2026 Opera Conservatory

DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE 

Performance Dates: July 18 & 21 at Norton Hall 
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart  
Librettist: Original text by Emanuel Schickaneder, English dialogue translation by Alice Goodman 
Stage Director: Nathan Troup 
Conductor:  Stephen Hargreaves 

In Mozart’s comic opera The Magic Flute, Prince Tamino embarks on a journey to rescue Pamina, only to discover that the true battle isn’t between people, but between ignorance and understanding. Guided by elements both mystical and spiritual — and joined by the ever-hopeful, always-hungry, bird-catching Papageno as their trusty sidekick — Tamino and Pamina undergo trials of courage, integrity, and resilience. As the Queen of the Night spreads fear and misinformation, the wise Sarastro champions reason, compassion, and community. In a world that often feels divided by noise and uncertainty, The Magic Flute resonates as a timeless and timely tale of seeking truth, choosing empathy over fear, and finding harmony through connection. 

Sung in German (with English supertitles) and spoken English dialogue. 

L’Enfant Prodigue & Les Mamelles de Tiresias 

Performance Date: July 27 at Chautauqua’s Amphitheater  
Music by: Claude Debussy & Francis Poulenc 
Librettist: Édouard Guinand & Guillaume Apollinaire 
Stage Director: Emma Griffin 
Conductor: Timothy Muffitt 

Two masters of French music share the stage in a sparkling double bill. Francis Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias (1945) bursts with surreal satire, flipping gender norms topsy-turvy in a wildly imaginative romp of music and mischief. It’s paired with Claude Debussy’s luminous early masterpiece L’enfant prodigue (1884), a one-act cantata suffused with longing, redemption, and sumptuous lyricism. Together, these works deliver an evening of operatic drama and delight.