The Cunning Little Vixen

The Forest Comes Alive in Janáček's Woodland Fable

Curtis Opera Theatre’s exciting 2023–24 series concludes with Leoš Janáček’s masterpiece, The Cunning Little Vixen, one of the most vivid and colorful operatic works of the 20th century. Led by a plucky heroine, this poetic parable celebrates the eternal cycle of life and death as it spins a comical yet bittersweet tale of Vixen Sharp Ears. Captured by a forest gamekeeper, the mischievous young fox cub grows up to become a strong, independent vixen, escaping into the wild, where she encounters a world full of possibilities. Janáček’s stirring adaptation of the beloved Czech novella features a lushly orchestrated, folk-infused score bursting with boundless invention and an imaginative array of dazzling colors.

Widely acclaimed director and playwright John Matsumoto Giampietro places the opera in a world of magical realism, in a fusion between the forest and a contemporary rehearsal studio. Under the baton of internationally renowned conductor and Curtis alumnus Vinay Parameswaran (’13), The Cunning Little Vixen features the rising young stars of the Curtis Opera Theatre in collaboration with the Philadelphia Boys and Girls Choirs. This innovative new production depicts the cycle of life, the vitality of youth and love, and the truth of nature.

This performance is part of the annual Curtis Gala on May 4, celebrating the legacy of voice.

The Cunning Little Vixen is sung in Czech with English supertitles.
Leoš Janáček, music and libretto

This concert runs approximately 110 minutes, including one intermission.

Read the program book