The Listener’s Guide to Rossini’s La Cenerentola

Get ready for Wolf Trap Opera’s June performances of La Cenerentola with a specialized guide to the history and language behind the music. This lecture takes us to Rome in 1817 to explore how Rossini and librettist Jacopo Ferretti transformed a childhood fable into a human comedy of morals. Focusing on the original Italian text, we will decode Rossini’s musical playbook, mapping out how the libretto’s poetry shapes the lightning-fast pacing, ensembles, and soaring melodies of the bel canto style. Leave with a fresh listening strategy for the performance!

Performances take place at The Barns at Wolf Trap on June 18, 21, 25, and 27, 2026.

Attendance Options

In Person: $45, including a complimentary glass of wine.

Online: $35. A Zoom link will be sent by email approximately 30 minutes before the lecture begins.

About the Speaker

A classically trained violist and musicologist, Maestro Diego Rodriguez holds a Bachelor's degree in Viola Performance from the Conservatorio G. Frescobaldi di Ferrara, as well as Master's degrees in Musicology from the University of Bolzano and in Music Pedagogy from the Conservatorio Monteverdi di Bolzano, Italy. With more than twelve years of teaching experience, he is a dedicated educator of violin and viola.

A former member of Colombia's Orquesta Nueva Filarmonía, Diego was awarded a Latin Grammy in 2019 for Best Classical Album. He has performed with distinguished orchestras and ensembles throughout Europe and Latin America, bringing a unique combination of scholarly expertise and performance experience to his lectures on opera and classical music.