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 sheet reads like a study in contrasts: a soprano fresh off Vienna State Opera stages next to performers the company grew from scratch. That’s kind of the point. Across three productions, the company is leaning hard into a formula that’s worked for it before: put international names next to its own Herndon Foundation Emerging Artists and let the results speak for themselves.
“This season will feature the thrilling Virginia Opera mainstage debuts of several internationally acclaimed artists while also showcasing the exceptional up-and-coming talent represented by our Herndon Foundation Emerging Artists,” said Adam Turner, the company’s artistic director and chief conductor. “Grandeur and spectacle, a family-friendly fairytale, and a high-stakes emotional rollercoaster — audiences will experience world-class performances from some of the finest singers in opera today.”
The season runs across the company’s usual three homes: the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk, the Carpenter Theatre at Richmond’s Dominion Energy Center, and the Center for the Arts at George Mason University in Fairfax.