An Evening With Francesca Zambello
Monday November 4th
5:30 – 8:30 PM
The Minnesota Opera Center
620 North First Street
Minneapolis, MN 55401

Street parking available.

Please join us for a very special evening with world-renowned opera director, Francesca Zambello.  Ms. Zambello will discuss directing Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen" for the San Francisco and Washington National Opera, as well as her upcoming production of Wagner's <TITLE> for the Glimmerglass Festival (Summer 2020).  Guest artists will perform selections from Wagner's operas, and there will be an opportunity to learn more about attending Glimmerglass next summer.

You must register by Thursday, October 31 to attend.

Walk-ins cannot be accommodated. The registration price includes the program and pre-program wine and appetizers.

$25 RWSUM members & their guests
$35 Non-members

Reservations may be purchased online --  Reservations are not accepted by phone.

Non-members may join RWSUM now to take advantage of the member rate at this and other RWSUM events. Please review (URL TBD) for membership categories and rates.

We hope you will join us for this rare opportunity to meet with one of the world's most in-demand opera directors!

Schedule
5:30 Socializing—wine and appetizers
6:00 Presentation by Francesca Zambello
7:30 BREAK
7:45 Music program and preview of Glimmerglass 2020
8:30 Event ends

Program
Francesca Zambello will share her vision of The Ring, most recently presented by the San Francisco Opera (June 2018).  She will also preview her upcoming production of Wagner's <TITLE>, which will be the third Wagner opera ever presented at the Glimmerglass Festival.  (Previous seasons included a rare production of "Das Liebesverbot" and "The Flying Dutchman.")  There will be ample time for Q&A.

After a brief break, there will be a musical program presented by <artists TBD>, as well as an opportunity to learn more about the Glimmerglass experience!

Francesca Zambello

Francesca Zambello is an internationally recognized director of opera and theater, as well as the General Director of The Glimmerglass Festival since 2010 and the Artistic Director of The Washingtion National Opera at the Kennedy Center since 2012. She has also served as the Artistic Advisor to the San Francisco Opera from 2005-2011 and as the Artistic Director of the Skylight Theater from 1987-1992. In her current roles at the Kennedy Center and the Glimmerglass Festival, she is responsible for producing 12 productions annually. She has begun major commissioning programs for new works in both companies that have resulted in productions of many large and small-scaled new works. Both companies have thrived financially and increased their national and international profiles as a result of her artistic vision and leadership.

Her American directing debut took place at the Houston Grand Opera with a production of Fidelio. She debuted in Europe at Teatro la Fenice in Venice with Beatrice di Tenda and has since staged new productions at major theaters and opera houses in Europe and the USA. She has worked at over 50 major opera houses including: The Met, La Scala, Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Paris Opera, the Bolshoi, Munich State Opera, Covent Garden and the Australian Opera. Her work has also been seen at many of the world's major festivals. Collaborating with outstanding artists and designers and promoting emerging talent, she takes a special interest in new music theater works, innovative productions, and in producing theater and opera for wider audiences.

Francesca Zambello has been awarded the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government for her contribution to French culture, and the Russian Federation's medal for Service to Culture. Other honors for her work include three Olivier Awards from the London Society of Theaters and two Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical and Best Opera. She has also received the award for Best Company Achievement. The French Grand Prix des Critiques was awarded to her twice for her work at the Paris Opera. Other awards include Best Production in Japan, the Palme d'Or in Germany, the Golden Mask in Russia and the Helpmann Award in Australia.

Photo by Stephen Voss

Francesca Zambello's most recent opera projects have included The Ring and Aida for the San Francisco Opera and The Washington National Opera, and Porgy and Bess and Show Boat for commercial DVD release. Musical and theater projects have included developing Voigt Lessons with Terrance McNally and Debbie Voight; Rebecca for Vienna's Raimund Theater, Stuttgart's Palladium Theater (presented by Stage Entertainment), and in St. Gallen, Switzerland; The Little Prince with Oscar-winning composer Rachel Portman; Napoleon in the West End; The Little Mermaid for Disney on Broadway; the musical of The Little House on the Prairie for national tour; The Master Butchers at The Guthrie Theater; and Aladdin in Disneyland. Film works have included Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors for BBC Television; a new film for the BBC, Sony and PBS of The Little Prince; and West Side Story for the floating stage in Bregenz.

Ms. Zambello has also served as a guest professor at Yale University. An American who grew up in Europe, she speaks French, Italian, German, and Russian. She attended Moscow University in 1976 and graduated cum laude from Colgate University in 1978. She began her career as an Assistant Director to the late Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. Francesca Zambello lives in New York with her wife, Faith Gay, a founding partner at Selendy and Gay, and step-son, Jackson.