BARD SUMMERSCAPE To Present THE EGYPTIAN HELEN And Mozart Programming In 2026 Festival

As a highlight of the 2026 Bard Summerscape festival, the Fisher Center at Bard will present a new production of Richard Strauss’s The Egyptian Helen (Die ägyptische Helena). The opera will run for five performances at the Fisher Center, July 24, 26, 29, and 31, and August 2.

The production will feature Hailey Clark, John Matthew Myers, and Jana McIntyre, alongside the American Symphony Orchestra, Bard Festival Chorale, and festival founder and co-artistic director Leon Botstein, in a new staging by director Christian Räth.

Originally premiered in 1928, The Egyptian Helen remains one of Strauss’s lesser-performed operas. The work follows Helen and Menelaus after the Trojan War, exploring themes of memory, illusion, and reconciliation through a narrative shaped by dreamlike and psychological elements.

Additional programming will include semi-staged concert performances as part of the 2026 Bard Music Festival, themed “Mozart and His World.” Program Five will feature selections from Antonio Salieri’s Prima la musica, poi le parole and Wolfgang Amadé Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor on August 9, followed by Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) on August 16.

Chartered coach transportation from New York City will be available for select matinee performances on July 26, August 2, and August 16. Several performances will also be streamed online.