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The birthplace of American Opera...

Reborn.

The inaugural New Orleans Opera Festival will celebrate the city’s rich operatic history
while redefining its present, bringing opera out of the box and into the vibrant heart of
the French Quarter.

From ravishing, romantic Strauss to a spine-tingling, site-specific French drama,
From a Show Boat fantasia to a pilgrim’s passage through music and memory on foot,
And with daily public master classes and lectures,
The 2026 festival promises to enchant, enrich, and inspire.

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THE PERFORMANCES

Tuesday, March 24 / 7:30 pm
Thursday, March 26 / 7:30 pm
Saturday, March 28 / 2:30 pm
Tuesday, March 31 / 7:30 pm
Old Ursuline Convent Museum
Director: Valentina Ceschi

Conductor: Joshua Anand Slater

Paris, 1789: Fear reigns. Faith is tested. The guillotine looms. In a world turned upside down, the destiny of 16 sisters of the Carmelite Order hangs in the balance.

This powerful true story lives on stage in a site-specific production at the oldest building in Louisiana, the Ursuline Convent in the French Quarter.
Friday, March 27 / 7:30 pm
Sunday, March 29 / 2:30 pm
Mahalia Jackson Theater
Director: Melly Still

Conductor: David Neely
A sophisticated older woman, a romantic chevalier, and a blooming young girl converge in an impossible love triangle around a single silver rose, set to the dreamiest melodies in opera. Will the Marschallin relinquish her lover and sacrifice herself to the toll of passing time, or protect her own heart and doom a young woman to a dowry marriage?
Saturday, March 28
Riverboat city of new orleans
Showboat: a sailing concert fantasia on the historic City of New Orleans Riverboat as it steams at sunset on the currents of the Mississippi River.

"Ol' man river, he just keeps rollin' along..." Step aboard for an unforgettable evening as timeless music meets the magic of the Mississippi River. Presented on a dinner cruise along the Crescent City, Show Boat in Concert brings Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II’s legendary score to life against the backdrop of the waters that inspired it.
Wednesday, March 25
The Civic Theatre
Golda Schultz, soprano

Jonathan Ware, piano
South African soprano Golda Schultz is blessed with “one of the most golden rich-toned voices of her generation” (Opera). With Dark Matter(s), Schultz and pianist Jonathan Ware weave together Strauss, Brahms, and Clara Schumann, offering New Orleans audiences a chance to experience one of today’s most compelling vocal artists at the height of her artistry.
Wednesday, April 1
Secret French Quarter venue
to be announced prior to performance
In this immersive pairing, Carlisle Floyd’s Pilgrimage and Kaija Saariaho’s L’amour de loin intertwine, guiding listeners through an odyssey of longing and spiritual rebirth. This is more than a concert: it’s a journey through passion, faith, and the human spirit, all taking place at a secret location in the French Quarter. Please note: due to the historic nature of the venue, accessibility is limited.