Past Events

Pre-Performance Meet-Up: Günther Groissböck in Recital

Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall Seventh Avenue between 56th and 57th streets, New York, NY, United States

Bass Günther Groissböck performs selected works—including some rarities—by 19th-century composers including R. Schumann, Rott, Bruckner, Wolf, G. Mahler, and R. Strauss in Zankel Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall on Sunday December 3 (matinée).

Come say Hi to fellow WSNY members from near and far. It’s a great chance to mingle with fellow opera enthusiasts, share your thoughts on the performance, and connect with like-minded people who appreciate great music and conversation. Whether you’re a long-time member or new to the Society, we’d love to see you there and hear your insights.

Book Talk: Hitler’s Twilight of the Gods

National Opera Center 330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY, United States
Hybrid Event

Richard Wagner's music is the most significant aesthetic association with Adolf Hitler and the musical stylings of National Socialism. However, in fact how clear was the connection between the musical romanticism of the late 1800s and the catastrophic, genocidal warfare of the 1940s? Dr. Alexandra Birch discusses her 2025 book, Hitler's Twilight of the Gods: Music and the Orchestration of War and Genocide in Europe in an historical context.

Get Tickets Free – $15.00 67 tickets left

Reports from Bayreuth: Meistersinger Panel Discussion

National Opera Center 330 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY, United States
Hybrid Event

Our annual event highlighting the summer festival season, this year we devote our program to the Bayreuth Festival's new production premiere: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg directed by Matthias Davids. Join us in a panel discussion discussing this work in context with those who attended the Festival, examining how the musical and dramatic interpretation reframe Meistersinger within today’s cultural landscape, sparking debate about tradition, innovation, and Wagner’s enduring relevance.

Free – $15.00

Die Meistersinger in HD: Bayreuth Premiere

Dolby Screening Room 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, United States

A stunning High-Definition screening of Bayreuth’s bold new Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg—one of the most anticipated Wagnerian events of 2026. Captured during its world premiere on Friday, July 25 in Bayreuth, this re-stream offers crystal-clear visuals and immersive sound in a sleek, modern screening room in midtown Manhattan. Experience the excitement and artistry of Bayreuth’s opening night—without ever leaving New York.

$45.00

Parsifal Farewell Luncheon

Oskar: Das Wirtshaus am Markt Maximilianstraße 33, Bayreuth, Bayern, Germany

Join Bayreuth attendees for a final lunch before the end of the Festival. We've got a large table at Oskar: Das Wirtshaus am Markt in the heart of the old city and a reliable provider of traditional Bavarian fare. Enjoy a refreshing Weissbier or lemonade, and wrestle with a Schweinshaxe while simultaneously wrestling with the ideas of Wagner's Festival-for-the-Consecration-of-the-Stage.

Free
Bayreuth Artist Talks 2025

Bayreuth Artist Talk: Michael Nagy

Arvena Kongress Hotel Eduard-Bayerlin Str. 5a, Bayreuth, Germany

Michael Nagy will be singing Beckmesser in Die Meistersinger this year and has sung Wolfram von Eschenbach in Tannhäuser, 2011-13. Join us for the Bayreuth Artists Talks Series, an engaging opportunity to connect with the exceptional performers of the Bayreuth Festival. These intimate sessions offer audiences a rare glimpse behind the scenes as artists reflect on their careers, share insights into their roles and creative processes, and discuss the unique experience of performing at Bayreuth. With a relaxed and informal setting, these conversations provide a deeper understanding of the works the artists bring to life on stage, making each event a memorable encounter with the people behind the music.

$15.00 – $60.00
Bayreuth Artist Talks 2025

Bayreuth Artist Talk: Matthew Newlin

Arvena Kongress Hotel Eduard-Bayerlin Str. 5a, Bayreuth, Germany

Matthew Newlin sings Eisslinger in Die Meistersinger, Junger Seemann in Tristan und Isolde, and the 4th Knappe in Parsifal at the Festival this year. Join us in 2025 for the Bayreuth Artists Talks Series, an engaging opportunity to connect with the exceptional performers of the Bayreuth Festival. These intimate sessions offer audiences a rare glimpse behind the scenes as artists reflect on their careers, share insights into their roles and creative processes, and discuss the unique experience of performing at Bayreuth. With a relaxed and informal setting, these conversations provide a deeper understanding of the works the artists bring to life on stage, making each event a memorable encounter with the people behind the music.

$15.00 – $60.00
Bayreuth Artist Talks 2025

Parsifal: Sources and Mythologies: a Talk with Thomas Launius

Arvena Kongress Hotel Eduard-Bayerlin Str. 5a, Bayreuth, Germany

The ancient tradition of Storytelling in Europe, both in its original oral form and then later as written, understood that a Storyteller never “created” a story, but rather, inherited it, and then it was their sacred responsibility to be faithful to that original inheritance while at the same time developing it to speak authentically to a new generation. This talk will explore some of the ways Wagner adapted and shaped the material he inherited and how the final result has its own special message in Parsifal.

$15.00 – $60.00
Bayreuth Artist Talks 2025

Bayreuth Artist Talk: Michael Spyres

Arvena Kongress Hotel Eduard-Bayerlin Str. 5a, Bayreuth, Germany

Michael Spyres sings Siegmund in Die Walküre and Walther in Die Meistersinger at the Bayreuth Festival this summer. Join us for the Bayreuth Artists Talks Series, an engaging opportunity to connect with the exceptional performers of the Bayreuth Festival. These intimate sessions offer audiences a rare glimpse behind the scenes as artists reflect on their careers, share insights into their roles and creative processes, and discuss the unique experience of performing at Bayreuth.

$15.00 – $60.00
Bayreuth Artist Talks 2025

Bayreuth Artist Talk: Jordan Shanahan

Arvena Kongress Hotel Eduard-Bayerlin Str. 5a, Bayreuth, Germany

Jordan Shanahan singe Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde, Klingsor in Parsifal, and Kothner in Die Meistersinger at the Bayreuth Festival this year. Join us for the Bayreuth Artists Talks Series, an engaging opportunity to connect with the exceptional performers of the Bayreuth Festival. These intimate sessions offer audiences a rare glimpse behind the scenes as artists reflect on their careers, share insights into their roles and creative processes, and discuss the unique experience of performing at Bayreuth.

$15.00 – $60.00
Bayreuth Artist Talks 2025

Bayreuth Artist Talk: Ekaterina Gubanova

Arvena Kongress Hotel Eduard-Bayerlin Str. 5a, Bayreuth, Germany

Ekaterina Gubanova this year will sing Kundry in Parsifal and Brangäne in Tristan und Isolde; from 2019-24 she performed Venus in Tannhäuser at the Bayreuth Festival. Join us in for the Bayreuth Artists Talks Series, an engaging opportunity to connect with the exceptional performers of the Bayreuth Festival. These intimate sessions offer audiences a rare glimpse behind the scenes as artists reflect on their careers, share insights into their roles and creative processes, and discuss the unique experience of performing at Bayreuth.

$15.00 – $60.00

Bayreuth Post-Walküre Dinner

Bürgerreuth Restaurant an der Bürgerreuth 20, Bayreuth, Germany

Interested in an al fresco Italian dinner with other English-speaking Festival attendees after Die Walküre? We've reserved the outdoor space at Bürgerreuth, a 5 minute walk from the Festspielhaus. Enjoy a lively conversation with other devoted Wagner fans, meet old friends and make new connections.

Free