costume Director
Wardrobe Supervisor
Drapers
First Hand/Stitchers
*Opera Philadelphia debut
John Allerheiligen
Elisa Murphy
Millie Hiibel
Becca Austin
Elisa Hurley
Kara Morasco, Althea Unrath, Julie Watson
Catherine Blinn, Sarah Mitchell, Patrick Mulhall, Morgan Porter, Joy Rampulla
Opera Philadelphia thanks the following labor organizations whose members, artists, craftsmen, and craftswomen greatly contribute to our performances:
American Federation of Musicians, Local 77 is the collective bargaining agent for Opera Philadelphia Orchestra musicians.
American Guild of Musical Artists / The American Guild of Musical Artists, the union of professional singers, dancers, and production personnel in opera, ballet, and concert, affiliated with the AFL-CIO, represents the Artists and Staging Staff for all purposes of collective bargaining.
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees / Local 8
Theatrical Wardrobe Union / Local 799, I.A.T.S.E.
United Scenic Artists / Local 829, I.A.T.S.E.
Box Office and Front of House Employees Union / Local B29, I.A.T.S.E.
Highway Truck Drivers and Helpers / Local 107, Teamsters
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
Charles C. Freyer | Chair
Anthony Roth Costanzo*| President
Barbara A. Teichert | Vice Chair
Alexander M. Hankin | Secretary
David Low | Treasurer
Stephen K. Klasko | Immediate Past Chair
MEMBERS
Ira Brind
Lawrence Brownlee
William Dunbar
David Ferguson
Charles C. Freyer
Deena Gu Laties
Alexander Hankin
Peter Leone
David Low
Sarah Marshall
Agnes Mulroney
Nabila Sajid
Nancy Sanders
Carolyn Horn Seidle
Ellen Steiner
Barbara Augusta Teichert
Lisa Washington
Kathleen Weir
Yueyi (Kelly) Zhou
HONORARY MEMBERS
Dennis Alter
H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest†
Stephen A. Madva, Esq.,
Chairman Emeritus
Alan B. Miller
Alice W. Strine, Esq.
Charlotte Watts
ADVISORY BOARD
Betsy Z. Cohen
Renée Fleming
John Hunter
Henry Timms
THANK YOU
Opera Philadelphia expresses our deepest gratitude to the individuals and institutions whose support allows us to bring you Il viaggio a Reims.
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE
Wyncote Foundation at the Recommendation of Frederick Haas
E.A. Michelson Philanthropy
Barbara Augusta Teichert
Wyncote Foundation at the Recommendation of David Haas
Barbara and Amos Hostetter
Jean and Gene Stark
Barbaralee DiamonsteinSpielvogel DiamonsteinSpielvogel Foundation
Judy and Peter Leone
The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage
Carolyn Horn Seidle
The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation
The William Penn Foundation
Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation
Bloomberg Philanthropies
The Buck Family Foundation
Ira Brind and Stacey Spector
Judith Durkin Freyer and Charles C. Freyer
Sarah and Brad Marshall
Mrs. John P. Mulroney
Katie Adams Schaeffer and Tony Schaeffer
Edith Carol Stein
Paul L. King
CHAIRMAN’S COUNCIL
Anonymous
Lorraine Alexander†
Willo Carey and Peter A. Benoliel†
Ms. Deena Gu Laties, in honor of Willo Carey
Christian Humann Foundation
Independence Foundation
Donald and Gay Kimelman
The H.F. Lenfest Fund
Steven Pesner
The Presser Foundation
Dr. Renée Rollin
Michael L. Spolan
Ellen Steiner
The Tang Fund
Bells Grocery Store
Comcast NBCUniversal
Cunningham Piano Company
Eugene Garfield Foundation
Allen R. and Judy Brick Freedman
Venture Fund for New Opera
Dr. Frank F. Furstenberg
Linda and David Glickstein
Mark and Helene Hankin Family
Katherine and John Karamatsoukas
Mrs. Sheila Kessler
Joel and Sharon Koppelman
Mr. and Mrs. William E. Little Jr.
Andrew J. Martin-Weber
Constance C. Moore†
National Endowment for the Arts
Nancy and Barry Sanders
Mr. Robert J. Schena
GENERAL DIRECTOR’S COUNCIL
Platinum Patron
William A. Barone & Ms. Sylvia K.
