Minnesota Orchestra Will Present BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE with Thomas Søndergård

The Minnesota Orchestra will present Béla Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle on May 8 and 9, 2026 at Orchestra Hall, led by Music Director Thomas Søndergård. The performances mark the launch of the Orchestra’s new Sound Unbound initiative, a multi-year project focused on highly visual concert experiences.

The program will feature mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung as Judith and bass-baritone Nathan Berg as Bluebeard, with Christina Baldwin delivering the spoken prologue. The production incorporates immersive lighting and digital projections by creative director Adam Larsen.

Søndergård will open the evening with selections by Richard Wagner, including the Prelude to Lohengrin and the Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde, before the performance of Bartók’s one-act opera.

First composed in 1911 with librettist Béla Balázs, Bluebeard’s Castle was initially deemed “unperformable” by competition judges. The opera, which premiered in 1918, has since become a cornerstone of the repertoire and Bartók’s only opera.

Set within a mysterious castle with seven doors, the psychological drama follows Judith as she uncovers the secrets of her new husband, Duke Bluebeard, revealing increasingly dark and symbolic truths.

Larsen’s visual design aims to heighten the opera’s tension, creating what he describes as “a journey through hidden spaces within us” as each door is opened.

Sound Unbound is designed to expand the concert experience through visual storytelling and interdisciplinary collaboration. Following Bluebeard’s Castle, the series will continue with future projects including a staged presentation of Stravinsky’s The Firebird and later productions of Puccini’s Tosca and Strauss’ Elektra.

SØNDERGÅRD CONDUCTS BARTÓK’S BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE

• Friday, May 8, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
• Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.

Where: Orchestra Hall

Program:

• Wagner: Prelude to Lohengrin
• Wagner: Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde
• Bartók: Bluebeard’s Castle

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