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2018 WFMT Opera Series Schedule

This year, the WFMT Radio Network Opera Series features great performances by the Lyric Opera of Chicago, LA Opera, San Francisco Opera, OperaDelaware, Opera Southwest, and an especially exciting partnership with the BBC and the European Broadcasting Union to bring operas from The Royal Opera, Roundhouse, Scottish Opera, Opera North, and Glyndebourne.

Highlights of the WFMT Radio Network Opera Series for 2018 include:

  • A stellar performance of the rarely-performed 1774 French version of Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice from the Lyric Opera of Chicago
  • Lawrence Brownlee and Albina Shagimuratova in Bellini’s bel canto masterpiece I puritani, also from the Lyric Opera of Chicago
  • A broadcast of the world premiere of George Benjamin’s third opera, Lessons in Love and Violence, presented by The Royal Opera with the composer at the podium and featuring Stéphane Degout and Barbara Hannigan
  • San Francisco Opera‘s presentation of Giordano’s verismo opera Andrea Chénier, starring Yonghoon Lee, Anna Pirozzi, J’Nai Bridges, and more
  • The audience-favorite William Tell, presented by Opera Southwest and starring Sean Anderson, Claudia Chapa, and more
  • OperaDelaware‘s presentation of Rossini’s last Italian opera, the beautiful and virtuosic Semiramide with Lindsay Ohse, Aleksandra Romano, Daniel Mobbs, and more

Full schedule as follows:
Lyric Opera of Chicago, Part I

May 12  Orphée et Eurydice / Gluck

May 19  Rigoletto / Verdi

May 26  Die Walküre / Wagner

June 2   The Pearl Fishers / Bizet

June 9   Turandot / Puccini

June 16  I puritani / Bellini

Operas from the BBC and the European Broadcasting Union

June 23   Lessons in Love and Violence / G. Benjamin / Royal Opera

June 30   Macbeth / Verdi / Royal Opera

July 7       The Return of Ulysses / Monteverdi / Royal Opera & Roundhouse

July 14     Eugene Onegin / Tchaikovsky / Scottish Opera

July 21     Un ballo in maschera / Verdi / Opera North

July 28    Lohengrin / Wagner / Royal Opera

August 4  Pelléas et Mélisande / Glyndebourne

Lyric Opera of Chicago, Part II

August 11   Così fan tutte / Mozart

August 18   Faust / Gounod

August 25   Das Rheingold / Wagner

September 1   Bel Canto / J. López

LA Opera

September 8    Carmen / Bizet

September 15   Nabucco / Verdi

September 22  Norma / Bellini

September 29  Gianni Schicci & Pagliacci / Puccini, Leoncavallo

October 6          Moby Dick / J. Heggie

San Francisco Opera

October 13      Andrea Chénier / Giordano

October 20     Barber of Seville / Rossini

October 27      Don Pasquale / Donizetti

November 3    Dream of the Red Chamber / B. Sheng

November 10  Usher House & La chute de la maison Usher / Getty, Debussy

OperaDelaware

November 17   Semiramide / Rossini 

Opera Southwest

November 24   William Tell / Rossini

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