Our popular Opera Insight Series events are presentations on a variety of topics related to our operas and programming.
Featuring renowned guest speakers who are well-versed in their topic of discussion, each Opera Insight event aims to provide audiences with a larger depth and breadth of knowledge about a production.
Don’t wait to reserve your seat! Space is limited, and these events do sell out. Registration closes 24 hours before the event. If you would like to register after this time, please email vmangum@annapolisopera.org.
Speaker: Craig Kier, Artistic and Music Director
Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Maryland Hall, Room 308 | 801 Chase Street, Annapolis, MD
This event is FREE to attend; pre-registration is required. Space is limited.
Premiered on December 31, 1879 in New York City, The Pirates of Penzance was an instant hit. After its April 1880 London debut, Gilbert and Sullivan’s seminal work enjoyed some 363 performances at the Opera Comique alone! They created fourteen operas together during their 25 year-long collaboration, but this one remains one of the most popular of their famed collaboration. Join Maestro Kier as he explores what makes this opera, as one critic present for the premiere called, “a brilliant and complete success.”
Speaker: Jack Marshall, Founder, The Georgetown Gilbert & Sullivan Society
Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Maryland Hall, Room 308 | 801 Chase Street, Annapolis, MD
This event is FREE to attend; pre-registration is required. Space is limited.
From Pirates, which premiered in the U.S., to Patience and the remarkable popularity of the “Savoy Operas,” this presentation explores the surprising and far-reaching influence these works have had on American musical comedy, Mad Magazine, and American culture as a whole. Discover why the “Savoy Operas” are an important part of our cultural history—and some of the unexpected places their influence can still be found. (Did you know that John Wayne sang “Tit Willow” in his final film, The Shootist?)
Speaker: Nicole Steinberg, Ph. D.
Friday, October 30, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 2 PM – SOLD OUT
Maryland Hall, Room 308 | 801 Chase Street, Annapolis, MD
This event is FREE to attend; pre-registration is required. Space is limited.
How did Gilbert and Sullivan’s signature blend of memorable tunes and razor-sharp satire become one of the defining entertainments of the late nineteenth century? While both celebrating and mocking the conventions of grand opera, The Pirates of Penzance helped established operetta as the defining musical language of Victorian comedy. In this lecture, we’ll examine how operetta continues to delight audiences over a century after its golden age.
Speaker: Nicole Steinberg, Ph. D.
Friday, March 19, 2027 at 6:30 PM
Sunday, March 21, 2027 at 2 PM
Maryland Hall, Room 205 | 801 Chase Street, Annapolis, MD
This event is FREE to attend; pre-registration is required. Space is limited.
Composed in 1851, Rigoletto marks a pivotal point in Verdi’s career, preserving the vocal elegance of the bel canto tradition while embracing a new commitment to psychological realism and dramatic expression. This lecture explores how Verdi expanded the expressive capabilities of his operatic heroines, beginning with Rigoletto’s daughter Gilda, laying the groundwork for the great heroines that define his later works.
Speaker: Craig Kier, Artistic and Music Director
Date & Time of event
Maryland Hall, Room 205 | 801 Chase Street, Annapolis, MD
This event is FREE to attend; pre-registration is required. Space is limited.
Info about the event.
Speaker: Craig Kier, Artistic and Music Director
Date & Time of event
Maryland Hall, Room 205 | 801 Chase Street, Annapolis, MD
This event is FREE to attend; pre-registration is required. Space is limited.
Info about the event.