Current Season

“Cinderella”: A Magical Operetta of Love and Transformation
Experience the enchanting tale of Cinderella (Cendrillon) reimagined as an operetta by French composer Pauline Viardot! This captivating work based on the same fairy tale that inspired Walt Disney and Hans Christian Anderson weaves a story of magic and love, with stunning music and breathtaking performances (including some musical surprises!) From the mischievous stepsisters to the charming prince and the magical fairy godmother, “Cinderella” offers a charming twist on the timeless story of dreams come true.  Sung in English. Don’t miss this musical masterpiece and fairy-tale fun! 

Opera Modesto presents “The Elixir of Love” by Donizetti, set in The Cowboy Capital of the World in the 1800’s.  The story follows Nemorino, a shy ranch hand in love with Adina, a tough, independent ranch owner. She’s more interested in Belcore, an arrogant but charming rodeo star. Desperate, Nemorino buys a “love potion” from the traveling snake oil salesman Dr. Dulcamara, hoping it will win her heart. As Nemorino signs up to be in the traveling rodeo, Adina finally notices his sincere, quiet charm. In the end, it’s Nemorino’s true character—not the potion—that wins her love. Love, comedy, beautiful music and the wild west all rolled into one, in this charming updated production.  In Italian with English supertitles. Saddle up for love and laughs!

Rusalka is a spellbinding Czech opera by Antonín Dvořák, based in part on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. It has many similarities with the Disney variation on the story, paired with a tragic ending. The story tells the tale of a water nymph who trades her ethereal voice for a human form to win the love of a prince. When her dream turns into rejection, betrayal and tragedy follow. The opera’s most unforgettable moment is the haunting aria “Song to the Moon”, where Rusalka pleads with the moon to carry her love to the prince.  With themes of forbidden love and sacrifice, paired with profoundly beautiful music, Rusalka is a dark fairy tale steeped in magic, longing, and tragedy.  In Czech with English supertitles.  Join us to experience a fateful love that awakens from the depths of a forest lake.

This concert combines vocal soloists and instrumentalists of all ages, as they celebrate the many cultural backgrounds in the great Central Valley and beyond, while telling personal stories about the relevance of the music and languages in their own lives.