March 23, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Verdi’s light-hearted, emotionally charged comedy returns to the AVA stage
PHILADELPHIA – Mar. 23, 2026 – The Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) concludes its 91st season with Giuseppe Verdi’s classic comedic opera, Falstaff. The production opens April 18, 2026, and runs through May 5. Maestro Steven White and stage director Chas Rader-Shieber return to AVA to conduct and direct, respectively.
Falstaff continues AVA’s educational mission of providing exceptional training for its Resident Artists by showcasing them in opera’s most well-known and demanding titles. Musically, Verdi’s score moves away from the traditional aria-driven structure of his earlier operas in favor of quick-paced, conversational vocal writing and tightly constructed ensemble scenes that require constant collaboration across the cast. Resident Artists must work with rapid shifts in the music that closely follows the wit and momentum of the libretto. The opera concludes with the famous ensemble fugue, “Tutto nel mondo è burla” (“Everything in the world is a jest”), bringing the full cast together in a final moment that highlights both Verdi’s compositional style and the kind of unified ensemble work that is central to AVA’s training.
Based on Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, the opera follows the knight Sir John Falstaff as he attempts to court two wealthy, married women in hopes of restoring his dwindling fortunes. His schemes quickly unravel as the duo outwit him at every turn, leading to a series of misadventures while offering, beneath the humor, a poignant reflection on vanity, love, and the passage of time.
Stage director Chas Rader-Shieber describes bringing the opera’s emotions to life on stage: “At its core, Falstaff is about how both difficult and rewarding love is – the question is how to tell the story of the hard work of love. What you’ll see in this production is the playing with perception, not only with the scenery and color palette, but also with the size and scale of objects on stage to emphasize both the burdens and payoffs in human relationships, which we all can relate to.”
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi with libretto by Arrigo Boito, Falstaff premiered in 1893 at Milan’s famed La Scala and marked Verdi’s return to comedic opera at the age of 79, after being thought incapable of writing a successful comedy. Falstaff proved to be Verdi’s final opera before the composer’s death.
1st-year bass Ryan Wornall shares his thoughts on playing the title character in AVA’s upcoming production: “Verdi is one of my favorite composers. His scores contain such profound beauty while also being some of the most technically demanding in opera. Playing Sir John Falstaff is an exciting challenge because this is my first time in the role and because it allows me to explore more nuanced and comedic character building as part of my craft.”
Falstaff Performance Dates
April 18, 21, 23 & 25, 2026
7:30 PM
AVA’s Helen Corning Warden Theater
$105 – Premium Reserved Seating
$70 – General Admission
$25 – Young Professionals Performance on April 28th (ages 45 and under)
May 5, 2026
7:30 PM
The Haverford School’s Centennial Hall
450 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041
$105 – Premium Reserved Seating
$70 – General Admission
$25 – Young Professionals (ages 45 and under)
$10 – Students (available via phone or in person only)
Tickets: Tickets for Falstaff and are now available to the public. For more information, visit avaopera.org or call (215) 735-1685.
About the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA)
The mission of the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) is to be the world’s premier institution for training young artists to become international opera soloists. Through rigorous instruction and coaching, and by presenting Resident Artists from around the world in concerts, oratorios, public programs, and fully staged professional opera productions, AVA prepares artists with high potential for career success while enriching lives in Philadelphia and beyond.
Each year, AVA Resident Artists are presented in four or five fully staged opera productions accompanied by orchestra and are cast in leading roles they will likely perform throughout their careers. Learn more at avaopera.org.
More information about AVA, its programs, and season performances can be found at avaopera.org or by calling (215) 735-1685.
Contact:
Andrew Rohe
Marketing & PR Manager
Academy of Vocal Arts
1920 Spruce St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 735-1685
Email: arohe@avaopera.org
###