Critically acclaimed performers, rising stars, and Artist-in-Residence Kevin Burdette lead a summer of American stories

The Glimmerglass Festival today announced casting for its 2026 season (July 10–August 17), featuring a roster of artists celebrated by critics for their vocal excellence, dramatic insight, and musical intelligence. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, the Festival’s 2026 season explores America’s evolving identity through grand musical theater, opera classics, contemporary works and reinterpretations, and a major new regional collaboration.

Leading the season are Shereen Pimentel and Michael Adams, starring opposite one another as Laurey Williams and Curly McLain in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! — a pairing that brings together Pimentel’s radiant presence and vocal warmth with Adams’s charismatic baritone and connection to the Festival. In Madame Butterfly, internationally acclaimed soprano Eri Nakamura joins the Festival in one of her signature roles as Cio-Cio-San, joined by Eric Taylor, the 2024 winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, whose artistry has quickly marked him as a rising star. The season also includes Colin Aikins and Joseph Lattanzi, whose performances in Fellow Travelers have been praised for their emotional immediacy and dramatic clarity.

The Festival’s 2026 production of Così features a standout ensemble led by Amanda Batista, a recent graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s prestigious Lindemann Young Artist Development Program; Michelle Mariposa, winner of the 2025 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition; Travon Walker, a member of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Center; and 2026 Hupper Family Festival Artists Gregory Feldmann and Keely Futterer, artists earning national reputations for thier versatility and musical insight. They are joined by bass-baritone Kevin Burdette, who also serves as Artist-in-Residence for the 2026 season.

The jazz-infused satire Happy End stars Ana Karneža, winner of the 2024 Kurt Weill Foundation’s Lotte Lenya Competition, whose performances have been described as fearless, stylish, and vocally commanding. Happy End is presented as part of a historic new collaborative partnership between The Glimmerglass Festival, Opera Saratoga, Finger Lakes Opera, and the Seagle Festival, with performances touring to communities across New York State and Western Massachusetts, and presented in the Glimmerglass Pavilion.

“Glimmerglass is a place where you can experience performers at the very peak of their international game as well as meet the next generation of rising stars – singers you will see in the spotlight at the Met or on Broadway in years to come,” said Rob Ainsley, Artistic & General Director. “All of our casts this season are singers who understand that opera and musical theater are fundamentally about storytelling — about listening, responding, and connecting. These casts bring tremendous humanity and collaborative spirit to works that ask urgent questions about who we are as a nation and as individuals.”

Artist Highlights

Stage Icons in the Making

Making her Glimmerglass debut, Shereen Pimentel brings a breadth of experience in both musical theater and operatic storytelling to the role of Laurey Williams. Pimentel first gained national attention as Maria in the 2020 Broadway revival of West Side Story, earning an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical, and has since become known for a string of high-profile leading roles, including Eva Perón in Evita at American Repertory Theater and Shakespeare Theatre Company, Rapunzel in Into the Woods with New York City Center Encores!, and Guenevere in Camelot at The Muny. Critics have praised her work for its vocal richness and emotional immediacy, with The Washington Post calling her performance in Evita “gorgeously reinvigorated,” citing her “luscious voice and presence” as central to the production’s impact. Her portrayal of Laurey in Oklahoma! will bring that same combination of warmth, strength, and dramatic intelligence to one of American musical theater’s most iconic roles.

Internationally acclaimed Japanese soprano Eri Nakamura returns to one of her signature roles as Cio-Cio-San in Madame Butterfly for the 2026 Glimmerglass Festival. A graduate of the Royal Opera House’s prestigious Jette Parker Young Artist Programme, Nakamura has earned global recognition for her artistry across the world’s major opera houses, including the Royal Swedish Opera, English National Opera, and the New National Theatre, Tokyo. Her celebrated repertoire spans roles such as Musetta (La bohème), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Gilda (Rigoletto), Liù (Turandot), and Magda (La rondine), showcasing a versatile lyric soprano with luminous tone and dramatic intensity. Critics have noted her compelling stage presence and vocal assurance — in a semi-staged Madama Butterfly with The Hallé, reviewers praised her performance for its “superbly rounded, fulsome tone combined with an energetically animated dramatic performance,” with highlights including an “unbearably moving ‘Un bel dì vedremo.’”

