Winter opera at Northwestern offers two rare operatic experiences
A seldom-seen college production of ‘Carmen’ and vocal master class with Diana Soviero
EVANSTON, Ill. --- Northwestern University Opera Theater stages George Bizet’s “Carmen,” a work seldom mounted at the university level due to its exceptional vocal and dramatic demands. The production presented by the Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music has just 4 performances at Cahn Auditorium Feb. 26 through March 1.
More than 150 years after its March 3, 1875 premiere at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, Bizet’s tale of passion, obsession and tragedy is considered to be one of the most iconic and challenging operas in the repertoire.
“Taking on an ‘opera war horse’ such as ‘Carmen’ is always a challenge for an opera program with young voices,” explains Bienen artist-in-residence and director of opera Joachim Schamberger. “We are excited that we currently have the right combination of singers to be able to present this iconic piece.”
Though Parisian critics initially dismissed the work, later productions in the United States and Europe sparked widespread acclaim. “Carmen” quickly became a cornerstone of opera houses worldwide. By 2011, the Metropolitan Opera alone had staged the work nearly 1,000 times, and its unforgettable melodies — including the “Habanera” and the “March of the Toreadors” — have permeated popular culture through film, television and advertising.
Two days after the final Northwestern performance of “Carmen,” on Tuesday, March 3, renowned lyric soprano Diana Soviero will offer a public master class for Bienen voice and opera students in the winter installment of the 2025-26 Tichio-Finnie Vocal Master Class Series.
Making early career debuts as Mimì in “La bohème” at the Chautauqua Opera and as Nedda in “I pagliacci” at the New York Opera, Soviero soon earned acclaim for her Puccini heroines, as well as her work in French repertoire. Since her retirement from the stage, Soviero has dedicated her time to teaching, giving lessons and master classes throughout the U.S.
Tickets for both events are available online, by phone at 847-467-4000 or by visiting the Bienen School Ticket Office at 50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston.
Program details follow:
Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 26 through 28, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 1, 3 p.m.
Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson St.
Joachim Schamberger, director
Patrick Furrer, conductor
Members of the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra
Tickets: $18 general public, $8 students
Love, jealousy and tragedy collide as Don José turns his back on his childhood sweetheart and his military career to pursue the attentions of the fiery, free-spirited Carmen. When the popular, yet boastful toreador Escamillo arrives and sets his sights on Carmen, José finds he must compete for her affection. (Performed in French with English supertitles.)
Tuesday, March 3, 7 p.m.
Galvin Recital Hall, 70 Arts Circle Drive
Abigail Arnold, soprano
Ruoxuan Nola Tan, mezzo-soprano
Erik DeMario and Alec Fore, tenor
Brent Funderburk, piano
Tickets: $10 general public, $5 students
In this master class, soprano Diana Soviero coaches accomplished Bienen voice and opera program students in arias and art songs. Soviero has created numerous operatic portraits over the course of her career. Performing at the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden and the Opéra national de Paris, she held starring roles in such operas as “La bohème,” “Turandot,” “Faust,” “Roméo et Juliette” and “Manon.” Her final stage appearance was in the role of Mrs. De Rocher in Jake Heggie’s “Dead Man Walking” at the Baltimore Opera. Now a dedicated teacher, she coaches many of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artists and gives master classes with Glimmerglass Opera, Opéra Montréal, the Curtis Institute and the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music.