Arizona Opera Announces 2026/27 Season Featuring Comedy, Classics and New Works
PHOENIX & TUCSON (March 2, 2026) — Arizona Opera has announced its 2026/27 Season, a dynamic lineup that blends sharp-witted contemporary opera, beloved classics, family-friendly programming and a renewed commitment to artist development and new work.
The season includes four fully-staged productions — Derrick Wang’s Scalia/Ginsburg, Xavier Montsalvatge’s Spanish-language family opera El Gato con Botas (Puss in Boots), Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, and Giuseppe Verdi’s timeless masterpiece, La Traviata — along with the launch of a new Studio Series, a New Works Festival, the restoration of the Marion Roose Pullin Studio to a full season-long program, and its continued partnership with the Tucson Desert Song Festival, University of Arizona and Arizona State University.
“This season reflects everything Arizona Opera stands for right now — artistic excellence, collaboration, accessibility, and investment in the future of opera and our community,” said Brian DeMaris, General Director of Arizona Opera. “We’re telling great stories, connecting our community, welcoming new audiences and recommitting to the artists and programs that make this company a creative home.”
2026/27 Productions
SCALIA/GINSBURG
Music and Libretto by Derrick Wang
September 26 & 27 – Herberger Theater Center, Phoenix
October 3 & 4 – Leo Rich Theater, Tucson
Opening the season is Derrick Wang’s Scalia/Ginsburg, a sharp, hilarious, and unexpectedly moving operatic comedy inspired by the real-life friendship between Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Packed with legal citations, operatic references, and direct quotes from landmark opinions, the opera celebrates civility, intellectual rigor, and the idea that “we are different, we are one.”
Scalia/Ginsburg is presented with special arrangement by Consequent Music.
EL GATO CON BOTAS (PUSS IN BOOTS)
Music by Xavier Montsalvatge | Libretto by Néstor Luján
November 7 & 8 –The Roma and Raymond Wittcoff Black Box Theater, Phoenix
November 14 & 15 –Leo Rich Theater, Tucson
Perfect for families, El Gato con Botas is a one-act opera based on the classic Charles Perrault tale. Sung in Spanish and lasting approximately one hour, the opera features tuneful, energetic music infused with Spanish rhythms. Performed by Arizona Opera’s Marion Roose Pullin Studio Artists, this production offers an engaging and accessible introduction to opera for audiences of all ages.
Scalia/Ginsburg and El Gato con Botas are both offered as part of the McDougall Arizona Opera Fall Series.
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE
Music by Sir Arthur Sullivan | Libretto by W. S. Gilbert
January 30 & 31 – Symphony Hall, Phoenix
February 6 & 7 – The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, Tucson
Gilbert and Sullivan’s beloved operetta returns in this fast-paced, laugh-out-loud adventure filled with romance, satire, and iconic songs, including “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General.” With tender-hearted pirates, leap-year logic, and irresistible wordplay, The Pirates of Penzance remains a timeless crowd-pleaser.
The Pirates of Penzance is part of the Marlu Allan and Scott Stallard Family Series.
LA TRAVIATA
Music by Giuseppe Verdi | Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave
March 6 & 7 – Symphony Hall, Phoenix
March 13 & 14 – The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, Tucson
One of the most cherished operas ever written, La Traviata tells the heartbreaking story of Violetta Valéry, a woman torn between independence and love. Featuring some of the most recognizable and emotionally powerful music in the operatic canon, Verdi’s masterpiece has captivated audiences for more than 170 years.
La Traviata is made possible, in part, through generous support from Barbara D. Molotsky.
Expanding Programs and New Initiatives
Arizona Opera will also introduce new programming expansions during the 2026/27 Season.
Most significantly, the Marion Roose Pullin Studio will return to a full-season program in 2026/27, restoring a cornerstone of Arizona Opera’s commitment to developing the next generation of operatic artists. After operating as a half-season program for the past two years, the expanded Studio will once again provide emerging singers with a comprehensive, yearlong experience that includes performance opportunities, professional coaching, language and dramatic training and meaningful community engagement.
The return to a full season strengthens Arizona Opera’s artistic pipeline, deepens the company’s investment in early-career talent and reinforces its role as a vital training ground for artists launching national and international careers.
Additional programs and initiatives include a new Studio Series offering intimate performances and new opportunities to experience emerging artists, the return of the New Work Festival in April with performances in Phoenix and Tucson, as well as the annual Arizona Opera Gala and continued recital collaboration with Tucson Desert Song Festival.
“This season is about momentum,” DeMaris added. “We’re growing our programs, deepening our community partnerships, and creating space for new voices — while continuing to deliver the operas audiences know and love.”
Subscription renewals are available now. Additional details and ticket information will be announced in the coming months.
For more information, visit azopera.org.
ABOUT ARIZONA OPERA
Arizona Opera connects and inspires communities through artistically vibrant programs and productions that combine music, storytelling, and the human voice, creating inclusive, culturally relevant, and impactful experiences, while ensuring the financial sustainability of opera in our state. Since its inaugural year in 1971 as the Tucson Opera Company, Arizona Opera has produced more than 200 staged operas and concerts. The company's artistic history is rich with a blend of traditional works from the canon, as well as compelling works from the 20th and 21st centuries, and an array of high-impact educational and community engagement programs. For more information visit azopera.org.