Atlanta Opera’s 2025-26 season includes a ‘Ring,’ ‘Beauty,’ Alliance surprise

Credit: Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Opera

Credit: Photo courtesy of the Atlanta Opera

The Opera’s production of “Götterdämmerung” (“Twilight of the Gods”), meanwhile, will mark the culmination of the company’s ambitious production of Wagner’s four-opera epic “Der Ring des Nibelungen,” an ultimate test for any opera company. “It’s a historic moment as we complete the first

“Ring” cycle in the history of the company — in the history of Atlanta and in the history of the South,” Zvulun said.

“The four top opera composers — Mozart, Verdi, Wagner and Puccini — are all represented on the main stage next year with arguably their most popular works,” he added.

“La Traviata”: Armenian soprano Mané Galoyan will be featured as Violetta, the tragic heroine of this Verdi opera, Nov. 8-16. Tenor Long Long, last seen in Atlanta Opera’s “La Bohème” in 2024, sings the role of Alfredo. The production, directed by Francesca Zambello, was last staged in Atlanta in 2019.

Credit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Credit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

“La Belle et la Bête”: Philip Glass’ take on “Beauty and the Beast” is an innovative screening of Jean Cocteau’s surrealist 1946 film in which the soundtrack is replaced by live music and sung dialogue onstage. The New Yorker has called it “the best sort of film music.” It will be performed Nov. 15 as part of the Opera’s Discoveries series.

“The Marriage of Figaro”: Mozart’s comic opera, to be performed March 14-22, 2026, spins a complex plot centered around the character Figaro, a servant in the household of Count Almaviva. The story is set in a single day and deals with themes of love, jealousy and social class.

“Turandot”: Puccini’s Princess Turandot will be sung by Angela Meade, who made her critically acclaimed debut in the role last year with the Los Angeles Opera. Italian tenor Piero Pretti will perform the role of Calaf, including the much-loved aria “Nessun Dorma.” This new production of “Turandot,” directed by Zvulun, will debut exactly 100 years after the opera premiered in Milan’s La Scala opera house. The production runs April 25-May 3, 2026.

“Götterdämmerung”: Zvulun expressed his hope of producing Atlanta’s first “Ring” cycle on June 1, 2013, his first day at the helm of the Atlanta Opera. His plan became a reality in 2023 when he staged “Das Rheingold,” the first opera in the series. “The ‘Ring’ is a big challenge for any company, which is why it is so very rarely done,” he said. “It’s arguably the greatest and most complex musical theater piece ever written.” “Das Rheingold” was followed by last year’s “Die Walküre.” The third opera, “Siegfried,” is scheduled April 26-May 4 this year, and “Götterdämmerung” will conclude the “Ring” cycle May 30-June 7, 2026.

All of the operas will be performed at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, except for the September-October Alliance Theatre coproduction, which will be performed at the Alliance in Midtown.

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Paul Hyde is a longtime arts journalist and English instructor in Upstate South Carolina. He writes frequently for the Greenville Journal, South Carolina Daily Gazette and Classical Voice North America.

Credit: ArtsATL

Credit: ArtsATL

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