Glimmerglass Festival Announces

‘Sound of Music,’ ‘Don Giovanni’

As Part of Summer 2020 Season

COOPERSTOWN – “The Sound of Music” and Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” will lead the 2020 season of the Glimmerglass Festival, the opera company announced today.

The festival, which starts July 11, 2020, will also include Wagner’s Die Feen (The Fairies) and Handel’s Rinaldo. Selections for the season serve as a survey for the development of these famed creators, with the slate featuring formative operas from Wagner and Handel, as well as masterworks from Mozart and Rodgers & Hammerstein.

The Festival will also feature the world premiere of the youth opera “The Jungle Book” by Kamala Sankaram and Kelley Rourke, as well as a brand new adaptation of Mozart’s “Così fan tutte”. A compact, contemporary take on Mozart’s opera, Così? will upend the classic battle of the sexes, exposing and examining all manner of gender stereotypes. Così? will be presented with piano accompaniment in the Pavilion.

“The Glimmerglass Festival celebrates the ideals of ‘artistic citizenship,’” Artistic & General Director Francesca Zambello said. “I believe the arts can help us forge new connections and serve as a catalyst for dialogue. For the past decade we have focused on casting our shows in a way that reflects America today — with talented performers of all backgrounds. And in 2020, we also look forward to continuing our tradition of empowering female voices, with women directing all four shows and conducting two.”

The Festival welcomes Grammy Award-winner Isabel Leonard and William Burden as Artists in Residence for the 2020 season. Both artists will star in The Sound of Music, as well as provide mentorship for the Young Artists Program.

The season will run through August 25, 2020.