West Edge Opera Unveils 2027 Summer Festival in Oakland

West Edge Opera will open its 2027 Summer Festival on July 31, 2027 in Oakland, California, with the world premiere of "Claude and Marcel" by composer Alyssa Weinberg and librettist Stephanie Fleischmann.

The festival announced a three-production season running through August 15, 2027, including one world premiere, one new Baroque opera and one American premiere.

What opens the season?

"Claude and Marcel" premieres on July 31, with further performances on August 8 and 14, 2027. Nikola Printz and Sara LeMesh sing the title roles, and Angela Yam joins them as Charlotte. Jonathan Khuner and Kyle Naig serve as music directors, and Elkhanah Pulitzer directs the staging.

What is "Bacchanal"?

Mark Streshinsky and Adam Pearl's "Bacchanal," a new Baroque opera built on music by Purcell, follows. The cast includes:

• Sam Higgins
• Derek Chester
• Mariya Kaganskaya
• Philip Skinner

Performances are scheduled for August 4, 7 and 14, 2027.

What closes the festival?

The season closes with the American premiere of "Die ersten Menschen" by composer Rudi Stephan and librettist Otto Borngräber. The work stars Kenneth Kellogg, Emma McNairy, Matthew Worth and Brenton Ryan. Jonathan Khuner and Kyle Naig return as music directors, and Omer Ben Seadia directs.

The company has scheduled performances for August 7, 12 and 15, 2027.

The 2027 announcement extends a pattern of premieres at West Edge Opera: the company has previously announced the world premiere of "The School for Girls Who Lost Everything in the Fire," and its 2026 summer festival featured Laura Bohn, Alex Boyer, Kyle Tingzon, Shawnette Sulker, Markel Reed and John Bellemer. The 2027 season confirms the company's continued commitment to staging new and rarely heard operas in Oakland.