Richard Wagner's operas have never been more popular. His ten masterpieces, created against the backdrop of a Europe in severe political and cultural upheaval, constitute an unmatched body of work. A man who spent most of his life in abject poverty, inspiring both critical derision and hysterical hero-worship, Wagner was a walking contradiction: belligerent, flirtatious, disciplined, capricious, demanding and possibly the greatest visionary in all the arts. In his lifelong pursuit of the ultimate "music-drama," Wagner created the modern symphony orchestra and a new vocal technique that allowed his singers to be heard over an instrumental ensemble of immense proportions.

The Greatest Wagner Concert Ever! will include excerpts from five of the composer's most electrifying and romantic operas. Dramatic soprano Othalie Graham will be our soloist, with the Vallejo Festival Orchestra under the direction of Grammy award-winning conductor Thomas Conlin.