Lanka-Barone
Myron and Sheila S. Bassman
Carol S. Eicher
Bonnie and Lon Greenberg
Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer and Joe Neubauer
PECO
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
David and Susan Rattner
Kathy and Nick Weir
Diamond Patron
Aaron Copland Fund for Music
Anonymous
Chubb Limited
Mark and Peggy Curchack
Feather O. Houstoun
Mr. Jeffrey P. Cunard and Ms. Mariko Ikehara
Mr. William A. Loeb
David Low
Ms. Jacqueline B. Mars
The McLean Contributionship
Tom and Jody O'Rourke
Drs. Richard and Rhonda Soricelli
Mrs. Keith R. Straw
Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Wechsler
Ann Ziff
Gold Patron
Mr. James P. Macelderry† and Ms. Marilyn S. Fishman
Silver Patron
Alice Barone†
Ms. Sarah Billinghurst Solomon
Robert and Julie Jensen Bryan
Georgette Ciukurescu
George S. Day, Phd and Alice
Donavin Day
Kay Deaux
Dr. Bruce Eisenstein in memory of Dr. Toby Eisenstein
David M. Ferguson, Ph.D.
Dr. Garrett FitzGerald
Deborah Glass, in memory of Leonard Mellman
Joan and William Goldstein
Gray Charitable Trust
Ms. Rhoda K. Herrold
Mr. Kenneth Klothen and Ms. Eve Biskind
KPK Development Co.
Camille Dickinson Labarre
Anne Silvers Lee and Wynn Lee
The Leone Family In memory of Joseph G. Leone
Carol and Howard Lidz
Liddy Lindsay
Dr. and Mrs. Michael B. Love
Susan and Graham McDonald
Ms. Katherine L. Niven
OPERA America
Seán and Colleen O'Riordan
The Dean and Zoe Pappas
Family Foundation
Bill Robling and Deborah R. Kravetz
Stuart A. Schwartz and Sheila
Jamison-Schwartz
Dr. Barry R. Shatzman
Mr. Jonathan H. Sprogell and Ms. Kathryn Taylor
Mr. Andrew Szabo and Ms. Susan M. Long
The Philadelphia Contributionship
Universal Health Services
Truist
Ms. Marta Barbeosch Varela
Lisa Washington
Ms. Linda Wingate and Dr. William Liberi
Bronze+ Patron
Thomas S. Heckman and Mary
Jo Ashenfelter
Jim & Maddy Carlson
Amelia Glauber
Barbara Glauber
William Lake Leonard, Esq.
Helen E. Pettit
Mrs. Louise H. Reed
Dr. R.J. Wallner
Bronze Patron
Lydia Alvarez, in memory of Isabelle Ferguson
Anonymous
Ms. Susan Asplundh
Chestnut Hill Rotary Club
Eugene and Virginia Beier
Mrs. Joanne Berwind
Mr. Allen D. Black and Mr. R.
Randolph Apgar
Carrie and J. Bradley Boericke
Nancy Brodie
Elaine Woo Camarda and A.
Morris Williams, Jr.
Anonymous
James Cohen
Mr. Stephen Cohen and Mr. John McNett
Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation
Eduardo Glandt and George Ritchie
Ms. Juliet J. Goodfriend and Dr. Marc R. Moreau
Anonymous
Michelle Harde
Brad M Hoppenfeld M.D.
Jeffrey R. Jowett
Mr. and Mrs. David Levy
Matthew Ligman
Dwight and Christina McCawley
Anonymous
Ninja Transfers LLC
Dr. and Mrs. A. H. Nishikawa
Rush Order Tees
David Craig and Jackie Renner
Anonymous
Joyce Seewald Sando
Mr. and Mrs. Curtis E. Sawyer
Nancy and Joel Streim
The Rev. Richard L. Ullman
Mr. Mark L. Villamar and Ms.
Esther Milsted Esq.
Peter J. Wender
Carol Westfall
Dr. Leah Whipple
Janet Yaseen Foundation
Ms. Ana-Maria V. Zaugg and Mr. David W. Anstice
Mr. Robert Zimet
DONOR CIRCLE
Partner
Scott Alexander
Mr. Abraham Axler
Karen Bedrosian-Richardson
Ellen Berelson and Lawrence Franks
Susan Bienkowski
Rita B. Bocher Ph.D.
