Wolf Trap Unveils 2026 Summer Season of Classical and Opera Performances
Wolf Trap's summer season to feature top classical and opera talents
By: A.A. Cristi Feb. 10, 2026
Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts has announced 2026 opera and classical season, featuring the return of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) for an impressive summer residency at the Filene Center that includes major symphonic programs, film-with-orchestra events, and collaborations with leading artists.
Capping off their residency, Music Director Gianandrea Noseda conducts Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with Wolf Trap Opera soloists, and a concert commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The season also features three fully staged opera productions by Wolf Trap Opera (WTO), including Rossini's La Cenerentola (Cinderella), Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, and Puccini's Tosca. Tickets are on sale Friday, February 27, at 10 AM ET.
“Wolf Trap's 2026 season brings the full spectrum of orchestral and operatic music to life,” said Lee Anne Myslewski, Vice President of Opera and Classical Programming. “From the National Symphony Orchestra's expansive summer residency and celebration of America at 250 to Wolf Trap Opera's artist-driven productions, audiences will experience world-class performances in extraordinary settings.”
National Symphony Orchestra at the Filene Center
The National Symphony Orchestra returns as a cornerstone of Wolf Trap's summer season with its annual residency at the Filene Center, featuring major symphonic programs, genre-spanning collaborations, film-to-orchestra concerts, and a landmark performance marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. Highlights include two concerts conducted by Music Director Gianandrea Noseda.
On August 14, Noseda leads the NSO and Wolf Trap Opera soloists in an all-Beethoven program featuring The Consecration of the House Overture and Elegiac Song, Op. 118 leading into the monumental Ninth Symphony and its momentous Ode to Joy. The following evening, August 15, the orchestra presents an American Mosaic, a sweeping program honoring American music featuring Peter Boyer's American Mosaic, Leonard Bernstein's “Symphonic Dances” from West Side Story, the Overture from Candide, and George Gershwin's An American in Paris.
On June 25, six-time Grammy Award–winning “art-rock experimentalist” St. Vincent will make her Wolf Trap debut and join the NSO for dramatic symphonic arrangements of songs spanning her entire catalog, including selections from MASSEDUCTION and her 2024 release All Born Screaming. On August 21, genre-defying eight-time Grammy Award-winning American composer, singer, arranger, and musician Jon Batiste takes the stage with the NSO for a special orchestral collaboration.
Additional highlights include Gregory Alan Isakov appearing with the NSO under the direction of Christopher Dragon on August 26, as well as two family-friendly film-with-orchestra presentations: Disney's The Little Mermaid on July 11 and Hook on September 5, featuring the NSO.
Wolf Trap Opera 2026 Season
Wolf Trap Opera (WTO)—one of the nation's premier artist-driven training programs for emerging opera professionals—presents three fully staged productions during the 2026 summer season:
Rossini's La Cenerentola (June 18, 21, 25, and 27; The Barns at Wolf Trap)
Conductor: Louis Lohraseb
Director: Joel Ivany
CAST - *In order of vocal appearance
Clorinda: Angela Yam
Tisbe: TBC
Angelina: Sophia Maekawa
Alidoro: Cumhur Görgün
Don Magnifico: Ziniu Zhao
Prince Ramiro: Angel Gomez
Dandini: Korin Thomas-Smith
Chorus: Gentlemen of the Wolf Trap Opera Studio
Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin (July 17, 19, 23, and 25; The Barns at Wolf Trap)
Conductor: Steven White
Director: Emma Griffin
CAST - *In order of vocal appearance
Madame Larina: Aubrey Odle
Filipyevna: Cecelia McKinley
Olga: Elissa Pfaender
Tatiana: Magdalena Kuźma
Lensky: Daniel O'Hearn
Eugene Onegin: Finn Sagal
Monsieur Triquet: Jack Hicks*
Commander: Michael Appiah Kubi Mensah*
Zaretsky: Jack Burrows*
Prince Gremin: Sergio Martinez
Chorus: Wolf Trap Opera Studio
*Wolf Trap Opera Studio Artist
Puccini's Tosca (August 7; Filene Center)
Conductor: José Luis Gómez
Directors: Tonya and Ryan McKinny
CAST - *In order of vocal appearance
Cesare Angelotti: Cumhur Görgün
Sacristan: Sergio Martinez
Mario Cavaradossi: Demetrious Sampson Jr.
Floria Tosca: Tessa McQueen
Baron Scarpia: Jonathan Patton
Spoletta: Wayd Odle
Sciarrone: Søren Pedersen*
A Shepherd: Calista Ro-Jei Smith*
Jailer: Christopher Rodriguez Gray*
*Wolf Trap Opera Studio Artist
This season, with the help of Artist Development Advisor Renée Fleming and Grammy Award–winning baritone Will Liverman–a distinguished Wolf Trap Opera alumnus returning as the 2026 Filene Artist-in-Residence–Wolf Trap Opera will offer performance opportunities, immersive mentorship, and tailored repertoire for emerging opera talent.
This year's cohort will feature 17 Filene Artists—emerging professionals on their way to significant careers who have completed their academic or conservatory studies—and 17 Studio Artists—singers with notable potential who are currently or recently enrolled in voice programs. Wolf Trap Opera's artist-centric approach spotlights less than 3% of applicants and showcases a diverse group of emerging singers from six continents, many of whom are alumni of elite international training programs.
Additional Wolf Trap Opera Events
On May 10, Renée Fleming will host NextGen, a recital featuring three recent alumni of Wolf Trap Opera's Filene Artist program. This event demonstrates Fleming's dedication to mentoring the next generation of opera talent. (Note: Fleming will coach the singers in this concert; however, she will not participate as a performer.)
Wolf Trap presents three free public master classes led by highly respected artists, offering audiences a rare opportunity to observe leading performers working closely with the next generation of opera talent. Will Liverman will return to Wolf Trap to lead a public master class on May 31, followed by the acclaimed recitalist and longtime Wolf Trap favorite, Steven Blier, who will conduct a master class focused on song and interpretation with Wolf Trap Opera's Studio Artists on June 9. The series will conclude on June 23 with a masterclass led by Renée Fleming. All master classes take place at the Center for Education at Wolf Trap and are free and open to the public. Space is limited, and advanced registration is required.
Aria Jukebox returns to The Barns at Wolf Trap on Sunday, June 28, inviting audiences to take control of the program in a high-energy afternoon of opera's greatest arias. Each singer presents four arias, and the audience votes live to decide what is performed, as the artists charm, persuade, and playfully campaign for their selections. Suitable for both opera beginners and seasoned fans, this interactive event provides surprises, impressive voices, and plenty of enjoyment.
Wolf Trap Opera's Salon Series also returns to The Barns at Wolf Trap for four limited-capacity, artist-curated evenings on June 8 + 22 and July 6 + 20. These intimate concerts invite audiences to enjoy dinner before remaining at their tables as a bespoke musical journey unfolds just feet away. With programs that vary each night, the Salon Series offers an immersive experience of extraordinary voices in rare proximity.
Ticketing and On-Sale Information
- Wolf Trap members (donors at $100 or more) receive presale access.
- Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, February 27, at 10 AM ET at wolftrap.org.
- Ticket prices vary by performance and are subject to change.
- Reservations for Ovations at Wolf Trap are now open. Click here
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