Fresh off his induction into the Opera Hall of Fame and recognition as Musical America’s 2025 Composer of the Year, Jake Heggie announces a landmark 2025/26 season, featuring a milestone opera anniversary, major premieres and new productions, an international album release, and a new faculty role shaping future composers at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. This dynamic slate reflects Heggie’s enduring commitment to bold musical storytelling, inclusive collaboration, and mentorship of the next generation of artists.
Photo credit James Niebuhr
Following more than 80 productions around the world, Dead Man Walking will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a return to the War Memorial stage where it premiered. Commissioned by San Francisco Opera in 2000, with a libretto by the late Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally based on the iconic memoir by Sister Helen Prejean, Dead Man Walking was Heggie’s first opera. It has since become the most widely performed new opera of the last 25 years, opening the Metropolitan Opera’s 2023/24 season and earning praise from The New York Times for its “soaring music, swelling tenderness, and sweeping ensemble.”
DEAD MAN WALKING
25th Anniversary – Productions in San Francisco, London, Boulder, and Western Australia
Dead Man Walking at Teatro Real Madrid / Photo credit Javier del Real
From September 14–28, 2025, San Francisco Opera presents Leonard Foglia’s captivating production, starring Jamie Barton, Ryan McKinny, and Susan Graham – with Patrick Summers, conductor of the work’s world premiere, in the pit. Concurrently, across the globe, Freeze Frame Opera presents the Western Australia premiere of this particularly American story in a new production at the former Fremantle Prison, a World Heritage Site in Perth from September 18–21, 2025.
On October 24 & 26, Eklund Opera at the University of Colorado Boulder will present two performances in Macky Auditorium. This student production is especially gratifying for the anniversary year as, in 2007, CU Boulder was the first university to perform Dead Man Walking, proving the opera could be done well by students and smaller groups.
Later this fall, English National Opera will present the work’s first fully staged London performances, featuring Christine Rice, Michael Mayes, and Dame Sarah Connolly in a new Annilese Miskimmon production at the London Coliseum from November 1–18, 2025. An international co-production with Opera North and Finnish National Opera, Dead Man Walking will tour the northern United Kingdom and be mounted in Leeds and Helsinki in future seasons.
INTELLIGENCE
World Premiere Recording and New Production at Virginia Opera
Heggie’s opera Intelligence is based on the little-known true story of two women – one formerly enslaved, one a Southern woman of privilege – who infiltrated the Confederate White House and ran a Union spy ring during the American Civil War. Created with director and choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and librettist Gene Scheer, the work was hailed by the Houston Chronicle as “groundbreaking…a gorgeous, nuanced, layered and suspenseful masterpiece that deftly balances drama and wit.”
Intelligence at Houston Grand Opera / Photo credit Michael Bishop
On August 29, 2025, Intelligence will be released as a world premiere recording on the LSO Live label – the first album in the label’s new partnership with Houston Grand Opera. The live capture features Jamie Barton, Janai Brugger, and J’Nai Bridges in the original production that opened HGO’s 2023/24 season.
Intelligence will also receive a new production at Virginia Opera, with performances across the state in Norfolk, Fairfax, and Richmond – the very city in which the opera’s story unfolds. Six performances will be staged from January 30–February 15, 2026.
SAN FRANCISCO CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
Heggie Joins SFCM Faculty as Distinguished Professor of Composition in Fall 2025
This fall marks a new step toward legacy-building, as Heggie has accepted a faculty role at San Francisco Conservatory of Music as the Diane B. Wilsey Distinguished Professor of Composition. Education and mentorship have figured prominently in Heggie’s life and career – he has found it especially meaningful to nurture and guide composers, singers, and pianists through artist residences and masterclasses. The SFCM appointment follows a decade of work at the conservatory, including an honorary doctorate in 2023.
Photo credit James Niebuhr
“Collaboration and hard work are at the heart of my creative life, and I see San Francisco Conservatory of Music as a vibrant hub of possibility and connection,” said Heggie. “Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to workshop several new operas at the Conservatory, working closely with young composers, singers, and instrumentalists – all rich and invaluable experiences. I was honored to deliver the 2023 commencement address, sharing a message about the power of showing up – in life, study, and work. I firmly believe the great work happens in the room, and I’m overjoyed to join the incredible team that shows up for these students every day.”
The Elements at NDR Elbphilharmonie / Photo credit Marcus Krüger
ADDITIONAL PREMIERES & COLLABORATIONS
Good Morning, Beauty
Song Cycle Co-Commissioned by Classical Pride, LA Philharmonic, and Cabrillo Festival
Following their first collaboration at London’s Classical Pride in 2024, Heggie has re-teamed with acclaimed drag artist and activist Taylor Mac to create the song cycle Good Morning, Beauty, a collection of romantic and humorous songs that explore the realities of being queer in a long-term relationship. Co-commissioned by Classical Pride London, LA Philharmonic, and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, the work will be performed in various iterations by each commissioner this summer.