A Perfect Pairing

Bringing emotional depth and dramatic nuance to Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce’s Fellow Travelers, Colin Aikins and Joseph Lattanzi lead the 2026 Glimmerglass Festival production with national tour performances that have drawn critical acclaim. Aikins, noted for his quiet power and emotional clarity, portrays Timothy Laughlin with sensitivity and intensity, while Lattanzi, praised for his vocally assured and dramatically compelling interpretations, embodies Hawkins Fuller with precision and heart. Together, they illuminate the opera’s poignant story of love and identity set during the 1950s “Lavender Scare,” creating performances that resonate long after the final note. Both artists have appeared in major national and international productions and are recognized for their ability to combine lyrical command with deeply human storytelling, making them ideal interpreters of this complex, timely work.

Welcoming “the Robin Williams of opera” as the 2026 Artist-in-Residence

A leading bass-baritone praised for his versatility and commanding stage presence, Kevin Burdette appears this season as Don Alfonso in Così and serves as the Festival’s 2026 Artist-in-Residence, and will cohost the annual Gala on April 21st in New York City, alongside Denyce Graves. As the 2026 Artist-in-Residence, Burdette will work closely with members of the Festival’s Resident Artists Program, an internationally recognized training program for emerging artists. The program provides training and performance experience for talented opera singers, musical theater singers and dancers, coaches and accompanists, conductors, and stage directors at the beginning of their professional careers.

“I am deeply moved to have been asked to serve as the 2026 Artist-in-Residence at The Glimmerglass Festival, an opera company that shaped who I am as an artist and as a person. I can think of no more meaningful way to return to this world-class company — this innovative company, this company that is deeply part of who I am — than in the capacity of working with the inspiring and top-tier Resident Artists. I look forward to investing in these talented artists, the future of our art form, helping to guide them, just as Glimmerglass guided me decades ago, to become the genesis of the stories they will tell throughout their careers — stories that will resonate with audiences, as they recognize their own uniqueness and commonalities taking shape on stage,” shared Burdette.

Celebrating the 2026 Hupper Family Festival artists

The Hupper Family Festival Artists program builds on Glimmerglass’s renowned Resident Artists Program by offering additional performance opportunities, exposure, and career support to artists at a pivotal point in their professional journey. In today’s rapidly changing arts landscape, many of the vital intermediate opportunities that once nurtured early-career artists have dwindled. Launched in 2025, the Hupper Family Festival Artists program is Glimmerglass’s bold response: a sustained, artist-centered initiative to keep talent thriving on our stages.

Each season, two singers are selected from among recent Resident Artist alumni to return to Glimmerglass in featured roles. The 2026 Hupper Family Festival Artists are Gregory Feldmann, featured as Guglielmo (Così) and Bill Cracker (Happy End), who continues to build a reputation for incisive musicality and dramatic clarity, and Keely Futterer, who appears as Despina (Così) and Mary Johnson (Fellow Travelers), bringing vocal agility and emotional nuance to two very different works. In addition to performing in two named roles each season, they receive a solo performance opportunity, participate in industry-facing events, including auditions for agents and presenting companies, and are highlighted in Glimmerglass media, marketing, and print publications.

Returning Favorites

A returning favorite at the Festival, Michael Adams brings his charismatic baritone and commanding stage presence to the 2026 season as Curly McLain in Oklahoma!. Adams last captivated Festival audiences in his memorable portrayal of Gaylord Ravenal in the 2019 Glimmerglass production of Show Boat. Critics praised his “creamy, gleaming baritone” and his ability to make the charming but flawed gambler utterly believable, contributing to what Opera Today called a “sterling production” of the classic musical. Praised by Opera News for “brandishing a beautiful, evenly produced, nicely ripe sound,” Adams has enjoyed an international career spanning major houses from the Metropolitan Opera to Théâtre de Genève and Deutsche Oper Berlin.

