In a national press conference held in the U.S. Library of Congress on Wednesday, January 10, 2007, Maestro Plácido Domingo, General Director of Washington National Opera, unveiled the repertory, singers, conductors, and directors for WNO’s 2007–2008 season that will run from September 15, 2007 through May 27, 2008.  Click here to view the complete press release.

Giacomo Puccini

La Bohème

New Production

In Italian with English supertitles

Co-production with Teatr Wielki-National Opera Warsaw

Sep 15, 17, 19, 20, 23m, 25, 27, 29, 30m, 2007

Perhaps more than any other classic opera, La Bohème lends itself to contemporary interpretation. Innovative director Mariusz Trelinski updates Puccini's timeless tale in an extraordinary new production, following the stories of a circle of young artists who long for a deeper connection to society.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Don Giovanni
New Production

In Italian with English supertitles

Oct 25, 29, Nov 1, 4m, 7, 10, 13, 16, 2007

Widely regarded as the greatest opera ever composed, Mozart's celebrated tragicomedy tells the story of the famous womanizer who is given one last chance to repent of his philandering ways. But when he adds murder and blasphemy to his lengthy list of sins, human and supernatural forces combine to enact a terrible punishment and avenge Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, and thousands of other women.

William Bolcom

A View from the Bridge
Company Premiere

In English with English supertitles

Production from Lyric Opera of Chicago

Nov 3, 5, 8, 11m, 14, 17, 2007

Set in post-war New York, A View from the Bridge tells the tale of Brooklyn longshoreman Eddie Carbone, whose desire for his adult niece, Catherine, leads to disaster in his community and home. WNO welcomes stars from the original Chicago production of Bolcom's stunning adaptation of Arthur Miller's melodrama.

Richard Wagner

The Flying Dutchman

(Der Fliegende Holländer)
In German with English supertitles

Mar 15, 20, 25, 30m, Apr 2, 5, 7, 10, 2008

Misfortune, greed, and fidelity collide in this storm-battered tale of one man’s quest for life-saving love.  Wagner retells the nautical legend of the fearsome Flying Dutchman, cursed to sail the seas until he finds a woman who will love him until death.

Giuseppe Verdi

Rigoletto

In Italian with English supertitles

Mar 29, 31, Apr 1, 3, 6m, 8, 9, 12, 13m, 2008

As the libertine Duke of Mantua's jaded jester, Rigoletto is known for sparing no one his biting and often vicious sarcasm. But when courtiers abduct Rigoletto's beloved daughter, Gilda, for the Duke's enjoyment, a curse and misdirected revenge bring tragedy and are Rigoletto's undoing.

George Frideric Handel

Tamerlano
New Production and Company Premiere

In Italian with English supertitles

Apr 30, May 2, 4m, 12, 20, 22, 2008

Handel's rarely-performed work recounts the tale of Tatar conqueror Tamerlano, whose enslavement of the Ottoman emperor Bajazet and fluctuating marital intentions lead to conspiracy and suicide. Plácido Domingo makes his American debut in the pivotal role of Bajazet, and acclaimed countertenor David Daniels is the tyrannical Tamerlano.

Richard Strauss

Elektra
WNO Revival

In German with English supertitles

May 10, 13, 15, 18m, 21, 24, 27, 2008

Agamemnon, king of ancient Mycenae, has been murdered by his wife and her lover. Obsessed with her father's death, Elektra will stop at nothing until his death is avenged, but when her brother returns from exile and carries out her wishes, the mental strain proves too much for her, as the opera culminates in a frenzied dance of vengeance.

*Company Debut

Additional Events:

Simulcast on the National Mall: Puccini's La Bohème

Sep 23, 2007

"Welcome to Opera" Concert

Oct 5, 2007

Engelbert Humperdinck

Hansel and Gretel

New Production and Company Premiere

In English with English supertitles

Dec 7, 8m and eve, 9m, 2007

A new holiday tradition begins this winter as Washington National Opera brings Engelbert Humperdinck's captivating opera Hansel and Gretel to U Street's historic Lincoln Theatre, directed by David Gately and starring the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists with the Washington National Opera Orchestra.  A holiday classic since its 1893 premiere in Weimar, Germany, Hansel and Gretel is the perfect chance to experience the joy of opera with the entire family.

Pietro Mascagni

In Concert: Cavalleria Rusticana

May 25m, 30, 2008

Photo credits from top:

La Bohème by Stefan Okolowicz courtesy of Teatr Wielki-National Opera Warsaw; Don Giovanni by Carol Pratt for Washington National Opera; A View from the Bridge by Marty Sohl courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera