After a yearlong celebration of its 90th anniversary season, the Academy of Vocal Arts plans an upcoming lineup of fully-staged productions that offer local opera lovers the chance to see and hear well-conceived and well-performed mountings of the standard repertoire — with a twist.

AVA President Scott Guzielek explained that the choices of repertoire were determined by AVA’s principal function — that of a professional-level school preparing its graduates to enter immediately into the professional world of opera singing. Standard repertoire with traditional productions are the rules — and have made AVA the premiere producer of successful young opera singers, but in an unusual move in the upcoming season, along with the usual suspects, the company will perform a rarely-produced opera.

Guzielek reported that the school, which offers students a course of study that is tuition free, is in tip-top shape. “Our fundraising was on target,” Guzielek said. “We reached 99 percent of our ticket-sale goals, and we’ve launched a new five-year plan. As of right now, we have 22 vocalists for the season, but there’s a chance of one or two more also coming on.”

Currently, the company includes six sopranos, five mezzos, four tenors and five bass-baritones. “It’s important that we have the right balance of vocal ranges in order to cast the operas we’ve chosen to present over the season,” Guzielek said. “We aim to have two leads for each of our vocal artists. The majority this year are Americans.”

‘The Marriage of Figaro’

The season opens with one of the repertoire’s most acclaimed and beloved operas, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Le nozze di Figaro” (The Marriage of Figaro). The opera is set to a libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte which is based on the second of Pierre-Augustin Beaumarchais’ “Figaro” plays. Mozart’s work combines slapstick comedy, pointed political and social satire, and emotional revelation in a near-perfect mix that is projected through some of the most beautiful vocal and instrumental music ever penned. For me, it’s the greatest opera of them all.

AVA’s production of “The Marriage of Figaro” will be presented Nov. 8 through Dec. 2.

‘Capriccio’

Next on the roster is Richard Strauss’ rarely heard “Capriccio,” Jan. 17-25, 2026. Due to the overwhelming size of Strauss’ orchestra, AVA will present the work with piano accompaniment performed by Luke Housner.

‘I Capuleti e i Montecchi’

AVA will dive into the world of “bel canto” opera with a fully-staged and orchestrally accompanied mounting of Vincenzo Bellini’s even less frequently staged “I Capuleti e i Montecchi,” the Italian language version of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

The operas of Bellini, along with those of his Italian compatriot Gaetano Donizetti, feature unsurpassed “coloratura” vocal writing that gives mostly the sopranos the opportunity to display their dazzling techniques — that is, of course, if they have them. The late Greek American soprano Maria Callas, played a major part in reviving these scores, and the late Australian soprano Dame Joan Sutherland brought them to a level of artistic excellence never heard before or since. Callas was nicknamed “La Divina” while Dame Joan’s moniker was “La Stupenda.”

“I Capuletti e i Montecchi” runs Feb. 28 through March 7.

‘Falstaff’

AVA will close out its 2025-26 season with what many opera lovers consider Giuseppe Verdi’s masterpiece and final opera, “Falstaff.” Arrigo Boito stitched together a libretto from several Shakespeare plays to offer a comic portrait of Sir John Falstaff. The score is Verdi’s most modern creation in that its harmonic and instrumental language are his most mature and it isn’t broken up into separate recitatives, arias, ensembles, and choruses but rather, is virtually through-composed without a break between recitative and aria.

“Falstaff” will run from April 18 through May 5. AVA will also offer a series of recitals during the season. For more information call 215-735-1685 or visit www.avaopera.org.

You can contact NOTEWORTHY at Michael-caruso@comcast.net.