Pre-Opera Talks

Perfect for newcomers, opera aficionados or anyone in between, our pre-opera talks provide an engaging 20-minute overview of the opera. Learn about the opera’s music, characters, composer and historical background from a music expert.

Live pre-opera talks occur 55 minutes prior to each performance. Audio recorded pre-opera talks can be found on the details page for each opera once they are available (usually the week of the opening).

Rigoletto opens September 5!

A man with curly hair in a suit is sitting in a chair next to a woman wearing a white blouse and gold skirt. They are holding up paper scripts.

2025–26 Season Pre-Opera Talks

Rigoletto (Sep 5–Sep 27)

Jessica Bejarano

Dead Man Walking (Sep 14-Sep 28)

Kip Cranna

Parsifal (Oct 25-Nov 13)

Peter Susskind

Beethoven & Falla (November 1)

Robert Hartwell

The Monkey King (Nov 14-Nov 30)

Sidney Chen

The Barber of Seville (May 28-Jun 21)

TBD

Elektra (Jun 7-Jun 27)

Anne Hegge

Fall 2025
Rigoletto, Jessica Bejarano (Sep 5-Sep 27)
Dead Man Walking, Kip Cranna (Sep 14-Sep 28)
Parsifal, Peter Susskind (Oct 25-Nov 13)
Beethoven 5 & Falla, Robert Hartwell (Nov 1)
The Monkey King, Sidney Chen (Nov 14–Nov 30)

Summer 2026
The Barber of Seville, TBD (May 28-Jun 21)
Elektra, Anne Hegge (Jun 7–Jun 25)

Previous Seasons

More PRE-OPERA TALKS