Renée Fleming, Isabel Leonard and More Set for Washington National Opera's 2026-2027 Season
Five major productions and premieres anchor the season, including new stagings of Madama Butterfly and Nixon in China, and more.
Washington National Opera (WNO), led by General Director Timothy O’Leary, Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, and Music Director Robert Spano, has unveiled its 2026-2027 season—its first full season as an independent company, following its departure from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in January 2026. The season offers a creative journey in venues throughout the greater-Washington, D.C. region, and explores themes of freedom, the importance of civic and cultural life in America, and a continuation of WNO’s two-year celebration of the company’s 70th anniversary along with the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding.
Washington National Opera’s season opens with a series performed on WNO’s novel Revolutionary Stage—the DAR Constitution Hall’s historic auditorium is transformed with a thrust stage, surrounded with cafe-style seating to create a fully immersive audience experience. Appearing on the Revolutionary Stage is a new production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly inspired by the theatrical style of David Belasco, the company premiere of John Adams’ Nixon in China in celebration of the composer’s 80th birthday, and a special concert, We the People, highlighting music from across the operatic canon, featuring Renée Fleming, Thomas Hampson, and the season’s Marian Anderson Award recipient Amber Monroe, conducted by Robert Spano.
Beyond this series, the season continues with a wide-ranging lineup that underscores WNO’s commitment to innovation and accessibility, including a family-friendly Odyssey at the Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, the return of the American Opera Initiative in a new two-bill format, and Mozart’s Idomeneo: A Trojan Tale, a reimagining of the classic opera through the lens of the Trojan War, performed at Sidney Harman Hall with the orchestra onstage. Of particular note, WNO brings the world premiere of O’Keeffe: Kiss the Sky, a groundbreaking “ballet-opera” exploring the life and artistry of Georgia O’Keeffe, alongside a revival of Verdi’s La traviata presented at the Music Center at Strathmore, bringing a beloved classic to the region in a new season of bold, reimagined opera.
WNO opens the season with three programs—Madama Butterfly, Nixon in China, and We the People special concert—performed at the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Constitution Hall on WNO’s completely redesigned “Revolutionary Stage” which will create an immersive experience through a thrust stage that extends into the audience on three sides—complete with café- and theater-style seating.
Madama Butterfly
A fully staged new production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (November 7, 13, 15, 18, and 20, 2026) tells one of opera’s most tragic and beautiful love stories in a setting evocative of Japan by Walt Spangler, with period costumes by Florence Klotz. American naval officer Pinkerton marries the young geisha Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly. Innocent and deeply devoted, she ignores warnings about his intentions—until betrayal leaves her facing heartbreak and disgrace, propelling her toward one of opera’s most unforgettable finales. This striking production is directed by E. Loren Meeker with choreography by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater company member Kanji Segawa and renowned choreographer Jessica Lang. Korean soprano Karah Son makes her company debut in the title role—a role she has performed with nearly every major opera company in the world. She is joined by rising star tenor Matthew White as Pinkerton—a role he performed to acclaim with Opéra de Montréal. Cafritz Young Artist alumna and Grand Finals Winner of the 2025 Metropolitan Opera competition Michelle Mariposa performs as Suzuki. Japanese-German conductor Erina Yashima—who has led orchestras around the world—conducts.
Nixon in China
Nixon in China (November 14, 19 and 21, 2026), WNO’s first opera by prolific American composer John Adams, with librettist Alice Goodman, is conducted by Robert Spano, a longtime collaborator of Adams. The composer celebrates his 80th birthday this year. This thought-provoking work revisits the 1972 meeting of Nixon, Kissinger, and Mao—blending political spectacle with intimate human reflection and culminating in the haunting question: “How much of what we did was good?” Directed by Elkhanah Pulitzer, the reimagined production incorporates rare archival film footage by Bill Morrison with scenic designs by Alexander V. Nichols. The cast is led by two of America’s most celebrated artists, Renée Fleming as Pat Nixon and Thomas Hampson as Richard Nixon—in their return to WNO. Kathleen Kim joins the production as Madame Mao, and the iconic Chairman Mao dances will be choreographed by Jessica Lang, who has created more than 100 original works for companies worldwide including American Ballet Theatre, The Royal Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Special Concert: We the People
The third event on the “Revolutionary Stage” is a special concert, We the People (November 22, 2026), conducted by Robert Spano. The event promises a celebration of American ideals, exploring themes of liberty, independence, and creative freedom through a rich program of works by Mozart, Verdi, and contemporary composers. The operatic journey across centuries explores how opera has given voice to moments of transformation, political upheaval, and the enduring human desire for freedom. The concert features an exceptional lineup of artists, including Renée Fleming, Thomas Hampson, and this year’s Washington National Opera Marian Anderson Award recipient and former Cafritz Young Artist Amber Monroe.
