Characters in the opera include the Devil, who is tricked by a talkative woman; a smart shepherd, who saves the village from serfdom; and their Princess from hell. The combination of choreography and beautiful music give this folktale a fantasy quality that will cast a spell on its audiences.  This production was brought to life through the vision of Music Director James Allbritten and Stage Director Steven LaCosse with the collaboration of Angela Ward in musical preparation and Jerry Hatmaker as guest choreographer.  

The Devil and Kate was the first opera to be completed by Dvořák after The Jacobin (1888). The subject of The Devil and Kate continues Dvořák’s interest in Czech folklore, which first emerged in his four symphonic poems based on ballads by K.J. Erben, composed after his return from the USA in 1896. Based on a story in Božena Němcová’s “Folk Tales and Legends” (1845), which was later used as the basis of a drama by J.K. Tyl (1850) and a poem by Ladislav Quis (1883), the libretto of The Devil and Kate was written by Adolf Wenig with English translation by Ian Gledhill. 

James Allbritten is an NCSA School of Music faculty member, the artistic director of the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute, and artistic director and principal conductor of Piedmont Opera Theatre. Steven LaCosse is an NCSA School of Music faculty member, and the managing director of the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute.  

The A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute is a vehicle for advancing the career potential of exceptional young singers. The institute offers performance-based training to institute Fellows at graduate and post-master’s levels.

The North Carolina School of the Arts, located in Winston-Salem, was the first state-supported, residential school of its kind in the nation. Established by the N.C. General Assembly in 1963, NCSA opened in Winston-Salem in 1965 and became part of the University of North Carolina system in 1972. More than 1,100 students from middle school through graduate school train for careers in the arts in five professional schools: Dance, Design and Production (including a Visual Arts Program), Drama, Filmmaking, and Music. The North Carolina School of the Arts is the state’s only public arts conservatory, dedicated entirely to the professional training of talented students in the performing, visual and moving image arts. The chancellor, deans, and faculty work with students in a residential setting to create an educational community that is intimate, demanding, and performance-centered. Learning is enriched by access to an academic program responsive to a conservatory curriculum. Founded to be both an educational institution and a resource enhancing the cultural life of the state of North Carolina and the Southeast, NCSA offers numerous public performances, on- and off-campus, as well as community education in the arts.

School of the Arts alumni have performed in or behind the scenes of Broadway shows, film, television and regional theatre, and are members of the world’s finest symphony orchestras and opera and dance companies. They have won or been nominated for all of the major awards in the entertainment industry, including Tony, Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and others.

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