The season also includes a staging of Samuel Barber's Vanessa directed by Micael Ehrman and conducted by former CCO artistic director John Moriarty. Soprano Emily Pulley sings the title role. The production runs July 2-August 7.

Finally, CCO stages Benjamin Britten's first opera, Paul Bunyan, a collaboration with poet W. H. Auden that was written in 1941 as "choral operetta" for students at Columbia University.

Britten specialist Steuart Bedford, who recently conducted the composer's Gloriana in St. Louis, is the conductor; Ken Cazan directs. Bass-baritone Richard Cross is Paul Bunyan; the cast also includes baritone Marcus DeLoach, tenor John McVeigh, and soprano Alison Trainer. Performances run July 16-August 6.