Washington National Opera and the National Museum of Women in the Arts will celebrate “The Year of the Woman in Opera” during WNO’s 2006-2007 season. The two organizations will offer a series of three events featuring performances, discussions, and lectures by singers, artistic staff, and opera experts.

The series begins on Sunday, October 29 with “How the Masters Wrote for the Female: Puccini’s Butterfly and Beyond,” hosted by William Berger. Incorporating live performances as illustrations, Mr. Berger will discuss how Puccini and other composers utilized women, both as performers and characters, in writing for opera.

Additional events in the series include “Brünnhilde and the Tough Ladies of Opera” (Date TBD) and “Lady Macbeth Through the Eyes of Verdi and Shakespeare” (Sunday, April 29) as part of the 2007 city-wide Shakespeare in Washington festival. Further details will be available closer to each event.

WNO and NMWA present this collaboration in conjunction with WNO’s 2006-2007 season, offering a line-up of productions featuring strong female characters in central roles, including Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Judith in Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, and the title characters in Sophie’s Choice, Madama Butterfly, and Jenufa.

William Berger is a frequent lecturer and commentator and contributes frequently to NPR and New York Public Radio’s Overnight Music. The author of Puccini Without Excuses, Verdi With a Vengeance, and Wagner Without Fear, he is a contributing writer to the Washington National Opera Season Book.

All events will take place in the Performance Hall at the National Museum of Women in the Arts at 1250 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C., on Sunday afternoons at 2:00 p.m. General admission is $10 per person. Tickets may be purchased in advance through WNO Audience Services at 202.295.2400 or 800.US.OPERA.

The National Museum of Women in the Arts, founded in 1981 and opened in 1987, is the only museum dedicated solely to celebrating the achievements of women in the visual, performing, and literary arts. More information can be found at www.nmwa.org.

Led by General Director Plácido Domingo, Washington National Opera is one of the leading opera companies in the United States, and is the premier producing arts institution in the nation’s capital. Information on the company can be found at www.dc-opera.org

American Airlines is the Official Airline of the Washington National Opera.