Also returning for the 2026 season is longtime favorite, baritone Troy Cook, continuing a relationship that has seen him acclaimed by critics and embraced by Glimmerglass audiences. Praised for both vocal authority and dramatic versatility, Cook has been singled out for his work at Glimmerglass in repertoire ranging from comedy to verismo. Opera Today lauded his 2024 Glimmerglass performances for his “seasoned, engaging” presence and “wide-ranging, burnished instrument,” while Classical Voice North America praised his “burnished baritone of ample power,” noting the dramatic weight and musical polish he brings to the stage.

The return of Adams and Cook underscores the Festival’s tradition of welcoming back artists who have become integral to the company’s artistic identity.

MAINSTAGE PRODUCTIONS – CASTING & CREATIVE TEAMS

OKLAHOMA!

Music by Richard Rodgers
Book & Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Based on the play “Green Grow the Lilacs” by Lynn Riggs

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s beloved musical returns to the Alice Busch Opera Theater in a bold new production directed by Francesca Zambello and conducted by James Lowe. Set on the cusp of statehood, Oklahoma! celebrates the dreams and complexities of settlers forging new lives on the frontier. This fresh staging evokes both the grandeur of the American landscape and the optimism of the artists who created the work as World War II raged. Oklahoma! is many things: a landmark of musical theater, a grand love story, and an invitation to reflect on the promise of America.

Performances | July 10, 12m, 18, 21m, 27m, and August 2m, 6, 8m, 13, 15

MADAME BUTTERFLY

Music by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Luigi Illica & Giuseppe Giacosa

Cio-Cio-San | Eri Nakamura
Lt. Pinkerton | Eric Taylor
Suzuki | Michelle Mariposa
Sharpless | Troy Cook

Francesca Zambello’s acclaimed 2014 production of Madame Butterfly returns to Glimmerglass, directed by Joshua Horowitz and conducted by Joseph Colaneri. This elegant, visually stunning staging presents a nuanced examination of the American presence in Japan and the cultural collision at the heart of Puccini’s timeless masterpiece.

Performances | July 11, 13m, 19m, 28m, 31, and August 3m, 8, 15m, 17m

COSÌ

Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte
English adaptation by Kelley Rourke

Mozart’s sparkling comedy about love, loyalty, and deception takes on new life in an American college setting. Featuring a new English translation by Kelley Rourke, this fresh adaptation directed by Eric Einhorn and conducted by Joseph Colaneri puts human nature to the test in an experiment that soon spins out of control — what happens when the game goes too far? With sharp humor and surprising twists, Così brings a contemporary edge to Mozart’s classic “school for lovers,” asking what women — and men — are really like.

Performances | July 17, 20m, 30, and August 1m, 9m, 11m, 14

FELLOW TRAVELERS

Music by Gregory Spears
Libretto by Greg Pierce

Set during the 1950s “Lavender Scare,” Fellow Travelers follows two men whose romantic involvement becomes a dangerous secret in an era of government surveillance and fear. Recognized as one of the most widely performed and talked-about new American operas of the past decade, Fellow Travelers is based on Thomas Mallon’s acclaimed novel (recently adapted as a CBS/Paramount+ limited series). This gripping opera blends political intrigue with a deeply human portrayal of love forged under pressure, with a storyline reminiscent of popular sensations Brokeback Mountain and Heated Rivalry — it is a poignant reminder of resilience and the fight to live authentically. Kevin Newbury’s acclaimed production comes to Glimmerglass under the baton of Kelly Kuo, last seen at the Festival conducting the 2024 production of Elizabeth Cree.

Based on the book by Thomas Mallon
National Tour Produced by Up Until Now Collective
Produced in collaboration with The Glimmerglass Festival

Performances | July 18m and August 1, 4m, 7, 10m, 16m

ROBIN HOOD

Music by Ben Moore
Libretto by Kelley Rourke

Sheriff | Noah Mond*
Scarlet | Lauren Torey*

Continuing Glimmerglass’s proud tradition of sharing opera for and with young people, the 2026 season will feature a new production of Robin Hood, which Francesca Zambello commissioned for the Festival and directed in 2017. When the law of the land is corrupt, what’s an honest citizen to do? In the absence of the King, the Sheriff has seized the country’s assets for himself and his cronies. Robin Hood is the unlikely leader of a band of ordinary folks doing their best to survive in the forest until just rule returns to the land. Thanks to generous sponsorship, tickets to the youth opera are free for children 12 and under.