On July 4, 2025, Jamie Barton will perform the cycle’s third song with London Symphony Orchestra, then joins Anthony Roth Costanzo and Pumeza Matshikiza for the full cycle’s premiere at the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Philharmonic on July 10, 2025. Both performances are part of the Classical Pride festival, curated and conducted by Oliver Zeffman. Nikola Printz will give the cycle its solo premiere at the Cabrillo Festival, conducted by Cristian Mǎcelaru on August 10, 2025.
The Elements
Concerto Commissioned by Joshua Bell • Spring 2026 Tour • Canadian Premiere
Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell commissioned five renowned American composers – Jake Heggie, Jennifer Higdon, Edgar Meyer, Jessie Montgomery, and Kevin Puts – to create The Elements, based on the five Elements that form the basis of traditional Chinese medicine: Fire, Air, Water, Ether, and Earth, respectively. Die Welt praised the work’s world premiere at the Elbphilharmonie: “The entire work was harmoniously, melodically, and poignantly sensitive… ‘Fire’ by Jake Heggie starts with a burst of sparks and Bell’s violin blazed, but Heggie didn’t just burn down forests – the fire remained exciting from the first to the last bar.”
Bell performs with Naples Philharmonic in Florida April 2–4, 2026, before giving the work its Canadian premiere with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa April 8–9, 2026, followed by performances with Houston Symphony May 7–10, 2026.
EARTH: A Choral Symphony
World Premiere with Madison Symphony Orchestra
In celebration of its 100th anniversary, Madison Symphony Orchestra has commissioned Heggie and longtime collaborator Gene Scheer to create EARTH: A Choral Symphony. Structured in four movements, the work explores the miracle of our planet and its precarious relationship to humanity.
John DeMain conducts the world premiere May 1–3, 2026, with soprano Ailyn Pérez and three choruses in Madison Symphony’s centennial season finale at Overture Hall.
25/26 Season
GOOD MORNING, BEAUTY
Classical Pride with London Symphony Orchestra • “Or Am I In A Rut?”
Conductor: Oliver Zeffman
Featuring: Jamie Barton
- Friday, July 4, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Barbican Hall
Silk Street, Barbican
London, England
Tickets from $16
https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2025/event/classical-pride-voices-of-joy-sorrow
Classical Pride with LA Philharmonic • World Premiere
Conductor: Oliver Zeffman
Featuring: Jamie Barton, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Pumeza Matshikiza
- Thursday, July 10, 2025 @ 8:00pm
Hollywood Bowl
2301 Highland Avenue
Los Angeles, California
Tickets from $1
https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/events/performances/3589/2025-07-10/classical-pride
Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music
Conductor: Cristian Mǎcelaru
Featuring: Nikola Printz
- Sunday, August 10, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
307 Church Street
Santa Cruz, California
Tickets from $24
https://cabrillomusic.org/2025-season/rising
INTELLIGENCE
LSO Live & Houston Grand Opera • World Premiere Recording
Recorded during World Premiere Run, October 2023
Conductor: Kwamé Ryan
Director: Jawole Willa Jo Zollar
Elizabeth van Lew: Jamie Barton
Mary Jane Bowser: Janai Brugger
Lucinda: J’Nai Bridges
Callie Van Lew: Caitlin Lynch
Available Worldwide August 29, 2025
DEAD MAN WALKING
San Francisco Opera • 25th Anniversary
Conductor: Patrick Summers
Production: Leonard Foglia
Sister Helen Prejean: Jamie Barton
Joseph De Rocher: Ryan McKinny
Mrs. Patrick De Rocher: Susan Graham
Sister Rose: Brittany Renee
- Sunday, September 14, 2025 @ 2:00pm
- Wednesday, September 17, 2025 @ 7:30pm
- Saturday, September 20, 2025 @ 7:30pm
- Tuesday, September 23, 2025 @ 7:30pm
- Friday, September 26, 2025 @ 7:30pm
- Sunday, September 28, 2025 @ 2:00pm
War Memorial Opera House
301 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, California
Tickets from $29
https://www.sfopera.com/operas/dead-man-walking
DEAD MAN WALKING
Freeze Frame Opera • Western Australia Premiere
Music Director: Tommaso Pollio
Director: Adam Mitchell
Sister Helen Prejean: Hattie Marshall
Joseph De Rocher: Lachlan Higgins
Mrs. Patrick De Rocher: Lisa Harper-Brown
Sister Rose: Sara Macliver
- Thursday, September 18, 2025 @ 7:00pm
- Friday, September 19, 2025 @ 7:00pm
- Saturday, September 20, 2025 @ 7:00pm
- Sunday, September 21, 2025 @ 6:00pm
Fremantle Prison, East Workshop
1 The Terrace
