Video: WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA Previews 2026/27 Season in New Series
General director and artistic director outline plans for the company's first season as a fully independent organization.
Washington National Opera debuted the first episode of a new conversation series titled What's Happening!?: Forward with WNO, offering an inside look at the company's 2026/27 season. The episode is hosted by Marc A. Scorca, trustee and chair of the National Friends of Washington National Opera, who is joined by General Director Timothy O'Leary, Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, and Christopher Cano, Director of the Cafritz Young Artists and the American Opera Initiative.
The conversation gives audiences a first look at what the company describes as eight offerings across five venues, marking the company's first season as a fully independent entity. According to the video's description, the season will feature internationally acclaimed artists including Renée Fleming, Christine Goerke, Thomas Hampson, Karah Son, Isabel Leonard, Amber R. Monroe, and Gregory Kunde, spanning immersive new productions, established classics, and contemporary works.
The season will unfold across multiple Washington, D.C. area venues, including a reimagined DAR Constitution Hall, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, Harman Hall at Shakespeare Theatre Company, and The Music Center at Strathmore. Each venue is intended to offer a distinct way for audiences to experience the productions, according to the company.
The episode is the first in a planned series exploring the season in greater depth, with O'Leary, Zambello, and Cano discussing the artistic vision behind the newly independent company's programming. The video positions the season as a significant shift for the organization, with the company describing it as entering a new chapter defined by expanded creative ambition.
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