National Philharmonic to Present 'Rienzi' at Strathmore

The National Philharmonic will present a one-time performance of Wagner’s Rienzi, a concert opera, featuring the rising dramatic tenor Issachah Savage at the Music Center at Strathmore, according to a news release.

Savage, a former Washington, D.C., resident of ten years, made his Metropolitan Opera debut last year under James Levine, and now returns to D.C., where he’ll perform under the baton of Music Director and Conductor Piotr Gajewski.

“This evening’s program is a rare treat for any opera lover,” says Gajweski, “as Rienzi has only been produced on American stages a handful of times in recent history.”

There hasn’t been a live local performance of Rienzi since a 1981 production at the Kennedy Center by the touring Opera Orchestra of New York.

Wagner’s opera is set in Rome and is based on Cola di Rienzi, a real life Italian politician who rose and fell from power in the 14th century.

The abridged, two-and-a-half-hour concert version of the opera will be performed with one intermission on Oct. 3. Ticket prices start at $29 and are free for youths from ages 7 to 17. Call or visit the Strathmore Box Office to reserve kids tickets at 703-370-1923 or click here.

The opera is being presented in partnership with the Wagner Society of Washington, D.C. They will host an in-depth discussion of Rienzi and its context within Wagner’s larger body of work, with John Edward Niles, program director of the American Wagner Project, and Maestro Piotr Gajewski on Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arts Club of Washington. Tickets are $25 and a reception will follow the program.

Photo contributed by the National Philharmonic.