Freemantle, Western Australia
Tickets from $49
https://www.freezeframeopera.com
DEAD MAN WALKING
University of Colorado Boulder Eklund Opera Program
Conductor: Nicholas Carthy
Director: Leigh Holman
- Friday, October 24, 2025 @ 7:30pm
- Sunday, October 26, 2025 @ 2:00pm
Macky Auditorium Concert Hall
1595 Pleasant Street
Boulder, Colorado
https://cupresents.org/performance/3283/cu-opera/dead-man-walking
DEAD MAN WALKING
English National Opera • House Premiere • New Production
Conductor: Kerem Hasan
Director: Annilese Miskimmon
Sister Helen Prejean: Christine Rice
Joseph De Rocher: Michael Mayes
Mrs. Patrick De Rocher: Dame Sarah Connolly
Sister Rose: Madeline Boreham
- Saturday, November 1, 2025 @ 7:00pm
- Tuesday, November 4, 2025 @ 7:00pm
- Saturday, November 8, 2025 @ 6:00pm
- Wednesday, November 12, 2025 @ 7:00pm
- Saturday, November 15, 2025 @ 6:00pm
- Tuesday, November 18, 2025 @ 7:00pm
London Coliseum
St Martin’s Lane
London, England
Tickets from $13
https://www.eno.org/whats-on/dead-man-walking
INTELLIGENCE
Virginia Opera • New Production
- Friday, January 30, 2026 @ 7:30pm
- Sunday, February 1, 2026 @ 2:30pm
Harrison Opera House
160 W Virginia Beach Blvd
Norfolk, Virginia
- Friday, February 6, 2026 @ 7:30pm
- Sunday, February 8, 2026 @ 2:30pm
Dominion Energy Center
600 E Grace Street
Richmond, Virginia
- Saturday, February 14, 2026 @ 7:30pm
- Sunday, February 15, 2026 @ 2:00pm
Center for the Arts at George Mason University
4373 Mason Pond Drive
Fairfax, Virginia
https://vaopera.org/subscriptions
THE ELEMENTS
Joshua Bell Concerto • Spring 2026 Tour • Canadian Premiere
Naples Philharmonic
Conductor: Alexander Shelley
- Thursday, April 2, 2026 @ 7:30pm
- Friday, April 3, 2026 @ 7:30pm
- Saturday, April 4, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Artis Naples – The Baker Museum
5833 Pelican Bay Blvd
Naples, Florida
https://artisnaples.org/subscriptions/masterworks
National Arts Centre Orchestra
Conductor: Alexander Shelley
- Wednesday, April 8, 2026 @ 8:00pm
- Thursday, April 8, 2026 @ 8:00pm
Southam Hall
1 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Canada
https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/38412
Houston Symphony
Conductor: Juraj Valčuha
- Thursday, May 7, 2026 @ 7:30pm
- Saturday, May 9, 2026 @ 7:30pm
- Sunday, May 10, 2026 @ 2:00pm
Jones Hall for the Performing Arts
615 Louisiana Street
Houston, Texas
https://houstonsymphony.org/performance/joshua-bell-the-elements-concert
EARTH: A CHORAL SYMPHONY
Madison Symphony Orchestra • World Premiere
Conductor: John DeMain
Soprano: Ailyn Pérez
Madison Symphony Chorus, Beverly Taylor, Director
Mt. Zion Gospel Choir, Tamera & Leotha Stanley, Directors
Madison Youth Choirs, Michael Ross, Artist Director
- Friday, May 1, 2026 @ 7:30pm
- Saturday, May 2, 2026 @ 7:30pm
- Sunday, May 3, 2026 @ 2:30pm
Overture Hall
201 State Street
Madison, Wisconsin
Tickets from $20
https://madisonsymphony.org/event/voiceseternal
Jake Heggie is best known for Dead Man Walking, the most widely performed new opera of the last 25 years. With a libretto by Terrence McNally, it has been mounted by major theaters in more than 80 international productions. His critically acclaimed operas Moby-Dick, Three Decembers, and It’s a Wonderful Life, with libretti by Gene Scheer, have also established themselves in the classical canon. Heggie’s 10 full-length operas, numerous one-acts, and more than 300 art songs have been performed on five continents. Hailed by the Wall Street Journal as “arguably the world’s most popular 21st-century opera and art song composer,” Heggie actively seeks out projects that invite a wide range of perspectives. Recent examples include Intelligence, based on the true story of women who infiltrated the Confederate White House, and Songs for Murdered Sisters, his collaboration with Margaret Atwood, created in response to the global epidemic of gender-based violence and nominated for Classical Album of the Year at the Juno Awards. Heggie has longstanding creative partnerships with mezzos Frederica von Stade, Joyce DiDonato, Susan Graham, and Jamie Barton, whose Heggie project Unexpected Shadows earned a Grammy nomination for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album. Beginning in fall 2025, Heggie serves as the Diane B. Wilsey Distinguished Professor of Composition at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He continues to write all his work by hand, believing that a visceral, physical connection to the score is essential to his creative process. jakeheggie.com