Samuel Barber - Vanessa (Gianandrea Noseda)

Information

Composer: Samuel Barber

• Vanessa

Nicole Heaston; J'Nai Bridges; Matthew Polenzani

Susan Graham; Thomas Hampson

Jonathan Bryan; Samuel Weiser

University of Maryland Concert Choir

National Symphony Orchestra

Gianandrea Noseda, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: National Symphony Orchestra

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Gianandrea Noseda and the National Symphony Orchestra present a live recording of Vanessa, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American opera composed by Samuel Barber with a libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti. The opera explores themes of love, longing, and illusion through Barber’s richly atmospheric score, which blends influences from Verdi, Puccini, and mid-century cinematic styles with a distinctive modern American voice. Featuring an acclaimed cast including Nicole Heaston, J’Nai Bridges, Matthew Polenzani, Susan Graham, and Thomas Hampson, this concert recording highlights the work’s emotional depth, dramatic intensity, and lush orchestral color, reaffirming its significance as one of the most compelling operas of the 20th century.

Italian conductor Gianandrea Noseda (b. 1964) is acclaimed for his work in both symphonic and operatic repertoire, with a prolific discography. Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra since 2017, he became General Music Director of Opernhaus Zürich in 2021/22, where his tenure includes a new Ring Cycle with Andreas Homoki. He also serves as Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. Dedicated to fostering young talent, Noseda regularly leads masterclasses, tours with youth orchestras such as the European Union Youth Orchestra, and directs the Tsinandali Festival in Georgia alongside its Pan-Caucasian Youth Orchestra.