Family-Friendly Holiday Opera: Odyssey
The season continues during the holiday season with Odyssey (December 18, 19, and 20, 2026) performed in the Kreeger Theater of the Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Composer Ben Moore and librettist Kelley Rourke create a vibrant, family-friendly, 70-minute opera based on the world of Percy Jackson—the hero in author Rick Riordan’s beloved children’s book series. Blending mythic adventure with contemporary energy and large-scale puppets, the production invites audiences into the world of Odysseus and his legendary journey to find home. Featuring WNO’s Youth Chorus of dynamic young performers alongside the Cafritz Young Artists in leading roles, the opera introduces audiences to unforgettable characters such as the Cyclops, Circe, and the God of the Winds. Presented with orchestra in an intimate theater setting, this lively and accessible production is an ideal introduction to opera for families and first-time attendees alike.
World Premiere and WNO Commission: O’Keeffe: Kiss the Sky
A centerpiece of the season is the world premiere of WNO commission O’Keeffe: Kiss the Sky (March 12, 14, 18, 21, and 26, 2027), performed at Harman Hall at Shakespeare Theater Company. The production stars an internationally acclaimed cast, including three-time Grammy Award-winner Isabel Leonard as Georgia O’Keeffe, international superstar Christine Goerke as Mabel Dodge, and veteran opera favorite William Burden as Alfred Stieglitz. With music by Grammy Award-winning composer Christopher Tin, libretto by Kelley Rourke, stage direction by Francesca Zambello, and choreography by Jessica Lang, led by conductor George Manahan, former music director of the New York City Opera, this novel “ballet-opera” traces the legendary American modern painter Georgia O’Keeffe’s journey to become one of America’s most iconic creative forces, and the people who shaped her along the way. Lawrence E. Moten III, who designed last season’s colorful sets for Treemonisha, will be designing the sets for both this opera as well as Mozart’s Idomeneo: A Trojan Tale.
At its heart is the tension between O’Keeffe’s passionate but complicated marriage to art dealer and photographer Alfred Stieglitz—her greatest champion, but also controlling and unfaithful—and the liberating influence of Mabel Dodge Luhan, who helped O’Keeffe discover the vast Southwest desert landscape that would define her work. Through opera and ballet, O’Keeffe: Kiss the Sky explores not just the artist’s life, but the unpredictable ways relationships shaped her voice and legacy. This marks the second WNO commission for Grammy Award-winner Christopher Tin, whose critically acclaimed new ending to Puccini’s Turandot was later performed on the world stage at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Mozart’s Idomeneo: A Trojan Tale
Mozart’s Idomeneo: A Trojan Tale (March 20, 25 and 27, 2027) takes place at Harman Hall at Shakespeare Theatre Company. This new production preserves Mozart’s magnificent score while offering a modern approach to storytelling inspired by the clarity of ancient Greek theater. With a theatrical distillation, the adaptation introduces a new character, the Trojan Woman, who guides the narrative and replaces traditional recitative, helping to clarify and intensify the drama of the Trojan War. Reimagined by Francesca Zambello and Kelley Rourke, this staging brings renewed clarity and immediacy to Mozart’s opera, placing the orchestra on stage for a fully immersive experience. The story follows a king’s bargain with the gods to save his son following loss during a devastating war. The production features world-renowned American tenor Gregory Kunde, conductor Robert Spano, alongside a cast of current WNO Cafritz Young Artists, in a vivid exploration of myth, conflict, and human emotion.
Of special note, Washington National Opera’s Cafritz Young Artist Program celebrates its 25th anniversary this season. An essential part of the company, these rising artists will take on an expanded presence on the mainstage this year in honor of the milestone.
