Opera in the Park

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Andres Sanchez

Katerina Burton, left, and Joshua Sanders performing at Opera in the Park 2024.

Katerina Burton, left, and Joshua Sanders performing at Opera in the Park 2024.

The Madison arts community offers a smorgasbord of entertainment in the great outdoors during the summer months, and among the crown jewels is Madison Opera's Opera in the Park concert. A dynamic quartet of soloists — tenor Andrew Bidlack, soprano Renée Richardson, baritone Benjamin Taylor and mezzo-soprano Emily Treigle — join the Madison Symphony Orchestra and Madison Opera Chorus for a program including selections from Carmen, Madama Butterfly, West Side Story, and other classics. Fans will even have a chance to help conduct a song using light sticks! As always, the event is free, though a suggested donation supports future performances. Whether you're new to opera or a lifelong fan, this is a perfect way to experience Madison’s vibrant opera scene. Rain date is July 20.

media release: Madison Opera’s Opera in the Park returns on Saturday, July 19 at 8pm in Garner Park on Madison’s West Side. A Madison summer tradition since 2002, the free concert of opera and Broadway favorites draws audience members from across Wisconsin and beyond to pack a picnic, gather friends, and share a beautiful night of music under the stars.

Opera in the Park 2025 stars soprano Renée Richardson, mezzo-soprano Emily Treigle, tenor Andrew Bidlack and baritone Benjamin Taylor. Richardson and Treigle are making their Madison Opera debuts at the concert; Richardson will return to the company as Mimì in La Bohème in November, while Treigle will return as Despina in Così fan tutte next April. Bidlack debuted as Tamino in The Magic Flute with the company, and returns next February to sing Trout Shue in the world premiere of Everlasting Faint by Scott Gendel and Sandra Flores-Strand.

Taylor debuted with Madison Opera as Silvio in Pagliacci and sang Figaro in The Barber of Seville with the company last fall.

The four soloists are joined by the Madison Opera Chorus and Madison Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John DeMain. The evening is hosted by Madison Opera’s General Director Kathryn Smith and WKOW-TV’s evening anchor Brandon Taylor.

The repertoire at Opera in the Park 2025 spans centuries and continents, from Bizet to Bernstein. Madison Opera’s upcoming 25/26 season is highlighted with selections from Puccini’s beloved La Bohème; Everlasting Faint, a world premiere by Scott Gendel and Sandra Flores-Strand; and Mozart’s romantic comedy Così fan tutte. The program also features pieces from Carmen, Iolanta, La Favorite, Madama Butterfly, Fidelio, The Wizard of Oz, West Side Story, and more. As always, this spectacular evening will include one number conducted by the audience with light sticks.

• Parking is available in University Research Park lots.

• Attendees are encouraged to bring picnics, blankets, and chairs. Alcohol is permitted but not sold in the park.

• On the day of the concert, Garner Park will open at 7am. Audience members may not leave items in the park prior to this time.

Inclement Weather

Should Opera in the Park need to be postponed to Sunday, July 20 due to inclement weather, Madison Opera will make the decision by 5pm on Saturday, July 19. Any postponement will be announced on http://madisonopera.org and via all Madison Opera social media channels.

While Opera in the Park is free to attend, it would not be possible without the generous support of many foundations, corporations, and individuals who believe in the importance of music in the community. Madison Opera is grateful to the sponsors of Opera in the Park 2025:

• Sponsors: Full Compass, Vivian Ruth Brigham, Carla and Fernando Alvarado, Patricia and Stephen Lucas, Cyrena and Lee Pondrom, University Research Park, Raymond B. Preston Family Foundation, MGE Foundation, Evjue Foundation, Wisconsin Arts Board, and Madison Water Utility.

• Media Sponsors: WKOW-27, Wisconsin Public Radio, La Movida, Magic 98, Madison Magazine, and City Cast Madison.

RELATED EVENTS

Prelude Dinner at Opera in the Park | July 19, 2025 | 6pm

This annual fundraiser to benefit Opera in the Park helps support Madison Opera’s free gift to the community. The event includes dinner catered by Upstairs Downstairs, VIP seating at the concert, and a reception with the artists following the performance. Tickets are $185 per person or $1,425 for a table of eight. Reservation deadline is July 2, 2025. More information is available at https://www.madisonopera.org/prelude/

Madison Opera is a non-profit professional opera company based in Madison, Wisconsin. Founded in 1961, the company grew from a local workshop presenting community singers in English-language productions to a nationally-recognized organization producing diverse repertoire featuring leading American opera singers and emerging talent. A resident organization of the Overture Center for the Arts, Madison Opera presents three annual productions in addition to the free summer concert Opera in the Park and a host of educational programming.