Performances | August 2, 4, and 7m

HAPPY END

Music and Lyrics by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht
Book by Elisabeth Hauptmann

The Fly | Ana Karneža
Bill Cracker | Gregory Feldmann^

Religion and capitalism collide in this sharp, jazz-infused musical satire by Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, and Elisabeth Hauptmann. Banned after just two performances in 1929 Berlin, Happy End is a satire of big business and big religion set in a smoky speakeasy where gangsters do deals, and the Salvation Army saves souls. With an unforgettable score that includes “Bilbao Song,” “Mandalay Song,” and “Surabaya Johnny,” Happy End blazes with wit, grit, and dark glamour.

Happy End will be music directed by Artistic & General Director Rob Ainsley, and feature Ana Karneža, a Juilliard drama graduate who won the Kurt Weill Foundation’s Lotte Lenya Competition in 2024. The production will be directed by Mary Birnbaum, General & Artistic Director of Opera Saratoga, in collaboration with Glimmerglass Festival Dramaturg Kelley Rourke. Happy End is presented as part of a historic new collaborative partnership between The Glimmerglass Festival, Opera Saratoga, Finger Lakes Opera, and the Seagle Festival, with 11 performances touring to eight venues across New York State and Western Massachusetts, and presented in the Glimmerglass Pavilion.

Complete casting for Happy End, as well as a listing of all performance dates and venues, will be released at a later date.

Performances | July 28 & 31

* Member of the 2026 Resident Artists Program
^2026 Hupper Family Festival Artist

ABOUT THE 2026 SEASON

The 2026 Festival will feature a new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! directed by Francesca Zambello; Puccini, Illica, and Giacosa’s Madame Butterfly; Mozart and Da Ponte’s Così; Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce’s Fellow Travelers; and the youth opera Robin Hood by Ben Moore and Kelley Rourke. The season will also include special Pavilion events, including Vignettes: Ellis Island, a powerful song cycle inspired by real stories of early 20th-century immigrants, and Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s Happy End, presented as part of a new collaborative partnership with Opera Saratoga, Finger Lakes Opera, and the Seagle Festival. From the wide-open plains of America’s heartland to the political tensions of the 1950s, the season offers unique perspectives on what it means to build, question, and carry forward the American Dream.

The 2026 Glimmerglass Festival runs July 10 – August 17, 2026, in Cooperstown, New York. Ticket packages are on sale now, with single tickets available beginning January 26, 2026.

For tickets and more information, visit glimmerglass.org or call the Box Office at 607-547-2255.

ABOUT THE GLIMMERGLASS FESTIVAL

The Glimmerglass Festival is a summer destination in Upstate New York where audiences from across the country and the world experience world-class opera, musical theater, and cultural events in a beautiful, relaxing setting. Attracting over 25,000 people per summer, the Festival is a professional non-profit opera company dedicated to presenting four fully staged productions each year. Special performances, cabarets, concerts, and lectures throughout the season supplement these four productions. The company has a longstanding commitment to creating an inclusive, equitable, and diverse experience for all, including investing in the next generation of theater professionals and performers.

MISSION STATEMENT

Produce new, little-known, and familiar operas and musical theater in innovative productions; Provide professional training and performance opportunities for emerging artists and interns; Engage important artists who inspire the highest standards of achievement; Inspire dialogue around meaningful issues of the day through song and story; Collaborate with regional organizations, schools, and businesses to enhance life in Central New York.

The Glimmerglass Festival is made possible through the generosity of numerous organizations and individuals.

2026 Season Sponsors include Maurice and Carolyn Cunniffe, Elizabeth M. and Jean-Marie R. Eveillard, Ted Snowdon and Duffy Violante, New York State Council on the Arts, The Clark Foundation, The Pearce Foundation, Jacqueline B. Mars, and Denise Littlefield Sobel.

Additional support is provided by the Kurt Weill Foundation, The Savada-Stevenson Family, and Eugene and Jean Stark.

Posted in

Tickets

Festival

Your Visit

Company

Get Involved

Our Commitment to Community

The Glimmerglass Festival Announces Casting for Its 2026 Season