Bel Cantanti Opera Presents Acclaimed Russian Opera Gala

The performance featured excerpts from classic Russian operas and left the audience wanting more.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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Bel Cantanti Opera Company's recent Russian Opera Gala was a celebration of Russian opera, featuring longer excerpts and staging from three different operas - Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades, Rubinstein's Demon, and Borodin's Prince Igor. The performance was punctuated by narration from Robin McGinness, providing exposition for the different operas. The gala featured strong vocal performances from the soloists, including Hannah Wardell, Nina Mutalifu, Ryan Lustgarten, Andrew Payne, and others, as well as impressive choreography and staging from the Four Seasons Dancers. While not every transition between scenes was seamless, the overall performance was an enjoyable introduction to Russian opera for those unfamiliar with the genre.

Why it matters

The Bel Cantanti Opera Gala highlighted the company's commitment to bringing Russian opera to the Washington, D.C. area. By featuring excerpts from classic Russian works, the performance exposed local audiences to an important part of the operatic canon that is not always widely accessible. The strong vocal and dramatic performances, as well as the creative staging and choreography, demonstrated the high caliber of Bel Cantanti's productions and left the audience eager to see full productions of these operas in the future.

The details

The gala featured excerpts from three major Russian operas - Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades, Rubinstein's Demon, and Borodin's Prince Igor. The Queen of Spades excerpts showcased the rich, velvety voices of sopranos Hannah Wardell and Nina Mutalifu in a duet, as well as impressive choreography from the Four Seasons Dancers. The Demon excerpts featured a dramatic performance from baritone Robin McGinness as the title character, with strong supporting turns from mezzo-soprano Valerie Filloux as the Angel and soprano Esther Tonea as Tamara. The Prince Igor excerpts highlighted the talents of mezzo-soprano Anastasia Sidorova as Konchakovna and tenor Ryan Lustgarten as Vladimir.

  • The performance took place on February 28, 2026 at the Bender JCC of Greater Washington in Rockville, Maryland.

The players

Bel Cantanti Opera Company

A professional opera company based in the Washington, D.C. area that is dedicated to bringing high-quality opera productions to local audiences.

Robin McGinness

A baritone who provided narration and performed the role of the Demon in excerpts from the Rubinstein opera.

Four Seasons Dancers

A dance troupe that performed choreographed pieces to complement the operatic excerpts, including in Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades.

Elena Jones

The choreographer who created the dances performed by the Four Seasons Dancers.

Reba Winstead

The supertitle operator who provided translations to help the audience connect with the Russian-language operas.

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What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

Bel Cantanti Opera Company is expected to announce its upcoming 2026-2027 season in the coming months, which may include full productions of some of the Russian operas featured in the gala.

The takeaway

The Bel Cantanti Opera Gala demonstrated the company's commitment to bringing lesser-known but important works of the operatic canon to local audiences. The strong vocal and dramatic performances, as well as the creative staging, left the audience eager to see full productions of these Russian operas in the future.