On July 30, 2026, Merola Opera Program will continue their 2026 Summer Festival with a fully-staged production of Richard Strauss’ ‘Ariadne auf Naxos.’
Running for two performances, the production will be conducted by Ann-Katrin Stöcker, with stage direction by program alum Omer Ben Seadia. The cast will feature soprano Adia Evans in the title role, Emilie Kealani as Zerbinetta, mezzo Theo Claveles as The Composer, with Matthew Sink appearing as The Tenor and the god Bacchus.
“’Ariadne auf Naxos’ offers a rare balance of emotional depth and sharp theatrical wit, and this Merola production brings that duality vividly to life,” said Stöcker and Ben Seadia in a press release. “Working with these emerging artists, we’ve been able to explore the opera’s constant tension between sincerity and performance, heartbreak and humor, in a way that feels both immediate and deeply human. What’s especially exciting is watching the artists step into a work that demands such vocal agility and dramatic awareness while still finding their own individual voices within it. The result is a production that feels alive to the present moment while honoring the sophistication and complexity at the heart of the score.”