Release: Presents Rossini’s La scala di seta and Rota’s I due timidi

Juilliard Opera Presents

Rossini’s La scala di seta and Rota’s I due timidi

 

Directed by John Matsumoto Giampetro and Conducted by Patrick Furrer

 

November 14, 17, and 19 in the Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Lincoln Center

 

[NEW YORK, October 29, 2026]––Juilliard Opera presents a double bill of Gioachino Rossini’s La scala di seta and Nino Rota’s I due timidi on November 14, 17, and 19 in Juilliard’s Peter Jay Sharp Theater. Directed by Juilliard faculty member John Matsumoto Giampetro, the production sets Rossini’s farsa comica in present-day Italy and Rota’s commedia lirica in post-war Italy. Swiss conductor Patrick Furrer, a member of the Metropolitan Opera's music staff, leads the Juilliard Orchestra. The production features students from Juilliard's Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts. Both operas are sung in Italian with English supertitles.

 

“These two one-act operas explore different aspects of romantic love: Rossini’s La scala di seta is frothy and farcical while Nino Rota’s I due timidi is poignant and melancholy,” said Brian Zeger, artistic director of Juilliard Vocal Arts. “I due timidi is a rarity for New York audiences with tuneful, Romantic music for the lovers and characterful comic writing for the Felliniesque townspeople. As the composer for most of Fellini’s films as well as The Godfather series, Rota’s exceptional ability to create mood flavors every bar of the score.”

 

Director John Matsumoto Giampetro said, “The headline for both operas is ‘Love! It’s a risk!’ Physically and emotionally. Our production explores this theme in addition to the interplay between private and public spaces.”

 

Rossini’s La scala di seta

Composed early in Giaochino Rossini’s illustrious career, La scala di seta (“The Silken Ladder”) is a comic tale of secret marriage, romantic scheming, and misunderstandings. With a libretto by Maria Foppa, the opera follows Giulia, who must conceal her marriage to Dorvil from her teacher and guardian, Dormont, who intends for her to marry determined suitor Blansac. Giulia uses a silk ladder lowered from her bedroom window to meet her husband while planning  to turn Blansac’s affections toward her cousin. The ensuing mix-ups set the stage for physical comedy while showcasing the performers’ vocal dexterity. Since its 1812 premiere at the Teatro San Moisè in Venice, the opera's overture has become a mainstay of concert repertoire. 

 

Nino Rota’s I due timidi

Nino Rota composed I due timidi ("The Two Timid Ones") in 1950 as a one-act radio opera, with a libretto by screenwriter and actress Suso Cecchi d’Amico. When Raimondo and Mariuccia lock eyes across a courtyard, their shyness stifles them from expressing their sudden love. A brush with fate shocks them both into confessing their true feelings, but delirium leads each to confess their love to the wrong person. The hilarious, mirrored tale of thwarted love unfolds with an ensemble cast. Rota’s gift for creating distinctive musical atmospheres is also evident in his celebrated film scores, including those for Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, Franco Zeffirelli, and Francis Ford Coppola. His score for Coppola’s The Godfather Part II (1974) earned him the Academy Award for best original score.

 

Although they were composed more than a century apart, the two operas share a fascination with the comic complications of romantic love. Scenic design by Krit Robinson, lighting design by Kate Ashton, and costume design by Audrey Nauman create distinct yet connected worlds, from Giulia’s apartment to the courtyard separating Raimondo and Mariuccia. The creative team also includes Marcus Directing Fellow Emma Grimsley and current Juilliard Drama student Derek Dubrae Jackson as assistant directors and Juilliard alum Ricardo Ferro (MM ’24, composition; MM ’26, orchestral conducting) as assistant conductor.

 

Performances, featuring students from all Juilliard Vocal Arts degree programs, take place on Saturday, November 14 at 2pm, and Tuesday, November 17 and Thursday, November 19, both at 7:30pm. The November 19 performance will be livestreamed and available to view at juilliard.edu/calendar via Juilliard LIVE, Juilliard’s free digital platform, which provides access to performance livestreams and programming from across the Music, Dance, Drama, and Preparatory divisions.

 

Tickets are $50 ($25 for members) and are available at juilliard.edu or the Juilliard box office.

 

Please refer to juilliard.edu/calendar for the most up-to-date livestream schedule and performance details.

 

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

 

Peter Jay Sharp Theater

The Juilliard School, 155 W. 65th St., New York, NY 10023

 
Saturday, November 14 at 2pm

Tuesday, November 17 at 7:30pm

Thursday, November 19 at 7:30pm

 

Patrick Furrer, Conductor 
John Matsumoto Giampietro, Director

With the Juilliard Orchestra 

 

ROSSINI La scala di seta

 

Giulia

Adriana Stepien

 

Dorvil

Nathan Romportl

 

Germano

Woosik Nam

 

Blansac

Minghang Wang

 

Lucilla

Samone

 

Dormont

Tong Zhang

 

 

ROTA I due timidi

 

Il Narratore

Will (June Young) Kim

 

Mariuccia

Alison Kessler

 

Raimondo

Chester Seungyup Han

 

La Signora Guidotti

Sophia Pelekasis

 

Il Dottore Sinisgalli

Tong Zhang

 

La Madre di Mariuccia

Eloise Fox

 

Vittorio

Minghang Wang

 

Lucia

Jihye Jang

 

Maria

Jamila Drecker-Waxman

 

Lisa

Dasha Tereshchenko

 

Un Pensionante

Andrew Gellen

 

Sung in Italian with English supertitles

 

 

Creative Team 

 

Scenic Designer: Krit Robinson

Costume Designer: Audrey Nauman

Lighting Designer: Kate Ashton

 
*The November 19 performance will be livestreamed on the Juilliard performance calendar. Should you have trouble accessing the stream via this page, please visit juilliard.live to stream this program.

 

Lead digital sponsor: Bloomberg Philanthropies

 

 

About The Juilliard School

Founded in 1905, The Juilliard School is a world leader in performing arts education. The school’s mission is to is to cultivate excellence through the highest caliber of education in music, dance, and drama for gifted students from around the world, so they may achieve their fullest potential, expanding the reach and elevating the impact of the arts. Juilliard is led by Damian Woetzel, seventh president of the school, who has prioritized affordability and access to the highest level of artistic education while championing Juilliard’s tradition of excellence.

 

Located at Lincoln Center in New York City, Juilliard offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, drama (acting and playwriting), and music (classical, jazz, historical performance, and vocal arts). More than 800 artists from 42 states and 50 countries and regions are enrolled in Juilliard’s College Division, where they appear in more than 800 annual performances in the school’s five theaters; at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully and David Geffen halls and at Carnegie Hall; as well as at other venues around New York City, the U.S., and the world. The continuum of learning at Juilliard also includes nearly 400 students from elementary through high school enrolled in the Preparatory Division—Pre-College and Music Advancement Program (MAP); MAP serves students from diverse backgrounds often underrepresented in the classical music field. More than 1,200 students are enrolled in Juilliard Extension, the flagship continuing education program taught both in person and remotely by a dedicated faculty of performers, creators, and scholars. Beyond its New York campus, Juilliard is defining new directions in performing arts education for a range of learners and enthusiasts through a global K–12 educational curricula and preparatory and graduate studies at The Tianjin Juilliard School in China.

 

juilliard.edu @juilliardschool

  

CONTACTS:

Brendan Padgett

Madeleine Jennings

news@juilliard.edu