The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) will present a new production of Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) by Gioachino Rossini as the centerpiece of its Princeton Festival to be held June 9-25, 2023. Rossen Milanov, Edward T. Cone Music Director and artistic director of the Princeton Festival, will direct the opera which will receive a series of three performances.

“I am delighted to continue to celebrate the origins of Festival opera with a new production of Rossini’s great work in the tradition of opera buffa,” said Milanov. “Il barbiere di Siviglia is perhaps the most popular of all comic operas, and will appeal to anyone who likes to laugh and sing well!”

The four-act comic opera features the iconic character of Figaro, a barber-turned-valet, who helps Count Almaviva woo the beautiful Rosina away from her lustful guardian, Dr. Bartolo. The story of Figaro was originally conceived by French playwright Pierre Beaumarchais in his eponymous The Barber of Seville, the first in a series of three plays chronicling the character’s escapades. The opera is considered the prequel to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), which was also inspired by plays by Beaumarchais.

This season, the Princeton Festival will once again take place primarily on the grounds of the Morven Museum & Garden. Plans are underway to install an even larger performance pavilion with upgraded seats offering optimal sightlines.

PSO Executive Director Marc Uys said: “The 2022 Princeton Festival has been a huge success, bringing a central, outdoor destination venue to Princeton for the first time. In 2023, we look forward to making the most of the surrounding grounds, continuing to provide delightful opportunities for socialization and enrichment between high-quality opera, musical theater and concert performances with top guest artists. .”

Ticket packages for the 2023 Princeton Festival will be available in January. To keep tabs on plans for the opera and other Festival events, bookmark princetonsymphony.org/festival.

Founded in 2004, the Princeton Festival quickly established a reputation for artistic excellence and innovative programming in the performing arts. Each year in June, thousands of people from the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond come to the Festival to enjoy the quality and variety of its programs. Offerings include opera, musical theatre, jazz and an ever-growing selection of other genres, including dance, world music, orchestral pop, choral concerts, country music, chamber recitals and an annual piano competition. The Festival maintains longstanding partnerships with public libraries and local churches and promotes lifelong learning of the arts through free educational talks presented to a large and diverse community.