Nicholas Alexander Brown
Bruce Chemel
Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony B. Creamer III
Allyson Dezii
Tobey and Mark Dichter
Ms. Vivian Barton Dozor
Dr. Andrew F, Drake
Elise Drake
Robert and Monica Driver
William and Fay Dunbar
Mr. and Ms. Robert S. Duplessis
Mary Fallon, in loving memory of Steven Wayne Parr
Mrs. Amy Finkelstein
Jim and Kay Gately
Andrew R. Gelber in memory of Sylvia Gelber
Marsha Lynn Gordon and Javier Garcia
Mr. George Graham and Mr. Kyle Merker
Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance
David and Ann Harrison, Esqs.
James Haughom
Eileen Kennedy and Robert Heim
Ms. Susan Henry
Drs. Christina L. and Richard J. Herring
Rochelle and Ron Kaiserman
Alan Karr and Jeanne Ruane
Mr. Jason Kucza
Beste Kuru
Laura LaRosa
Fran Levy and Leon L. Levy
Mr. John Mastrobattista and Ms. Madeline Leone
Anonymous
John McGinley
Drs. Joseph and Jane McGowan
Dr. Judy Catherine Miner
Mr. Benjamin F. Minick
Steven Z. Mitchell
Anonymous
W. Larz Pearson and Rick Trevino
Patricia Perfect
Ms. Jane Rath
Anonymous
Anne Faulkner Schoemaker
Estate of Robert Schoenberg
Mr. and Mrs. Henry G. Scott
Paul and Susan Shaman
Janet Wilson Smith
Steven A Gold Charitable
Educational Institutions Trust
Marion and Richard Taxin
Steven Voudouris
Laurie Wagman
Bond Wann
Bob Washburn & Judy Drasin
Arnold Weiss
Barbara Eberlein and Jerry Wind
Dr. Dilys V. Winegrad
Stephen Zeller
Mrs. Kelly Zhou and Dr. Brett Frankel
Sustainer
Mr. George J. Ahern
Jean W. Arnold
Marilyn P. Asplundh
Mrs. Sandra K. Baldino
Frances and Michael Baylson
Kenneth R. Hartell & Andrea Biondo
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Blair
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Broadt
Dr. Howard and Mrs. Tova Brooks
Mr. Leo M. Carey and Ms. Sonya D. Mouzon
Dr. and Mrs. Nicholas P. Cernansky
Ms. Vistula Chapman-Smith and Mr. Robert L. Smith
Frank Tobin & Ilene Chester
Jonathan Conant
Ms. Micaela de Lignerolles
Mr. Paul Desanctis
Robert and Florence Dolceamore
Dr. Jean Dowdall and Mr. George DowdallMr. John Driscoll
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph B. D'Silva
Dr. John J. Duffy and Dr. William F. Edmiston
Mr. Scott Dyer
James R. Fairburn
Barry Fisch
Mr. and Mrs. William W. Fox, Jr.
Ms. Lois Fried
Linda Dubin Garfield
Michael Gealt Ph.D.
Ms. Sandra E. Goodstein
Mrs. Kate Hall
Ms. Kathleen Harleman
Mr. and Mrs. Philip Hauser
Mr. Charles Head, Jr. and Mr. John Faggotti, In Memory of John Ventura
Dr. Archibald C. Hewes
Clark Hooper Baruch
Lee M. Huber
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hurtig
Mr. Wallace Hussong
Judith Insell
Dr. and Mrs. William Jantsch
Ms. Marianne Kah
Ms. Lisa Kahn
Drs. Jason Karlawish and John Bruza
Richard and Grace Karschner
Jo Ann Klein
Mrs. Anne Kohn
Joanne Kornoelje
Laura A. Lane and David R. DeVoe
Rebecca A. Lee
Drs. Jerry D. & Julie Maranze Levitt
Mr. Jeffrey Lienert
Dr. Thomas S. Lin
Ms. Maria Maccecchini
Cirel and Howard Magen
Dr. Richard J. Mandel
Joseph M. Manko, Sr.
