Mozart’s Così fan tutte arrives at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre this February, offering Vancouver audiences a rare chance to experience one of opera’s most dazzling and psychologically perceptive comedies. Presented by Vancouver Opera as part of its 2025–2026 season, this long-awaited return—more than 20 years since the company last staged the work—promises wit, warmth, and musical brilliance in equal measure.
Composed late in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s short life, Così fan tutte is an opera buffa that balances effervescent comedy with an unusually sharp understanding of human relationships. Set in motion by a cynical wager, the story follows two young officers, Ferrando and Guglielmo, who are persuaded by the worldly Don Alfonso to test the fidelity of their fiancées, Fiordiligi and Dorabella. With the mischievous assistance of the maid Despina, disguises are donned, loyalties are challenged, and romantic certainties begin to unravel. What begins as a farce slowly reveals something more unsettling and truthful: love is rarely as stable—or as simple—as we wish it to be.
Mozart’s music is the engine that makes this emotional complexity both exhilarating and humane. The score sparkles with playful ensembles and virtuosic arias, yet beneath the surface lies extraordinary psychological nuance. Fiordiligi’s music, in particular, charts a dramatic inner struggle between moral resolve and emotional vulnerability, while Dorabella’s lighter, more impulsive nature is captured in music of irresistible charm. Throughout, Mozart elevates the comedy into something deeply human, allowing audiences to laugh, wince, and recognize themselves in the characters’ contradictions.
This Vancouver Opera production marks the company debut of director Rob Herriot, who brings a fresh perspective to the opera by situating its timeless themes in a contemporary West Coast Canadian context. Herriot’s approach promises to highlight the opera’s enduring relevance, emphasizing not only its humor but also its quietly radical examination of trust, gender expectations, and emotional honesty. Conducting the Vancouver Opera Orchestra is Leslie Dala, whose stewardship of Mozart’s luminous score will be central to the production’s emotional and musical impact.
An all-Canadian cast brings these vivid characters to life. Baritone Daniel Okulitch leads the ensemble as the manipulative yet oddly philosophical Don Alfonso, while Clarence Frazer and Owen McCausland portray the ill-fated lovers Guglielmo and Ferrando. Sopranos Jamie Groote and Alex Hetherington take on the contrasting sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella, and Tracy Dahl appears as the endlessly adaptable Despina, one of opera’s great comic creations. Together, the cast promises both vocal excellence and theatrical vitality.
As Vancouver Opera General Director Tom Wright notes, Così fan tutte has long been a gateway opera for newcomers and a perennial favorite for seasoned audiences. Its music is immediately appealing, its story engaging and funny, and its emotional insights surprisingly modern. Few works manage to be so entertaining while also asking such pointed questions about love and fidelity.
With only three performances in February, Così fan tutte offers a rare opportunity to experience Mozart at his most joyful and incisive—live, in the theatre, where his music’s warmth and complexity are felt most powerfully. Tickets are on sale now here, with subscriptions for the 2025–2026 season still available through Vancouver Opera.
