Washington Concert Opera Celebrates 30th Anniversary Year

Washington Concert Opera is proud to announce its 2016-2017 lineup, which marks the organizations 30th anniversary. WCO begins its year with a special 30th Anniversary Concert on September 18th, followed by a performance of Massenet’s Hérodiadeon on November 20th and ending on March 5th, 2017 with Beethoven’s Leonore. All performances will start at 6pm and will take place at Lisner Auditorium on the campus of George Washington University. The 30th Anniversary Concert on September 18th will explore the highlights of seasons past, featuring an impressive roster of acclaimed opera stars, including WCO favorites Angela Meade and Vivica Genaux. The evening will also feature Michele Angelini, a heralded tenor making his Washington, DC debut. This performance not only celebrates 30 seasons of Washington Concert Opera but will also mark the 15th year under the direction of Maestro Antony Walker. On November 20th, a king’s insatiable lust and his stepdaughter’s obsession with a man of God are at the forefront of Massenet’s dramatic masterpiece, Hérodiade. Based on Gustave Flaubert’s version of the biblical tale of Herodias, the phenomenal cast includes tenor Michael Fabiano (last seen in WCO’s 2014 performance of Il Corsaro) as John the Baptist, internationally acclaimed soprano Joyce El-Khouy as Salome, and Metropolitan Opera star Michaela Martens in the title role.

Inspired by Napoleonic ideas and fervent nationalism, Leonore is best known as the first version of Beethoven’s more famous opera, Fidelio. Next March, this timeless tale of love conquering all, stars American soprano Majorie Owens (praised in the Washington Post for her “golden voice) in the title role. The opera also features Simon O’Neill as Florestan and soprano Celena Shafer as Marzelline.

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Washington Concert Opera is a professional concert opera company offering internationally acclaimed singers, professional orchestra and chorus in concert versions of rarely heard, full-length operatic works. Founded in 1986, WCO has presented more than 40 operas, featuring world-class singers who regularly appear on the most renowned opera house stages. WCO strives to provide audiences with a unique musical experience and has repeatedly and consistently been acclaimed in the local, national, and international press as one of the finest in the field.