Maryland Opera Presents Puccini's Madama Butterfly

 

Media Contacts

James Harp, Artistic Director

jharp@marylandopera.org, 410.591.2853

Jason Buckwalter, General Director

info@marylandopera.org, 484.678.6041

For Immediate Release

Maryland Opera presents Puccini’s Madama Butterfly – April 24 & 25

Baltimore, MD (March 11, 2026) – Maryland Opera’s eighth season comes to its exciting climax with Madama Butterfly, Puccini’s masterpiece of devotion and betrayal, on Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. at the Church of the Redeemer on Charles Street in North Baltimore.  Tickets are $29-$99. 

Puccini’s opera will be presented complete, fully staged and costumed in the acoustically and visually exquisite sanctuary at Church of the Redeemer with chorus and orchestra.  The production features innovative stage techniques that transform Church of the Redeemer into an immersive opera performance space.  A pre-concert lecture given by Artistic Director James Harp will be held in the church’s parish hall from 6pm-6:30pm to discuss the background of this iconic opera.  All are welcome at the lecture with the purchase of a ticket to the performance.

Joining us is an internationally acclaimed cast including soprano Yulan Piao as Cio-Cio San, tenor Isaac Hurtado as Pinkerton, baritone Joel Balzun as Sharpless, and mezzo-soprano Kate Jackman as Suzuki all led by conductor Michelle Rofrano.

Stage direction is by Maryland Opera’s Artistic Director James Harp, long known for excellence in operatic performances and musical outreach in the Mid-Atlantic area.

“There are very few operas with the emotional pull of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly,” said Harp. “As we see this story unfold before us, we see ourselves and all the good and bad that has been done to us, and perhaps more importantly, the good and bad we can do to others.  It is not only a feast of glorious music, but also a lesson in humanity and a mirrored reflection of what really lies deep in our hearts.  We have assembled a glorious cast and prepared a gorgeous stage setting that will delight and amaze you.  Our deep commitment to this magnificent and immortal work will be seen in every moment and heard in every note.  The grandeur of grand opera will meet the delicate heart of our heroine – and we will never again be the same.”

An educational event will be held on Saturday, April 11 at 2:00pm at the Mount Vernon Club, 8 W. Mount Vernon Place, to immerse audiences in the world of Madama Butterfly.  The event will feature a traditional Japanese tea ceremony presented by Chado Urasenke Tankokai and an exploration of the opera with Peabody professor Ernest Liotti.  Afternoon tea and snacks are included.  Visit marylandopera.org for more information. 

Tickets for the opera are $29-$99 and are available on Maryland Opera’s website, marylandopera.org, or by calling 484-678-6041.  Seating is limited so advance orders are recommended.  Free parking is available in the Church of the Redeemer parking lot adjacent to the building and across Melrose Avenue. 

 

COMPLETE EVENT DETAILS

 

Madama Butterfly

Friday, April 24, 2026 7:00pm

Saturday, April 25, 2025 7:00pm

Pre-performance lecture at 6:00pm

Church of the Redeemer

5603 North Charles Street

Baltimore, MD 21210

 

Music by Giacomo Puccini

Libretto by Luigi Illica & Giuseppe Giacosa

Based on “Madame Butterfly” by David Belasco, in turn based on a short story by John Luther Long

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Performed with orchestra

 

There will be one 20-minute intermission

 

Cast

Yulan Piao – Cio-Cio San

Isaac Hurtado – Pinkerton

Kate Jackman – Suzuki

Joel Balzun – Sharpless

Min Jin – Goro

Phillip Collister-Murray – The Bonze

Scott Hetz Clark – Yamadori/Imperial Commissioner

Claire Iverson – Kate Pinkerton

 

Michelle Rofrano – Conductor

James Harp –  Director

 

About Maryland Opera

Maryland Opera offers quality opera performances, innovative artistry, support for social awareness and change, education and outreach programming, commitment to underserved communities, and a vehicle for talented young vocalists to follow their dreams.  Maryland Opera builds on Baltimore’s century-old opera tradition that garnered critical acclaim for grand productions that featured opera’s greatest celebrities.

 

Maryland Opera is passionately invested in bringing the excitement and beauty of live opera–traditional programming as well as innovative and modern approaches–to diverse audiences, including historically underserved audiences throughout Maryland.  They do so through numerous outreach programs, including Opera-to-Go, Opera Cares and Opera Camp.

 

For media questions, please contact Jason Buckwalter, Maryland Opera Executive Assistant, at 484.678.6041 or info@marylandopera.org.