HGO honors the legacy of late theatrical genius Robert Wilson with a presentation of his surreal, mesmerizing production of Handel’s Messiah, arranged by Mozart.

A bale of hay comes to life and plays with a little girl. A headless mannequin holds a lobster on a leash. A confused astronaut wanders amongst a group of choristers while a video of a collapsing glacier plays in the background.

These are but a few of the arresting images from the revered director’s vision of this majestic oratorio. The production will be staged in the United States for the first time at HGO, in the first performances of this choral masterpiece in company history. In Wilson’s interpretation, the Messiah—a narrative-free meditation on Jesus’s role as the Christian messiah, originally conceived for concert halls—transforms into a surreal and mesmerizing theatrical spectacle reminiscent of Disney’s Fantasia.

This anticipated production will showcase the renowned HGO Chorus alongside an exceptional cast: soprano Ying Fang, countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, tenor Benjamin Bliss, and bass-baritone Nicholas Newton, joined by the dancer Alexis Fousekis. Maestro Patrick Summers takes the podium for this can’t-miss HGO event. 

MUSIC
George Frideric Handel

TEXT
Charles Jennens

ARRANGEMENT
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

PRODUCTION
A Robert Wilson Production | A Co-Production of The Salzburg Mazarteum Foundation, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, and The Grand Théâtre de Genève.

April 17 - May 3, 2026