Opening Virginia Opera’s 2023-2024 season, Siegfried, part three of Richard Wagner’s legendary "Ring" cycle, performs at the Center for the Arts on October 7 and 8. Virginia Opera invites its audience to reenter the fantasy realm of gods and heroes on an epic quest for true love.
The most lighthearted of the four epic operas tells of Siegfried’s journey into adulthood with remarkable orchestral scene painting sprinkled with moments of humor. Beginning as the orphan grandson of Wotan, the king of the gods, Siegfried was raised by a dwarf named Mime. Siegfried re-forges his father’s shattered sword and sets off to reclaim the lost ring from Das Rheingold before embarking on a quest for the greatest prize of all—love. Infused with Wagner’s ingenious short musical themes (leitmotifs) to weave together the tale, this is a must-see event in Virginia Opera’s grand multi-year experience.
Siegfried will unite the award-winning team of October 2022’s production of The Valkyrie including stage director and projection designer Joachim Schamberger as well as scenic and costume designer Court Watson, also known for his work in 2022’s Three Decembers and La Bohème: Rodolfo Remembers in 2021. Additionally, Virginia Opera’s artistic director, Adam Turner, will return to conduct the production and be joined by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra.
Actors returning to reprise previous roles in the "Ring" Cycle include internationally acclaimed bass-baritone Kyle Albertson (reprising his role as The Wanderer [Wotan]; pictured left), mezzo-soprano Alexandra Loutsion (reprising her role as Brünnhilde), and bass Ricardo Lugo (reprising the role of Fafner). Baritone Joshua Jeremiah joins the cast as Alberich, having last been seen on the Center’s Stage in the spring 2023 production of Fellow Travelers. Lastly, this production welcomes the mainstage debuts of several fast-rising performers, including Cooper Nolan as Siegfried, Matthew Peña as Mime, Alissa Anderson as Erda, and Alicia Russell Tagert as A Woodbird.