Errollyn Wallen: Dido's Ghost

Thomas Tull Concert Hall, MIT
Saturday, October 18, 2025 at 7:00pm
Sunday, October 19, 2025 at 2:00pm

Errollyn Wallen's Dido's Ghost (2021) resurrects a timeless tale, casting a haunting shadow on Virgil's epic. This chamber opera delves into the spectral aftermath of Dido's despair, exploring the lingering echoes of love and betrayal by setting the entirety of Purcell’s original Dido and Aneas as a dream sequence. Wallen's evocative new score bookends the Purcell revealing a new dimension to a familiar tragedy. Witness a powerful, intimate performance where ancient myth meets modern musicality, and the past speaks with a chilling, unforgettable voice. Emmanuel Music is delighted to continue our collaboration with choreographer Shura Baryshnikov and to work with director Rebecca Miller Kratzer.

Join us for a talk back after the performance with Errollyn Wallen, Ryan Turner, and librettist Wesley Stace. 

Carley DeFranco, Anna/Dido

David Thomas Mather, Aeneas

Jonathan Woody, Elymas/Sorceress

Katherine Maysek, Lavinia/Spirit

Morgan Mastrangelo, Ascanius/First Sailor

Mara Riley, Belinda

Sonja Tengblad, Second Woman 

Claire Huchthausen, Ananeah Nevil, Witches 

Wesley Stace, Librettist 

Rebecca Miller Kratzer, Director

Shura Baryshnikov, Choreographer

The Orchestra and Chorus of Emmanuel Music in collaboration with the MIT Chamber Chorus, conducted by Ryan Turner. 

This production will run approximately 95 minutes with no intermission and will include English supertitles.