Marica D. Levy
Paul J. Martin
Ms. Missy Mazzoli
Mr. George H. McNeely
Mr. Robert J. McShea, Jr. and Mr. Bill Ward
Moscow Philanthropic Fund
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Munson
Anonymous
Mark and Abigail Nestlehutt
Peter O'Dwyer
Mr. Stephen Perry
Anne Peterson
Mr. Yves Quintin and Ms. Rosanne Loesch
Cheryl Gunter and Paul Rabe
David Rhody
Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Rohde
Dr. Pamela Rootenberg and Dr. David T. Springer
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel R. Ross
Katherine Sachs
Mr. Walter Schlosser Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Hass Shafia
Barbara and George Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Corey R. Smith
Mary M Sproat
Dylan Steinberg & Amey Hutchins
Mr. Daniel Szyld and Ms. Kathleen Ross
Ms. Judith Tannenbaum
Termini Bros. Bakery
Mr. John J. Trifiletti
Mrs. Peggy Wachs
Dr. Steven and Janet Weinberger
Kenneth and Susan Weiss
List as of August 18, 2025
The Corporate Giving Society generously supports Opera Philadelphia’s artistic and educational programming through contributions and in-kind donations.
CORPORATE PARTNERS
Ballard Spahr LLP Termini Brothers Bakery Steve Voudouris
For more information about sponsorship opportunities and EITC contributions, or to join Opera Philadelphia’s Corporate Giving Society, contact JT Newman, CFRE, Director of Development at 215-893-5911 or newman@operaphila.org
Businesses that support Opera Philadelphia may be eligible for Pennsylvania’s Education Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC). Help students explore the magic of opera AND earn tax credits! Learn more at operaphila.org/eitc
Official Piano Service Provider
Official Piano
LEGATO SOCIETY
If you love the special magic of an Opera Philadelphia experience, consider including the Opera in your estate plans. In doing so, you will join a community of supporters that help to ensure great operatic memories for generations to come. When you bequeath a gift of cash or stock, or make the Opera the beneficiary of your IRA or life insurance policy, you make a truly meaningful gift that costs nothing now, yet benefits the company later.
Making a legacy gift admits you into the Legato Society, which brings you closer to the art you love and connects you to others who share your legacy goals. We are proud to salute our Legato Society members in all Opera Philadelphia performance programs.
To learn more about making a planned gift or about the Legato Society, visit operaphila.org/legato, or contact JT Newman, CFRE Director of Development, at newman@ operaphila.org
Anonymous (12)
Lorraine† and Ben† Alexander
Eleanor M. Allen†
Mary Jo Ashenfelter and Thomas S. Heckman
Eileen Baird†
Drs. Frederic Joshua Barnett† and Heidi Kolberg
Mr. Kenneth H. Barr
Myron and Sheila S. Bassman
Mr.† and Mrs. Robert Bergen
Ms. Jane A. Berryman
Dr. Claire Boasi
Dr. Rita B. Bocher
Mr. Michael Bolton
Mrs. Sheila Buckley
Constance G. Burton†
Ms. Willo Carey
Dr. and Mrs. Peter Cassalia†
Dr. Thomas A. Childers and Dr. John B. Hall
Dr. Maria Elisa Ciavarelli†
Miss Lucy Clemens
Joan and Frederick Cohen
Dianne and Don Cooney
Mr.† and Mrs. Arthur Covello
Ms. Ginny L. Coyle
Mr. W. Kenneth Cressman and Mr. Lloyd Christy†
Ms. Joan DeJean†
Ms. Virginia Del Sordo†
Robert and Monica Driver
Mrs. Antoinette DuBiel
Dr. Bruce Eisenstein
Eddie and Rachel Eitches
Mr. James Fairburn
Mr. and Mrs.† Joseph P. Fanelli, Jr.
