Curtis Opera Theatre 2024–25 Centennial Series Continues with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro

Press Contacts:
Patricia K. Johnson | patricia.johnson@curtis.edu | (215) 717-3190
Ryan Scott Lathan | ryan.lathan@curtis.edu | (215) 717-3145

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PHILADELPHIA, PA—February 4, 2025—Curtis Opera Theatre’s 2024–25 Centennial Series continues on Thursday and Friday, February 27–28, 2025, at 7:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, March 1–2, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. with composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte’s Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), at the Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. Celebrated conductor Nicholas McGegan and acclaimed director Marcus Shields return to Curtis to lead an exciting cast of young opera stars and the Curtis Symphony Orchestra in this comic tour de force as love, intrigue, and politics collide on the eve of Figaro and Susanna’s wedding.

“I am really thrilled to be returning to Curtis and to be conducting performances of Le nozze di Figaro, which is a piece that I have loved for over sixty years,” said Nicholas McGegan. “I am also very much looking forward to working on the opera with the students in the opera program and the orchestra. I am sure that Marcus’ production will be very exciting, and I am so delighted to be part of the team putting Mozart’s masterpiece on stage.”

Adapted from the enormously popular 18th-century play by French playwright Pierre Beaumarchais, this “sequel” to The Barber of Seville transformed the musical landscape of opera at its 1786 premiere by merely existing. Written at a time of escalating civil unrest in France, the play Le nozze di Figaro questioned the established social order and the divine right of the aristocracy, while Mozart’s first foray into opera buffa, or Italian comic opera, revolutionized the genre, departing from the traditional conventions of the era, by imbuing these previously one-dimensional stock characters with an emotional and psychological depth unseen on stage before then—here, they are flawed and profoundly human. As the opera progresses, each aria, trio, and ensemble delves deeper into the characters’ inner lives, inviting audiences to see themselves reflected in the performers on the stage. Once controversial for its merciless satire of the upper classes and portrayal of servants as agents of their own destiny, Le nozze di Figaro was banned in Vienna after its first performance, but now it is hailed as one of the greatest comic operas ever written.

Director Marcus Shields reimagines the opera within a singular, transformative space that deepens and shifts in parallel with the plot’s intricate twists and turns. Featuring a sleek, contemporary design with a narrative-driven focus, Curtis Opera Theatre’s production breathes new life into this timeless classic, celebrating the richness of Beaumarchais’ fascinating characters, the complexities of human relationships, and the vibrancy of Mozart’s ingenious score. As tension and deception escalate, the opera’s hilarious situational arcs become increasingly knotted until the outdoors comes crashing into the space, and the characters are left with literal and figurative mud on their faces. Through its daring exploration of power dynamics, gender roles, class struggles, and marital fidelity, Mozart’s groundbreaking comedy—packed with secrets, mistaken identities, disguises, and intrigue—boldly challenged societal norms centuries ago yet wrestles with themes that remain strikingly relevant today.

“These characters could be people who walked from the audience onto the stage. Ultimately, Le nozze di Figaro is not about happy endings,” says Marcus Shields. “It’s more about righting the mess of human lives together. As everything progresses, the single room seen at the top of the opera gets deeper, and spaces and clothing that start out clean get messier and messier until we’re all in this big pile of dirt at the end, trying to sort out how we got so messy in the first place. You bear the scars, but you choose to keep going.”

Under the baton of Grammy-nominated Baroque and Classical specialist Nicholas McGegan, Le nozze di Figaro features the renowned Curtis Symphony Orchestra and a stellar Curtis Opera Theatre cast, including bass-baritones Robert Frazier and Evan Gray as the sharp-witted protagonist Figaro, valet to the philandering Count Almaviva, played by baritones Nathan Schludecker and Emilio Vasquez. Sopranos Sarah Fleiss and Juliette Tacchino star as Susanna, Figaro’s clever bride-to-be and maid to the unhappily married Countess Almaviva, portrayed by sopranos Emily Damasco and Kylie Kreucher. Mezzo-soprano Katie Trigg is the young, reckless pageboy Cherubino, and soprano Judy Zhuo plays the wealthy and mysterious Marcellina, the former housekeeper of vengeful doctor Bartolo, performed by bass Yulin Yan. Tenor Jackson Allen is the scheming music teacher Don Basilio; tenor Hongrui Ren is Don Curzio, a judge and counselor at law; sopranos Dalia Medovnikov and Maya Mor Mitrani play Barbarina, niece of the gardener Antonio, who baritone Ross Macatangay portrays. This talented cast is rounded out by a chorus of Curtis Opera Theatre students and due ragazze (two girls), played by sopranos Shikta Mukherjee and Juliet Rand.

