Sophie's Choice

Washington National Opera

June 6, 2009, 1:00 pm

Composer: Nicholas Maw's
Conductor: Marin Alsop

Cast: Angelika Kirchschlager (Sophie); Rod Gilfry (Nathan Landau); Gordon Gietz (Stingo); Corey Evan Rotz (Rudolph Franz Hoss); Clayton Brainerd (Zbigniew Bieganski); Erin Elizabeth Smith (Wanda); Trevor Scheunemann (Larry Landau)

Maw's opera is based on William Styron's searing -- and emotionally humbling -- bestseller. It's a wrenching yet beautiful story of the Holocaust, the price the title character pays in its aftermath, and the people who both help her to bear, but also exploit, the painful legacy of her unthinkable experiences.

Learn more at NPR's World of Opera »