A collaboration of the Richard Wagner Society of the Upper Midwest and the Triangle Wagner Society
Program
We are pleased to present “Opera and the Artist,” a recorded presentation by Francesca Zambello. All art is operatic. Opera romanticizes the artist; it says something about the pain and anguish of creativity that can only be conveyed with heart-filled singing, an orchestra charged with passion, and a visual world that takes your breath away. This talk will examine 19th-century operas by various composers who wrote about artists, culminating with ideas and images for a new Tannhäuser production at the Houston Grand Opera in April 2024.
About Francesca Zambello
Francesca Zambello is the Artistic and General Director Emerita of the Glimmerglass Festival and currently the Artistic Director of the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center. She is also an internationally recognized director of opera and theater. Francesca’s work has been seen at the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, the Bolshoi, Covent Garden, the Munich Staatsoper, Paris Opera, New York City Opera, Washington National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and English National Opera. She has staged plays and musicals on Broadway, at the Royal National Theatre, BAM, the Guthrie Theater, Vienna's Raimund Theater, the Bregenz Festival, Sydney Festival, Disneyland, Berlin’s Theater des Westens, and the Kennedy Center.
Her engagements for the 2024-2025 season include Fidelio, Porgy and Bess, and Jungle Book at Washington National Opera, La Traviata at Detroit Opera, Carmen at San Francisco Opera, and West Side Story and Tannhäuser at the Houston Grand Opera.
Click here for more information about Francesca and to sign up for her newsletter, Traveling iPad.
Schedule
2:00 pm Recorded Presentation
3:30 pm Light Refreshments and Conversation
4:00 pm End of Event
Registration
This is a free event! RWSUM members and their guests may attend at no charge. However, we do ask that you RSVP (register) for the event.
Directions
The Merriam Park Library is located at 1831 Marshall Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55104. The library is located in the northwest quadrant of the intersection of Marshall Avenue and Fairview Avenue. The library may be approached from two directions:
- Take the Snelling Ave exit from I-94, then turn right onto Marshall Ave and proceed to1831 Marshall Ave.
- Take the Cretin Avenue exit from I-94, then turn left onto Marshall Ave and proceed to 1831 Marshall Avenue.
There is very limited parking adjacent to the library. We suggest that this area be reserved for persons with mobility issues. Iglehart Avenue runs parallel to Marshall Avenue one block north of Marshall Avenue. There is plentiful street parking along Iglehart Avenue that is close to the library.
After you enter the library, turn to the left and take the elevator to the lower level. After exiting the elevator on the lower level, proceed down the hallway to your left to the meeting room.
COVID-19 Protocol
To protect yourself and others, we encourage you to be vaccinated. You are welcome to wear masks at any time. Please do not attend if you have any COVID-19 symptoms.