News & Reviews

RVAhub.com August 13, 2026 Trevor Dickerson New season pairs Met and Vienna State Opera veterans with the company’s own homegrown talent across Pagliacci, Hansel and Gretel and Turandot. Virginia Opera has locked in the singers for its 2026-27 season, and the casting...

OperaWire.com July 17, 2026 David Salazar Virginia  Opera has announced its 2026-2027 class of Herndon Foundation Emerging Artists. This year, the program welcomed nine singers and collaborative pianist Oleg Bellini for a season of performances and mentorship....

Operawire.com Sabrina Matthews March 24, 2026 Those accustomed to the grandeur of larger houses like the Metropolitan Opera might approach a performance at the Virginia Opera with moderated expectations, but the company proves such caution unnecessary. While the scale...

OperaWire.com Sabrina Matthews May 24, 2026 Those accustomed to the grandeur of larger houses like the Metropolitan Opera might approach a performance at the Virginia Opera with moderated expectations, but the company proves such caution unnecessary. While the scale...

The Virginian-Pilot Page Laws March 19, 2026 Now looming large at our own Virginia Opera, "Aida" is grand opera with an equally monumental history: in its origins, its past performances and its theatrical punch. This particular "Aida" is large and grand in a new,...

VPM Mike Goldberg March 18, 2026 Virginia Opera is back in Richmond with their final production of the 2025-26 season. It's the ever popular "Aida" by Giuseppe Verdi. "Forbidden love ignites between an Ethiopian princess and an Egyptian general as their nations clash...

VPM.org Mike Goldberg March 18, 2026 Virginia Opera is back in Richmond with their final production of the 2025-26 season. It's the ever popular "Aida" by Giuseppe Verdi. "Forbidden love ignites between an Ethiopian princess and an Egyptian general as their nations...

March 12, 2026 Nick Broadway WAVY.com NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Through countless hours of practice and prep work, Virginia Opera got ready to show Aida. Then the COVID pandemic happened, shutting it down in March 2020. Six years later, they are finally bringing opening...

March 6, 2026 Coast Live WTKR.com NORFOLK, Va. — Singers Deborah Nansteel and Grant Youngblood join Coast Live to discuss Virginia Opera's production of "Aida," bringing the timeless Egyptian tragic romance to life with a stunning rendition of Verdi's grand spectacle....

CoastalVirginiaMag.com By Chelsea Sherman March 1, 2026 From a young age, new Virginia Opera director of development Jacquelyn VandenPlas was enthralled with music and the arts. “I’ve always been in love with music,” VandenPlas said. “When I was about 5 years old, my...