From the ridiculous to the sublime. That’s one way of looking at Minnesota Opera’s 2025-26 season. What opens with a silly Mozart rom-com concludes with the backstage tragedy of Ruggero Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci.” In between, you can have your eyes and ears opened to the talents of a woman composer almost forgotten by history and a concert version of an early work by opera’s most popular composer, Giacomo Puccini.
Season tickets go on sale Tuesday for the company’s season, with all four presentations at St. Paul’s Ordway Music Theater. We chatted about what’s being planned with Minnesota Opera’s president and general director, Ryan Taylor.
‘Così fan tutte’
While many Mozart fans consider “The Magic Flute” the summit of his operatic output, the three comedies he created with librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte — “The Marriage of Figaro,” “Don Giovanni” and “Così fan tutte” — might be his consummate masterpieces. And, just as “Don Giovanni” is pretty darned problematic in its treatment of women, so is “Così fan tutte,“ in which two men are talked into a wager about fidelity.
But get this: Minnesota Opera is presenting a kind of “choose your own adventure” version of “Così fan tutte.”
“Many of our artists have noted how difficult the ending of ‘Così fan tutte’ is to interpret,” Taylor said. “Frequently, cast members, directors and producers all have different opinions about the way the story comes to a conclusion. We’ve decided to give control of the ending to the audience at each performance, using technology and a group of possible endings for them to choose from.” (Nov. 1-9)
‘My Name Is Florence’
If you’re not familiar with composer Florence Price, you should be. She was a barrier-breaking African American woman who had her works performed by major American orchestras in the first half of the 20th century (including premiering a piano concerto of her own with the Chicago Symphony). But the white-male-centric classical music industry seemed to have left her behind by the time a plethora of previously undiscovered works of hers was unearthed in 2009.
Minnesota Opera will premiere a new opera about Price’s life and work, with a score by B.E. Boykin and a libretto by Twin Cities-based playwright Harrison David Rivers. They’re part of a three-composer, three-librettist New Works Initiative cohort that will be creating new operas together over the next few seasons. Renée Richardson sings the title role. (Jan. 31-Feb. 8, 2026)
‘Edgar’
Minnesota Opera seems to be edging its way back toward a four-opera season, but we’ll call it three-and-a-half, for this presentation of Giacomo Puccini’s second opera is a concert performance.