Curtis Opera Theatre’s Le nozze di Figaro comes to life with an imaginative set by award-winning scenographer and lighting designer Frank Oliva, whose vision transforms the stage into a dynamic and ever-shifting world. Highly sought-after theatrical costume and fashion designer Avery Reed brings the characters to life with her striking, colorful costumes, while Brittany Rappise’s refined hair and makeup design adds an elegant touch, subtly highlighting class distinctions and the complexity of their personalities. Acclaimed choreographer, performer, and dance educator Indah Mariana enriches the production with movement that highlights the opera’s humor, emotional complexity, and the intricate dynamics between its characters.

The 2024–25 Curtis Opera Theatre series concludes with Leonard Bernstein’s outrageous, philosophical operetta, Candide, on April 11 at 7:00 p.m. and April 13 at 2:00 p.m. To learn more about these performances, as well as the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, Curtis New Music Ensemble concerts, Curtis Recital Series, and more, visit curtis.edu/calendar.

TICKETS
Single tickets for Le nozze di Figaro start at $24 and can be purchased through curtis.edu/figaro. The flexible Choose Your Own subscription option offers 25% off ticket prices when purchasing tickets to two or more performances. For subscriptions and information, visit curtis.edu/subscribe.

Le nozze di Figaro               Curtis Opera Theatre
Thursday and Friday, February 27–28, 2025 at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, March 1–2, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.
Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center, Philadelphia

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, music
Lorenzo Da Ponte, libretto

Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Marcus Shields, director
Curtis Symphony Orchestra

Le nozze di Figaro will be performed in Italian with English supertitles.

Philanthropic Support for Curtis’ 2024–25 Season
Curtis’ Centennial Season is made possible through the support of Derek and Sissela Bok, the Mary Louise Curtis Bok Foundation, Deborah M. Fretz, Charles C. Freyer and Judith Durkin Freyer, Mignon and Jim Groch, Rita E. Hauser, Lisa and Gie Liem, Bob and Guna Mundheim, Judith and James Ritchings, Bob and Caro Rock, and Mark and Robin Rubenstein.

Curtis Institute of Music receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Curtis Opera Theatre is generously supported by the Ernestine Bacon Cairns Trust, and the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, and the Wyncote Foundation.

About Curtis Opera Theatre
Through innovative productions and extraordinary musicianship, the promising young artists of Curtis Opera Theatre work alongside renowned conductors, directors, and designers to present audiences with fresh and compelling performances from across the operatic repertoire. Under the visionary leadership of Eric Owens and Miloš Repický, Curtis’s voice and opera students are cast regularly throughout the season, providing a unique level of performance experience to draw upon throughout their careers with top opera companies across the United States and Europe, including La Scala, Covent Garden, the Vienna Staatsoper, Houston Grand Opera, the San Francisco Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera.

About Curtis Institute of Music
At Curtis, the world’s great young musicians develop into exceptional artists, creators, and innovators. With a tuition-free foundation, Curtis is a unique environment for teaching and learning. A small school by design, students realize their artistic potential through intensive, individualized study with the most renowned, sought-after faculty. Animated by a learn-by-doing philosophy, Curtis students share their music with audiences through more than 100 performances each year, including solo and chamber recitals, orchestral concerts, and opera—all free or at an affordable cost—offering audiences unique opportunities to participate in pivotal moments in these young musicians’ careers. Curtis students experience a close connection to the most renowned artists and organizations in classical music, as well as innovative initiatives that integrate new technologies and encourage entrepreneurship—all within a historic campus in the heart of culturally rich Philadelphia. In this diverse, collaborative community, Curtis’s extraordinary artists challenge, support, and inspire one another—continuing an unparalleled 100-year legacy of musicians who have led, and will lead, classical music into a thriving, equitable, and multidimensional future. Learn more at curtis.edu.

Photo Credits: Nicholas McGegan (Dario Acosta) and Marcus Shields (Courtesy of Director). All student portraits by Nichole MCH Photography. First Banner (L-R): Robert Frazier, Juliette Tacchino, Evan Gray, Sarah Fleiss, and Emilio Vasquez. Second Banner (L-R): Emily Damasco, Nathan Schludecker, Kylie Kreucher, Jackson Allen, and Katie Trigg. Third Banner (L-R): Yulin Yan, Judy Zhou, Dalia Medovnikov, Hongrui Ren, and Maya Mor Mitrani. Trio (L-R): Shikta Mukherjee, Ross Macatagnay, and Juliet Rand.

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