Opera Lafayette's 2025–2026 Season Celebrates Female Power in New Season DRAMA QUEEN
The lineup includes Dido and Aeneas, Queen of Hearts, and New Woman, led by new Artistic Director Patrick Quigley.
By: A.A. Cristi Jun. 25, 2025
Opera Lafayette has announced its 31st season, Drama Queen, a daring and celebratory lineup that places women’s voices and stories at the center of the stage.
The 2025–2026 season will mark the debut programming of incoming Artistic Director Patrick Quigley, who leads the company into a bold new era with three distinct productions exploring themes of power, love, and reinvention.
DIDO AND AENEAS
October 16, 2025 – Washington, DC (venue TBA)
October 20, 2025 – El Museo del Barrio, NYC
Opera Lafayette’s season opens with the long-awaited company debut of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams returns in the title role following her acclaimed performance in Morgiane, alongside male soprano Elijah McCormack as Aeneas and Chelsea Helm as Belinda. Anchored by the devastating aria “When I Am Laid in Earth,” the production brings new focus to Dido’s perspective in a powerful woman-centered retelling of love and betrayal.
QUEEN OF HEARTS
February 12, 2026 – St. Francis Hall, Washington, DC
February 13, 2026 – The Georgia Room, NYC
Timed for Valentine’s Day, Queen of Hearts celebrates the many forms of love—romantic, bawdy, tender, and tragic—through arias, duets, and drinking songs. Conductor Nic McGegan will lead Opera Lafayette musicians with featured vocalists Maya Kherani and James Reese. Both performances will be accompanied by curated food and drinks, including wine selections by award-winning DC sommelier Sarah Thompson and cocktails by NYC mixologist Alex Dominguez.
NEW WOMAN
April 30 & May 1, 2026 – Washington, DC (venue TBA)
May 2, 2026 – Merkin Hall, NYC
Closing the season is New Woman, a showcase of operatic works by groundbreaking 18th-century composers Marianna Martines and Maria Antonia Walpurgis. GRAMMY-nominated soprano Lauren Snouffer stars in this solo performance featuring roles such as Talestri, Queen of the Amazons and Berenice, Princess of Egypt, alongside bravura arias by Gluck and J.C. Bach. The Opera Lafayette orchestra will also perform Haydn’s Symphony No. 63 “Roxelana”, an instrumental tribute to the powerful Sultana of the Ottoman Empire.
Season subscriptions are now available. For tickets and full program details, visit operalafayette.org.
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