On April 23 and 25, Thomas Hampson joins the Maison symphonique de Montréal for a semi-staged concert of Mozart’s charming comedy, Così fan tutte, appearing as the manipulative puppet-master Don Alfonso and acting as stage director for the production. Under the baton of Rafael Payare, Hampson joins an extraordinary ensemble cast, including Anna Prohaska as Fiordiligi, Michèle Losier as Dorabella, Matthew Swensen as Ferrando, Florian Sempey as Guglielmo, and Jenny Daviet as Despina.

It’s a role Hampson is excited to return to, telling La Scena Musicale “It’s really wonderful to come back to Don Alfonso—to be this whimsical, somewhat cynical uncle, manipulating this quartet so that they finally realize what hurtful nonsense they created for themselves. The genius of Mozart, in his music first and the construction and unravelling of these stories, is extraordinary—unique.”