Saturday, July 18
| 6:30PM
Festival Napa Valley Stage at Charles Krug
2800 Main Street | St. Helena
Commissioned for Festival Napa Valley's 20th Anniversary Season, The Judgment of Paris is a one-act opera by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer, inspired by the legendary 1976 blind tasting that transformed the world of wine.
Blending myth with modern history, the opera brings Bacchus and Venus from Olympus to 1970s Paris and Napa Valley, where they encounter the visionary vintners who dared to defy tradition -- sparking a cultural turning point that reshaped both wine and art.
The production features an exceptional cast led by soprano Danielle De Niese, baritone Quinn Kelsey, tenor Nicholas Phan, and mezzo-sopranos Simone McIntosh and Brenda Rae. They are joined by the Manetti Shrem Opera Program Fellows and the Festival Orchestra Napa under the baton of Kent Nagano, with stage direction by Jean-Romain Vesperini.
Elevate your Festival experience with The Judgment of Paris Opera Tasting, a celebration of Napa Valley wines. Enjoy a pre-performance glass of Charles Krug and a curated charcuterie box. After the premiere, join a celebratory reception featuring a tasting of wines from Chateau Montelena and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, the wineries awarded top honors at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, along with special selections from Bouchaine Vineyards.
Choose the performance ticket price that feels right for you.
Add on the The Judgment of Paris Opera Tasting Experience for $85 per person ($70 for members).
Performers
Soprano Danielle de Niese is a multi-faceted artist, known for her superb stagecraft, assured singing, and powerful communication. She regularly appears on the world’s most prestigious opera and concert stages and is a prolific recording artist, television personality, and philanthropist, passionate about music education and children’s rights.
Baritone Quinn Kelsey is known for his commanding stage presence, emotional depth, and rich, velvety voice. Central to Kelsey’s artistic identity is his portrayal of the title role in Rigoletto, which he has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages.
American tenor Nicholas Phan is increasingly recognized as an artist of distinction, performing a diverse repertoire that spans nearly 500 years of music. Phan appears regularly with the world’s leading orchestras and opera companies, and he is a passionate advocate for art song and vocal chamber music.
Swiss-Canadian mezzo-soprano Simone McIntosh is a graduate of the Adler Fellowship Program with San Francisco Opera and the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio. She was a member of Opernhaus Zürich’s International Opera Studio and was a Song Prize Finalist at the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 2023.
American soprano Brenda Rae melds high-flying vocal pyrotechnics with keen emotional commitment, creating memorable detailed characters and irresistibly engaging performances. Praised by Opera Magazine as “virtuosic and sensual, capable of both power and nuance,” Brenda continues to triumph on the world’s leading stages in an eclectic portfolio of principal roles.
Kent Nagano is considered one of today’s outstanding conductors for both operatic and orchestral repertoire. He will be the next Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España in Madrid in September 2026 and is the newly appointed Principal Artistic Partner of Filarmonica Toscanini.
Jean-Romain Vesperini is a widely acclaimed artistic director and producer of operatic performances on stages from La Scala to Paris, from The Bolshoi to Monte Carlo. A trained baritone, he is deeply connected to music, with a unique awareness of what a score brings to dramaturgy.
Festival Orchestra NAPA is an all-star ensemble of musicians from major international orchestras and faculty from renowned institutions, together with participants from the Frost School at Festival Napa Valley's Blackburn Music Academy. As the central ensemble, the orchestra interacts with nearly every program the festival provides.
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