Ms. Joanne D. Fidler†
Susan and Bill Firestone
Aron and Joan Fisher
Ms. Harriet Forman†
Judith Durkin Freyer and Charles C. Freyer
Mr. Timothy V. Gardocki
Linda Dubin Garfield
Sylvia Green†
Dr. Mark H. Haller†
Mrs. Dorrance H. Hamilton†
Gail Hauptfuhrer
Mr. Charles Head, Jr. and Mr. John Faggotti
Stephen T. Janick
Karl Janowitz
Jeffrey R. Jowett
Mrs. Sheila Kessler
Gabrielle & Ernest Kimmel
Mr. Michael Knight
Dr. Beverly Lange
Mr. Tom Laporta
Gabriele Lee†
Anne Silvers Lee and Wynn Lee
John T. Lehman
Marguerite and Gerry† Lenfest
Mrs. Renee T. Levin†
Karen† and Michael Lewis
Carol and Howard Lidz
Mr. William A. Loeb†
Sonja E. Lopatynskyj†
Mr. Larry Thomas Mahoney
Dwight and Christina McCawley
Drs. Joseph and Jane McGowan
Eugene C. Menegon†
Mrs. Lois Meyers
Mrs. Ellen Cole Miller†
Mr. Siddhartha Misra
Mrs. Naomi Montgomery†
Constance C. Moore
Mgsr. Felix M. O'Neill†
Helen E. Pettit
Mr. William Reily†
David Rhody
Dr. Scott F. Richard
Mr. Laurence T. Robbins†
Dr. Renée Rollin
Jeffrey and Kendell Saunders
Robert Schoenberg†
Carolyn Horn Seidle
Mr. Jonathan Sprogell and Ms. Kathryn Taylor
Mr. and Mrs. Morton F.
Steelman†
Mrs. Alise (Lee) Steinberg†
Ellen Steiner
Mr. Kenneth R. Swimm
Mr. Andrew J. Szabo
Mr. Victor Tees
Mr. Michael Toklish
Christina M. Valente, Esq.
Charlotte Watts
Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Wechsler
Esther C. Weil†
George P. White†
Drs. Anne and Jim† Williamson
Richard and Kelley Wolfington
Ms. Karen A. Zurlo Ph. D.
List as of August 18, 2025 † Deceased
Photo by Erin Patrice O'Brien
MEET COMPOSER IN RESIDENCE NATHALIE JOACHIM
Philadelphia is about to spend a lot of time with Nathalie Joachim.
The Grammy-nominated Haitian American performer and composer hailed for being “a fresh and invigorating crosscultural voice” (The Nation) will serve as Opera Philadelphia’s Composer in Residence during the 25/26 Season.
In addition to serving as one of ten composers contributing to the February 2026 World Premiere of Complications in Sue at the Academy of Music, Nathalie will curate two events in the upcoming year, including an exclusive performance at the Wanamaker Building highlighting her own compositions as well as works and artists that inspire her.
She’ll also appear with the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society in February with her new work Solitude + SPACE, and she is also composing another Philadelphia world premiere for June 2026 with The Crossing choir as part of ArtPhilly’s What Now: 2026 festival.
“I am thrilled to join Opera Philadelphia as Composer in Residence, and also to contribute to a season of exciting premieres and performances,” Joachim said. “As a Philadelphia resident, it's been wonderful to watch how the company has become a pioneer in the city's cultural scene and has made opera more inclusive and accessible for the community at large. I'm honored to take part in these efforts and to have the opportunity to develop new and ambitious work.”
Nathalie serves as Assistant Professor of Composition at Princeton University and is regularly commissioned to write for orchestra, instrumental and vocal ensembles, dance, and interdisciplinary theater. Recent and upcoming highlights include new works for the New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall, St. Louis Symphony, and Spoleto Festival USA.
WHY FEEL DOWN WHEN YOU CAN PIPE UP! ?
Opera Philadelphia has partnered with TF Cornerstone (TFC), the developer that officially became the sole owner of Philadelphia’s historic Wanamaker Building, to enliven the shuttered department store with Pipe Up!, an unexpected performance series showcasing music, dance, art, theater, film, parties, and, of course, opera.
At the heart of Pipe Up! is the iconic Wanamaker Grand Court Organ, with its 28,000+ pipes, which has entertained Philadelphians for more than 114 years. The series began on Sunday, Sept. 7, with Meet Me at the Eagle, an afternoon spectacle featuring collaborations with beloved Philly luminaries BalletX, Bearded Ladies Cabaret, and FringeArts.
A series of organ concerts, vocal recitals, art installations, cabarets, and Halloween and Christmas programs are among the upcoming events. In November, Grammy-nominated artist Nathalie Joachim, Opera Philadelphia’s recently announced Composer in Residence for the 2025-2026 Season, will curate a concert, and opera superstar Lawrence Brownlee will star in a recital.
Tenor Lawrence Brownlee performs in recital. Photo by Dominic M. Mercier.
