Upcoming Events

This four-week series takes a deep dive into the upcoming MN Opera world premiere of The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, based on the graphic novel by Ram V and Filipe Andrade. We will explore the graphic novel together and get a sneak peek into the opera. Participants are invited to attend the Student Dress Rehearsal of the opera at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, October 29.

MN Opera Connections workshops are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Nicole Buchholz, Director of Lifelong Learning & the Arts at 651-632-5459 or [email protected] 

Attend a Student Dress Rehearsal and see students experience the power, beauty and thrill of live opera. Every production is fully staged with singers and orchestra.

The Many Deaths of Laila Starr
Event: October 29 | Register by: October 22

Ariodante
Event: March 11 | Register by: March 4

Falstaff
Event: May 6 | Register by April 29

Arrive by 10am for the optional pre-show talk!

No cost, registration required.

For The Future of Opera 

Celebrate the beginning of a new season with a festive evening of music, dinner, and community at Minnesota Opera’s World Premiere Gala. This one-night-only event welcomes opera lovers from far and wide to gather in support of the artists, creatives, and company that produce this one-of-a-kind art form. With a cocktail reception, a specially curated meal, awards, premium access to the season-opening world premiere of The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, and a lively after-party to close out the night, the evening offers an unforgettable experience for you and your guests – while securing a bright future for opera in Minnesota.

Secure your sponsorship by August 28.
Purchase your premium tickets by October 1.

Join us 60 minutes prior to each show for a free, fun, and informative half-hour session which includes an overview of the characters and music, historical and cultural context for the opera and highlights to watch for during the show. 
 
No cost or registration necessary. A ticket to the performance of The Many Deaths of Laila Starr is required to enter the Ordway.

Reincarnated. Resolute. Revolutionary.

When the goddess of Death is cast down to Earth to live as a mortal named Laila Starr, the boundaries between the divine and the human begin to blur in this vivid, transporting world premiere from Kamala Sankaram and Minita Gandhi. The Many Deaths of Laila Starr was commissioned and developed through Minnesota Opera’s New Works Initiative, adapted from the acclaimed graphic novel by Ram V and Filipe Andrade. Infused with elements of Konnakol, Raga, and EDM, this fantasy on purpose and impermanence unfolds with both kinetic energy and striking clarity, as a god made mortal begins to see the world—and life itself—through fresh eyes.

Sung in English with English captions projected above the stage.

Who was Florence Price, beyond the music?

Following its acclaimed world premiere at Minnesota Opera in January 2026, My Name is Florence returns for two special encore concert performances featuring the full original cast, MN Opera Orchestra, and MN Opera Chorus. Experience this beautiful and moving new work in the Ordway Concert Hall. The performances will be captured live and produced by Lexicon Classics.

Composer Dominick Argento co-founded the Center Opera Company in 1963, now known as Minnesota Opera. 2027 is the centenary of his birth and Minnesota Opera celebrates his music and legacy.

Mezzo-soprano Abi Levis and pianist Peter Walsh will perform Argento’s timely and hilarious Miss Manners on Music, alongside the virtuosic cycle Casa Guidi. They will also perform a set of French songs by Gounod, Poulenc, and Bizet, and a set of English songs by Bolcom, Barab, Berg, and New Works Initiative composer B.E. Boykin.

Minnesota Opera continues to celebrate the music of Dominick Argento at the centenary of his birth and his legacy both as a co-founder of the Center Opera Company in 1963, now known as Minnesota Opera, and educator for the next generation of composers.

A prolific composer in his own right, Argento’s musical influence extends beyond his own works to those of his students, many of whom also chose to make Minnesota their home. Led by Chorus Director Celeste Marie Johnson, the Minnesota Opera Chorus celebrates their compositions alongside Argento’s, featuring music by Libby Larsen, David Evan Thomas, Juliana Hall, and Stephen Paulus. Many of the poets on the program are also native Minnesotans, and their words help paint the landscape that holds a unique place in these composers’ hearts.

Join us 60 minutes prior to each show for a free, fun, and informative half-hour session which includes an overview of the characters and music, historical and cultural context for the opera and highlights to watch for during the show. 
 
No cost or registration necessary. A ticket to the performance of Ariodante is required to enter the Ordway.

Jealousy. Treachery. True love put to the test.

Prince Ariodante is set to marry his beloved Ginevra until scheming rivals threaten their joy. Deceptions abound and honor is called into question—will betrayal and shame consume the happy couple, or will truth and love prevail? From aching, heart-rending laments to dazzling displays of vocal virtuosity, Handel’s score traces a journey from devotion to heartbreak and back again.

Sung in Italian with English captions projected above the stage.

Baritone Octavio Moreno (Cruzar la Cara de la Luna) will perform a specially curated concert of songs by Carlos Guastavino and María Grever with Mario Antonio Marra (Head of Music, Director of Resident Artist Program) at the piano.

Argentine composer Carlos Guastavino wrote around 150 songs for voice and piano, each reflecting his love of popular musical idioms and folksong and dances. While he wrote instrumental music extensively, singers in particular were drawn to his melodic writing and the heart so readily accessible in his music.

Mexican composer María Grever wrote over 800 songs, many of which became popular in both Latin America and the United States, and many of which marry her love of American jazz with Mexico’s rich musical traditions. Her 1934 hit “Cuando vuelva a tu lado” (later transliterated to “What a difference a day makes”) enshrined her artistic legacy and her compositions have been performed by vocal legends ranging from Enrico Caruso and Frank Sinatra to Aretha Franklin and Gloria Estefan.

Sopranos Alicia Gianni & Kelley Kimball reunite with pianist and Minnesota Opera VP, Artistic Joseph Li for an evening of jazz and cabaret songs for the final MNOP+ concert of the 2026-2027 season, singing everything from original tunes by Alicia Gianni to beloved standards by Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and many others.

Joseph Li first met sopranos Alicia Gianni and Kelley Kimball as professional opera singers in Houston, TX – only later to discover a decades-long bond over applying their years of classical training to performing dozens of jazz and cabaret music concerts together at venues ranging from Houston Grand Opera and MATCH Houston to Sugar Hill Studios and Ovations Nightclub.

Join us 60 minutes prior to each show for a free, fun, and informative half-hour session which includes an overview of the characters and music, historical and cultural context for the opera and highlights to watch for during the show. 
 
No cost or registration necessary. A ticket to the performance of Falstaff is required to enter the Ordway.

Everything in the world is a jest.

Enter Sir John Falstaff, whose predilections toward excess lead him into the delusional pursuit of not one, but two married women. Thus ensues a tangled web of plots and counterplots, full of hilarious misunderstandings, as more and more parties are swept into the pandemonium. A cinematic score from an operatic legend imbues this feel-good comedy with warmth and buoyancy.

Sung in Italian with English captions projected above the stage.

Subscription dates: May 8, 9, 13, & 15, 2027