This summer, the talented young artists in Aspen’s Opera Theatre and VocalARTS program will be performing Mozart’s opera “Così fan tutte” under the direction of famed opera soprano-turned-director Renée Fleming.

Shows start at 7 p.m. Monday, July 21, Wednesday, July 23, and Saturday, July 26, at the Wheeler Opera House.

“We chose this because it is a work that is fantastic for young artists,” said conductor and co-artistic director Patrick Summers. 

For five years, he and Fleming have served as co-artistic directors of Aspen Music Festival and School, leading the Aspen Opera Theatre and VocalARTs program that focuses on selecting works that are ideal for teaching — like “Così fan tutte.”

A work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, “Così fan tutte,” first opened Jan. 26, 1790, in Burgtheater, Vienna. The libretto was written by Lorenzo de Ponte. It was one of their last collaborations.  

The opera battles sexist themes from the outset. The title loosely translates to the expression, “all women are like that,” meaning that all women are unfaithful.

The comedic plot revolves around an older man betting his two young friends that their fiancées will be unfaithful. While the first act is fiercely comedic, the second half allows for deeper introspection about love, feelings, and the results of idealizing others.

To bring this piece to contemporary Aspen, the entire production is set in the 1980s, while keeping the original music and lines intact — connecting art over time. 

“I wanted to find something that would resonate, and I wanted to find a time period in which young people are innocent, for the most part — pre-computer, pre-internet, pre-social media,” Fleming said of her directorial debut. 

The two dynamic sets are the gym and the beach, with the men portrayed as boxers and the women immersed in the fitness craze.

“I kind of had this idea of combining all of this craze for personal fitness that was beginning to explode in that period — Jane Fonda, the film ‘Rocky,’ was huge, and it was the start of pro wrestling,” Fleming said. 

“It was a difficult story for us today. You have to kind of wrestle with the sexism in it and also the disguises,” Fleming said, taking advantage of the staging even in the finale to bring a contemporary framework to the classic tale.

Students from around the world came to take part in the production, including soprano Lauren Carroll as Fiordiligi and tenor Jonghyun Park as Ferrando. Carroll will perform the aria “Come Scoglio” in a role Fleming debuted in Geneva in 1992.

Other cast members are Ashlyn Brown as Dorabella, Finn Sagal as Guglielmo, Laura Miah as Despina, and Peter Barber as Don Alfonso. Choreography is led by Sara Erde.

Summers encourages both those new to opera as well as seasoned opera-goers to come see it. 

“See it again with a new set of artists and Renée’s new conception,” Summers said.

Summers pointed out that this is a rare chance for the public to see these talented performers early in their careers. In fact, four decades ago, Fleming stood on the Wheeler stage as a student of the Aspen Music Festival and School during the summer while she was attending The Juilliard School.

Fleming reminisced — “I loved being here so much. When I was young, I would bike up to the Maroon Bells almost every day.” 

The passion and enthusiasm of the co-artistic directors — for both the production and the students — remind audiences “that time does not matter when you are doing what you love,” and that there is a lasting connection between past performers and the next generation.

“Connection over time, that’s what art does,” Summers said. “I love it!” 

For tickets, visit aspenmusicfestival.com/events/calendar/cosi-fan-tutte-07-21-2025.