Orfeo & Euridice

North Carolina Opera brings Orfeo & Euridice to the Meymandi Concert Hall on Sunday, April 18, 2027, as part of their 2026-2027 season. It's a company premiere for them, and they're doing it as a concert staging, which means they've stripped away the usual sets, costumes, and staging. Instead, the soloists, chorus, orchestra, and conductor are all right there on stage, leaving the music to carry the weight of the story.

The opera is based on the Orpheus myth, with a libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna on October 5, 1762, and is sung here in Italian, with English translations projected above the stage. The title role is a trouser role, sung by a mezzo-soprano. The production is sponsored by Nancy Hablutzel, in memory of Philip Hablutzel.

NC Opera has been around since 2010, and they describe their 2026-2027 season as pairing grand spectacle with intimate storytelling. General Director Eric Mitchko says the company is energized by how Triangle audiences engage with opera as a shared event, with the human voice carrying the drama forward. This concert version leans into that intimate side—no scenery to distract from the singing.

The performance starts at 2 PM and runs about an hour and 45 minutes, with one 20-minute intermission. College student tickets are $15, with a student ID required at will-call and a limit of two per ID. The Meymandi Concert Hall is part of the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh.