Dido & Aeneas by Purcell
Feat. Mary Elizabeth Williams as Dido
About the Production
Purcell’s ground-breaking opera makes its long-awaited Opera Lafayette debut. Mary Elizabeth Williams returns to Opera Lafayette as Dido, the ill-fated Queen of Carthage, following her internationally lauded performance in last season’s Morgiane. The famously haunting aria “When I Am Laid in Earth” brings the resilient Dido to a crossroad in this woman-centered storyline, delivering an unforgettable saga of love, loss, power, and humanity.
*This event is not sponsored by Sixth & I.
Parking & Venue Details (Sixth & I)
Language: English
Running Time: 65 minutes; no intermission
Get Tickets
Washington, DC
Saturday, October 18, 2025, 7:30pm
Sixth & I* (600 I St, NW) + Parking & Venue Details
Artists
Mary Elizabeth Williams, soprano
Dido
Opéra National de Paris, Santa Fe Opera, Seattle Opera, Atlanta Opera, San Francisco Symphony
Elijah McCormack, male soprano*
Aeneas
Seraphic Fire, Washington Bach Consort, IN Series, Boston Early Music Festival, American Bach Soloists, Orchestra of St. Luke’s
Chelsea Helm, soprano*
Belinda
Conspirare, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Seraphic Fire, Washington Bach Consort, The Thirteen
Opera Lafayette Orchestra led by Patrick Quigley
* Opera Lafayette debut
WATCH: "When I Am Laid in Earth"
Performed by Jessye Norman
Addendum Programming:
SALON SERIES:
Sorcery in the Schoolroom:
Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas in Historical Perspective
with Patrick Quigley and Amanda Eubanks Winkler
September 24, 6pmEST
Virtual
RSVP for Free
PRE-SHOW CONVERSATION:
With Amanda Eubanks Winkler
October 16, 6:30pmEST DC
October 20, 6:30pmEST NYC
Free, No Registration Needed