Piedmont Opera Announces Distinguished Casts and Creative Teams for 50th Anniversary Opera Productions

Piedmont Opera Announces Distinguished Casts and Creative Teams for 50th Anniversary Opera Productions

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Piedmont Opera today announced the cast and creative teams for its landmark 50th Anniversary Season, featuring internationally acclaimed artists, rising stars, and outstanding North Carolina talent.

The milestone season opens with five-time Grammy Award-winning soprano Renée Fleming, who will lead Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts to Heal & Connect, a symposium exploring the powerful connection between music, creativity, and health, on September 18 from 5:00–6:30 p.m. at Hanes Auditorium on the campus of Salem Academy and College. Fleming returns the following evening, September 19 at 7:30 p.m., for her acclaimed live concert presentation, Voice of Nature—The Anthropocene. Renée Fleming events are sponsored by Novant Health, Flow, Salem Academy and College, The Kimpton Cardinal Hotel, WFDD and Windsor Jewelers.

The season's mainstage productions include the North Carolina premieres of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer's Another Sunrise and Before It All Goes Dark, alongside a vibrant and zany production of Rossini's The Barber of Seville, showcasing an exceptional roster of artists from across the country.

"These productions represent a broad direction forward for the company as we celebrate fifty years," said Joseph Mechavich, General Director and Principal Conductor of Piedmont Opera. "From Renée Fleming's exploration of music's remarkable ability to heal and connect us to the powerful storytelling of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer, this season brings audiences into conversation with some of the most influential artists working in opera today. We're especially honored that Jake and Gene will be with us throughout the production, participating in performances and special events, giving our community a rare opportunity to engage directly with two of America's most celebrated opera creators."

 Heggie and Scheer's Another Sunrise & Before It All Goes Dark November 12-22, 2026 | Hanesbrands Theatre

Making their North Carolina premieres, these two one-act operas by Grammy Award-winning composer Jake Heggie and Pulitzer Prize-winning librettist Gene Scheer examine memory, resilience, and the enduring legacy of the Holocaust through deeply personal stories.

The production will be conducted by Joseph Mechavich, whose distinguished career has included appearances with many of North America's leading opera companies. He is joined by stage director Tonya McKinny, an acclaimed director and educator known nationally for championing new works and fostering the next generation of opera artists. Acclaimed bass-baritone Ryan McKinny serves as projection designer, bringing his multidisciplinary artistic vision to this innovative production.

Jodi Burns performs the role of Krystyna Żywulska in Another Sunrise. A celebrated dramatic soprano and longtime member of the voice faculty at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Burns has earned acclaim for her performances of Wagner, Strauss, and contemporary American opera.

Baritone Keith Phares stars as Gerald "Mac" McDonald in Before It All Goes Dark. One of America's leading singing actors, Phares has performed principal roles with the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, San Francisco Opera, Dallas Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and many other major companies.

Mezzo-soprano Katherine Pracht portrays Misha, Sally, and Emil—three interconnected roles that showcase her exceptional dramatic and vocal versatility. Praised for her warm lyric voice and compelling stage presence, Pracht has appeared with leading companies including Opera Philadelphia, Chicago Opera Theater, Central City Opera, and Virginia Opera, and has performed as a soloist at both Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center.

This production is funded in part by the Tri-M Foundation.

Rossini's The Barber of Seville March 19 & 21, 2027 | High Point Theatre

Piedmont Opera concludes its anniversary season with a vibrant new production of Rossini's comic masterpiece, featuring a whimsical visual concept inspired by The Rabbit of Seville. Co-built with Charleston Opera Theater, the production is designed for future rental and continued life beyond its Piedmont Opera premiere.

The production is conducted by Joseph Mechavich and directed by Haley Stamats, whose imaginative productions have been seen at opera companies across the country. Chorus preparation is by Kelly Turner.

Baritone Eleomar Cuello stars as Figaro. A graduate of the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, Cuello has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Santa Fe Opera, and other leading companies. He is widely recognized for his charismatic stage presence and commanding performances in the bel canto and Verdi repertory.

Mezzo-soprano Emily Fons appears as Rosina. A winner of the prestigious Richard Tucker Career Grant, Fons has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, and many of the world's leading orchestras.

Tenor Andrew Morstein performs Count Almaviva. Praised for his elegant lyric tenor and stylistic command of the bel canto repertoire, Morstein has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Santa Fe Opera, and numerous leading American companies.

Bass-baritone Andrew Wilkowske sings Doctor Bartolo. Known equally for his comic timing and vocal versatility, Wilkowske enjoys an international career spanning opera, musical theater, and concert work, with appearances at major companies throughout North America and Europe.

Bass Adam Lau takes on the role of Don Basilio. Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a graduate of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, Lau has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, and many of the country's leading opera companies.

The role of the Notary will be performed by the winner of Piedmont Opera's annual Magnolia Ball Gala, Martha Lowry.

Season tickets for Piedmont Opera's 50th Anniversary, including performances by Renée Fleming, the Heggie/Scheer double bill and The Barber of Seville, are on sale now. For more information, visit PiedmontOperaAt50.org or call 336-725-7101.

Piedmont Opera receives operational support from the North Carolina Arts Council and The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

####