Fairy Tale Double Bill

Step into the glittering salons of Paris for an unforgettable evening celebrating one of opera’s most fascinating women, Pauline Viardot. Our captivating double bill pairs Viardot’s enchanting chamber opera Cendrillon (Cinderella) with Michael Ching’s Notes on Viardot, which explores the extraordinary life behind the legendary composer, teacher, and performer.
In Cendrillon, Viardot transforms the beloved Cinderella story into a sparkling jewel of wit, elegance, and irresistible melody. Written in 1904 for performance in her Paris salon, the opera blends French charm, bel canto lyricism, and intimate theatricality into a fairy tale unlike any other playful, sophisticated, and familiar.
Notes on Viardot is Michael Ching’s vivid and emotionally rich portrait of the composer herself. Told through memories and flashbacks near the end of Viardot’s life, the opera reveals her remarkable journey as an international diva, celebrated teacher, composer, muse, and artistic force at the center of 19th-century European culture. Ching’s score seamlessly intertwines original music with echoes of Viardot’s own compositions and the operatic world she helped shape.
Together, these works create a rare theatrical conversation across centuries: the artist and her art, the woman and her legacy. Audiences will discover not only the magic of Viardot’s music, but the passion, intellect, and resilience of the woman who inspired composers, writers, and audiences throughout Europe. Romantic, witty, and profoundly moving, this double bill is both a rediscovery and a celebration an invitation to encounter the voice, imagination, and enduring brilliance of Pauline Viardot.