On the occasion of Washington National Opera’s return to the Kennedy Center on November 6, 2022

“Come back in time with me to March 7, 2020, and the opening night of WNO’s Samson et Dalilah. What a triumph it was! Remember how confident in the future we were? But since that warm, spring Saturday evening, we endured 610 days of silence and darkness. And for our artists, musicians, and staff, it was 610 days of uncertainty, sacrifice, and at times, hopelessness.

“Yet in these moments of introspection and fear, art emerges more urgently than ever. In the hierarchy of human values, creativity — along with worship, play, and love — is the quintessential expression of what it means to be human. To be fully alive, we need to express ourselves. To be fully alive, we need to experience sublimity in the company of others. To be fully alive, we need the arts.

“Like the human spirit, opera has proven itself to be resilient and indomitable. We have adapted, evolved, innovated — from opera trucks to digital performances. Opera is transforming, becoming ever more accessible, diverse, and welcoming to all. For an ancient, 400-year-old art form, we are looking pretty youthful and spry. So here we are, joyously emerging from hibernation, the stage lit, the voices luminous: a most magnificent homecoming.”

This article was published in the Spring/Summer 2022 issue of Across the Board, a publication of OPERA America for opera company trustees.