Mitridate is a rarely staged early opera triumph for composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, completed when he was just 14 years old. It brings a dramatic story with virtuosic arias and duets, into an onstage world that underscores the timeless nature of absolute power, fraught family dynamics, and political gamesmanship. Celebrated tenor Lawrence Brownlee stars in the title role, with General Director Anthony Roth Costanzo as his eldest son, Farnace, and soprano Meredith Wohlgemuth in her company debut as his other son, Sifare. All three men are in love with Aspasia, the woman pledged to the king.

With a libretto by Vittorio Amedeo Cigna-Santi, adapted from Jean Racine’s play, Mitridate delves into ambition, loyalty, betrayal, and conflict—timeless dimensions of human experience that remain as resonant today as at its 1770 premiere. Composed when Mozart was just 14, the opera reveals an extraordinary command of dramatic pacing, combining youthful energy with striking elegance and emotional depth. Celebrated in its initial run and recognized as the composer’s first major operatic achievement, Mitridate later fell into obscurity before being rediscovered and revived in the 20th century.

Emma Griffin, the acclaimed theater and opera director and managing artistic director of Mannes Opera at the New School’s College of Performing Arts, makes her Opera Philadelphia debut directing the production. Judy & Peter Leone Music Director Corrado Rovaris leads the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra.

Mitridate, re di Ponto
Company Premiere
New Production
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Vittorio Amedeo Cigna-Santi
September 9, 10, 13, 2026
Academy of Music
Performed in Italian with English supertitles
Approximately 3 hours including one intermission