Curtis Opera Theatre

Through imaginative productions, bold concepts, and absorbing theater, the artists of the Curtis Opera Theatre prepare to become stars of the world stage. The combination of key elements of artistry—music, acting, singing, and costumes—allows these student-artists to create a lasting connection with audiences. 

L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato

Inspired by the poetry of 17th-century English writer John Milton, author of the epic Paradise Lost, Handel’s magnificent pastoral ode, L’Allegroil Penseroso ed il Moderato (The Cheerful Man, the Thoughtful Man, and the Moderate Man), launches the Curtis Opera Theatre season at the Philadelphia Film Center with a stunning theatrical oratorio led by conductor Nic McGegan and acclaimed director Chas Rader-Shieber. 

Les Mamelles de Tirésias & The Seven Deadly Sins

The Curtis Opera Theatre’s exciting season continues with a double bill featuring Francis Poulenc’s outrageously funny farce, Les Mamelles de Tirésias, alongside Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s darkly satirical “ballet chanté,” The Seven Deadly Sins, at the Philadelphia Film Center.

The Cunning Little Vixen

The Curtis Opera Theatre’s 2023–24 season concludes with Janáček’s masterpiece, The Cunning Little Vixen, one of the most powerful operatic works of the 20th century.

Special Thanks

The Curtis Opera Theatre is generously supported by the Ernestine Bacon Cairns Trust, the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, and the Wyncote Foundation.