Juilliard Opera Presents Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte

Wednesday, Oct 30, 2024
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New Production Conducted by Patrick Furrer in His Juilliard Opera Debut and Directed by Mo Zhou

Three Performances: November 18, 21, and 23

NEW YORK, October 30, 2024—Juilliard Opera presents Mozart’s Così fan tutte on November 18, 21, and 23 at Juilliard’s Peter Jay Sharp Theater. Mo Zhou, who was a Juilliard Marcus Institute Opera Directing Fellow, sets this new production of Mozart’s classic opera buffa in bohemian San Francisco in the late 1960s. Conductor Patrick Furrer, a member of the Metropolitan Opera’s music staff, makes his debut leading the Juilliard Orchestra. The opera, sung in Italian with English supertitles, is presented without chorus.

Così fan tutte, one of Mozart’s most beloved operas, is a favorite of audiences and also classic repertoire for students. Zhou’s powerful new production brings a relevant new take on Mozart’s comedy with a new ending addressing the original libretto’s antifeminist perspective. Così fan tutte is frequently performed on stages around the world; Juilliard last mounted the opera in 2019.  

“In this reimagined production of Così fan tutte, set against the backdrop of 1967 San Francisco during the Summer of Love, we reframe the opera as a coming-of-age journey for four young lovers,” Zhou says. “Collaborating with Juilliard students, I’ve aimed to bring a fresh lens to the problematic classical canon, emphasizing the humanity at the heart of the story while infusing it with social awareness. This production empowers young performing artists to connect deeply with their audience, embodying their roles as both artists and engaged citizens.”

Performances take place on Monday, November 18, and Thursday, November 21, both at 7:30pm; and Saturday, November 23, at 2 pm. The November 23 performance will be livestreamed and available to view at juilliard.edu/calendar via Juilliard LIVE, the school’s free digital platform, which provides access to performance livestreams and programming from across the music, dance, drama, and preparatory divisions.

Tickets are $50 (Members: $25) and are available at juilliard.edu or the Juilliard box office.  

Please refer to juilliard.edu/calendar for the most up-to-date livestream schedule and performance details.

Program Details 

Juilliard’s Peter Jay Sharp Theater, 60 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023

Monday, November 18 | 7:30pm
Thursday, November 21 | 7:30pm 
Saturday, November 23 | 2pm*  

Juilliard Orchestra 
Patrick Furrer, Conductor
Mo Zhou, Director
Sung in Italian with English supertitles

Creative Team
Scenic Designer: Charlie Corcoran
Costume Designer: Andrea Hood
Lighting Designer: Marie Yokoyama

*The November 23 performance will be livestreamed at juilliard.edu/calendar. Juilliard LIVE is available on a web browser or on a TV, tablet, or smartphone through the Apple iOS, Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV apps.

Juilliard’s Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts was established in 2010 by the generous support of Ellen and James S. Marcus.

This production is partially sponsored by Sarah Billinghurst Solomon.

Juilliard’s lead digital sponsor is Bloomberg Philanthropies.

About the Artists

Patrick Furrer
Born and raised in Switzerland, Patrick Furrer studied piano in Zurich and conducting in Bern, Vienna, and Aspen. He started his career at the Theater Basel as a répétiteur and conductor, working in many productions. At various opera houses, he has led numerous new productions, including Hansel and Gretel, Un ballo in maschera, Romeo and Juliet, The Merry Wives of Windsor, L’elisir d’Amore, Don Giovanni, Die Fledermaus, Béatrice et Bénédict, and La bohème. He has worked at the Salzburg Festival as well as at San Francisco Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago. Furrer has been a member of the Metropolitan Opera’s music staff since 2011, conducting performances of The Magic Flute, Lohengrin, and Don Carlos, the latter also as part of the Met’s Live in HD series.

Mo Zhou
Chinese-born stage director Mo Zhou is a visionary force in opera and theater, celebrated for her innovative and dynamic productions that transcend traditional boundaries. As a faculty member at the University of Michigan, she revitalizes the classical canon while championing cutting-edge projects. Her work has graced stages worldwide, including Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Elbphilharmonie, and the National Centre for the Performing Arts in China. The 2024–25 season showcases her versatility and ingenuity with several company debuts. These include directing the Butler Studio Showcase at Houston Grand Opera, reviving her acclaimed Madama Butterfly with Florentine Opera and Kentucky Opera, directing Così fan tutte at Juilliard and La bohème at Arizona Opera, and returning to Virginia Opera for another new production of Così fan tutte. She will also make her Canadian directing debut with a new Madama Butterfly at Vancouver Opera in April 2025.

An advocate for young talent, Zhou has taught at the University of Michigan and the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory and has served as guest dramatic faculty at programs including the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Butler Studio at Houston Grand Opera, and Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. Zhou received her training at Juilliard, Merola Opera Program, Wolf Trap Opera, and Glimmerglass Festival. She has also worked on the directing staff at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, and Dallas Opera. Zhou holds a master’s in stage directing from Columbia University, where she studied under Anne Bogart, and a bachelor’s in English and theater from Bowdoin College.

About the Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts
One of America’s most prestigious programs for educating singers, Juilliard’s Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts offers young artists programs tailored to their talents and needs. From bachelor and master of music degrees to an advanced Artist Diploma in Opera Studies, Juilliard provides frequent performance opportunities featuring singers in its own recital halls, on Lincoln Center’s stages, and around New York City. Juilliard Opera has presented numerous premieres of new operas as well as works from the standard repertoire. 

Juilliard graduates can be heard in opera houses and concert halls throughout the world; alumni artists include such well-known performers as Simon Estes, Renée Fleming, Leontyne Price, Risë Stevens, Tatiana Troyanos, and Shirley Verrett. Recent alumni include Paul Appleby, Julia Bullock, Sasha Cooke, Isabel Leonard, Erin Morley, and Susanna Phillips.

About The Juilliard School
Founded in 1905, The Juilliard School is a world leader in performing arts education. The school’s mission is to provide the highest caliber of artistic education for gifted musicians, dancers, and actors, composers, choreographers, and playwrights from around the world so that they may achieve their fullest potential as artists, leaders, and global citizens. Juilliard is led by Damian Woetzel, seventh president of the school, who has prioritized affordability and access to the highest level of artistic education while championing Juilliard’s tradition of excellence.

Located at Lincoln Center in New York City, Juilliard offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, drama (acting and playwriting), and music (classical, jazz, historical performance, and vocal arts). More than 800 artists from 42 states and 50 countries and regions are enrolled in Juilliard’s College Division, where they appear in more than 800 annual performances in the school’s five theaters; at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully and David Geffen halls and at Carnegie Hall; as well as at other venues around New York City, the U.S., and the world. The continuum of learning at Juilliard also includes nearly 400 students from elementary through high school enrolled in the Preparatory Division—Pre-College and Music Advancement Program (MAP); MAP serves students from diverse backgrounds often underrepresented in the classical music field. More than 1,200 students are enrolled in Juilliard Extension, the flagship continuing education program taught both in person and remotely by a dedicated faculty of performers, creators, and scholars. Beyond its New York campus, Juilliard is defining new directions in performing arts education for a range of learners and enthusiasts through a global K–12 educational curricula and preparatory and graduate studies at The Tianjin Juilliard School in China.

juilliard.edu @juilliardschool  

CONTACTS:  
Allegra Thoresen 
[email protected]

Photo by: Richard Termine, courtesy Juilliard 
Juilliard Opera: Otto Nicolai’s Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor (The Merry Wives of Windsor)   

 

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