Revival: Verdi’s La traviata
WNO performs its season finale of a revival of Verdi’s La traviata at the Music Center at Strathmore (April 29, 30, and May 1), featuring the highly anticipated American debut of emerging star Italian soprano Francesca Pia Vitale. Violetta is a celebrated courtesan in glittering Parisian society who lives for pleasure while concealing a fatal illness. When the devoted Alfredo—played by 2026 Beverly Sills Artist Award winner Ben Bliss in his WNO and role debut—declares his love, she dares to imagine a new life, until his father insists she sacrifice their happiness to preserve the family’s honor. Caught by the hypocritical mores of society and torn between love and duty, Violetta faces a heartbreaking fate. Directed by Francesca Zambello and conducted by Italian maestro and music director of the Richmond Symphony, Valentina Peleggi, this elegant production features period costumes by Tony Award-winner Jess Goldstein, whose designs were inspired by painter John Singer Sargent. In a beloved WNO tradition, the performance on April 30 features Cafritz Young Artists in leading roles. The May 1st production will also be WNO’s annual Opera Gala.
American Opera Initiative: WOLF | LAMBS
WNO continues its commitment to expanding the repertoire through its popular American Opera Initiative (AOI), which mentors emerging young composers and librettists as they create new works, performed by WNO Cafritz Young Artists. AOI welcomes back alumni composer JL Marlor and librettist Clare Fuyuko Bierman for a double-bill performed on January 15 and 16, 2027 at the WNO Studio.
CRY, WOLF opens the program and is a 2025 AOI commission that tells the story about young men on a college campus who use love, fear, and genuine care for one another to push themselves down deep ideological rabbit holes online. It is paired with a 40-minute world premiere from the same team: LAMBS follows three cheerleaders on the same college campus as they navigate the violence and sacrifices that they have been driven to through cheer.
2027-2028 Season: Fellow Travelers
WNO will perform Fellow Travelers in March 2028. Composed by Gregory Spears to a libretto by Greg Pierce, it is based on Thomas Mallon’s 2007 novel of the same name. Set in Washington D.C., Fellow Travelers is a gay love story set against the backdrop a forgotten chapter of LGBTQ+ history known as the “Lavender Scare--the systematic investigation, persecution and purging of LGBTQ+ Americans from government jobs during the McCarthy era in the 1950s.
Widely praised for its emotional depth, lyric beauty, and profound contemporary resonance, Fellow Travelers was originally scheduled for WNO’s 2025–2026 season at the Kennedy Center. The creators and producers chose to withdraw the work at that time, citing concerns that the opera’s themes of liberty, dignity, and freedom for all no longer aligned with the values reflected by the leadership of WNO’s former home venue. (Robert Ward’s The Crucible—itself shaped by the anxieties of the McCarthy Era—was presented in its place during the 2025–2026 season.)
Opera For All
Washington National Opera continues its commitment to shaping the future of opera. The following initiatives are designed to develop and support a new generation of opera performers.
Named for the barrier-breaking contralto, the Marian Anderson Vocal Award is presented annually by WNO to a young American singer. This year’s winner is Cafritz Young Artist alumna Amber Monroe, who is emerging as one of American opera’s compelling young voices. Her recent seasons include major debuts and returns such as the title role in Aida with Washington National Opera and in St. Gallen in Switzerland, Mary Johnson in Fellow Travelers with Seattle Opera, and Serena in Porgy and Bess at WNO, plus debuts with the Boston and Baltimore symphony orchestras.
Washington National Opera’s Cafritz Young Artists program celebrates its 25th anniversary in the current season. WNO’s beloved resident-artist program offers artists on the verge of international careers a course of intensive training, study, career guidance, and performance opportunities in Washington, D.C. and beyond. Throughout their training, the Cafritz Young Artists are featured prominently in WNO performances, which this season includes Odyssey, Idomeneo, a La traviata performance on April 30 with Cafritz artists in the lead roles, and AOI. Major support for the Cafritz Young Artist Program is provided by The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation.
WNO’s beloved tradition of Opera in the Outfield®—sponsored by Mars, Incorporated—will return in 2027, with details to be announced at a later date. The popular annual summer event features one of WNO's classic opera productions broadcast on the high-definition scoreboard at Washington, D.C.’s Nationals Park.
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