Vienna, Virginia (April 21, 2020) – In response to the Covid-19 health crisis,
Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts has been working to evaluate the impacts on the
Wolf Trap Opera (WTO) 2020 summer season. WTO, with an artist-driven residency program at its core, plans to move forward by providing a robust and reimagined program for the season’s young artists. The 2020 summer season’s focus will be, as always, on providing the best possible environment for the advanced training and development of early career opera artists.
WTO plans to support the 2020 Filene and Studio Artists and Fellows through professional music and dramatic coaching, role preparation, expanded guest faculty work, and amplified audition support. Filene Artist in Residence Denyce Graves will be working directly with the artists and leading a team of WTO alumni, including Christine Goerke, Kate Lindsey, and Ryan McKinny, among others, who will work with artists remotely.
Planned productions of
Eugene Onegin,
Elegy for Young Lovers,
La bohème, and
Te Adoro: Latin Theater Songs with Steven Blier, and other performances have been cancelled. A special concert, featuring excerpts from Puccini and Verdi with the National Symphony Orchestra is scheduled for Friday, August 7 (the original performance date for
La bohème) to be held at the Filene Center.
“Without the ability to prepare and rehearse, we have had to make the difficult decision to cancel most of our performances, including the three fully staged operas, which are signature parts of our program,” said
Lee Anne Myslewski, Vice President, Opera and Classical Programming. “While the experience will look different for our 2020 artists, we remain committed to providing opportunities that will both challenge and engage. In consultation with our most precious resources, the artists themselves, we are developing projects and collaborative experiences that will excite and energize them.”
The relationship between the 2020 artists and WTO audiences is recognized as vitally important, and a number of avenues to connect the two are being explored that include arias, scenes and chamber work, via expanded digital distribution and livestreaming. Currently streaming online is the WTO 2019 production of
Ariadne auf Naxos, Strauss' soaring opera.
“Details on the specific components of the 2020 summer are developing,” said Myslewski. “There are still a number of unknowns, but what has been affirmed so vividly over the last month is the importance and value of WTO and its programs to artists and opera lovers alike. We at Wolf Trap feel we have a responsibility to maintain hope for the future of opera. Our focus on artist training and development serves as a guiding light as we pivot to meet these new challenges.”
Ticket holders for all 2020 summer Wolf Trap Opera performances are encouraged to retain their tickets as they will be honored for the August 7 concert at the Filene Center. Opera performance ticket holders may consider donating a part or the full face value of their tickets to Wolf Trap Foundation, exchanging them into a Wolf Trap gift card, or receiving a refund.
Additional information will be announced as it becomes available. Please visit
wolftrap.org for updates.
Wolf Trap’s 2020 season is made possible by generous support from the following
Wolf Trap Foundation Official Sponsors and Partners:
Dan and Gayle D’Aniello, Wolf Trap 2020 Season Underwriters
The PNC Foundation, Premier Sponsor, 2020 Summer Season
The Boeing Company, Major Sponsor, Boeing Salutes Series
American Airlines, Official Airline
Hilton, Official Hotel
Steinway, Official Pianos
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Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, produces and presents a full range of performance and education programs in the greater Washington area, as well as nationally. Wolf Trap features three performance venues: the outdoor Filene Center and Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, both located at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, and The Barns at Wolf Trap, located down the road from the national park and adjacent to the Center for Education at Wolf Trap. The 7,028-seat Filene Center is operated in partnership with the National Park Service and annually showcases an extensive array of diverse artists, ranging from pop, country, folk, and blues to classical music, dance, and theatre, as well as multimedia presentations, from May through September. The Barns at Wolf Trap is operated by the Wolf Trap Foundation year round, and during the summer months is home to the Grammy-nominated Wolf Trap Opera, one of America’s outstanding resident ensemble programs for young opera singers. Wolf Trap’s education programs include the nationally acclaimed Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, a diverse array of arts education classes, grants, and a nationally recognized internship program.
Media Information
(Please do not publish contact information)
Erick Hoffman
Director, Communications
703.255.1917 or erickh@wolftrap.org