On Monday, Wolf Trap Opera opened their Salon Series with a concert by two of their young artists: soprano Magdalena Kuzma and baritone Jonathan Patton.
With limited seating in a dinner-theater-style, The Barns at Wolf Trap proved to be the perfect setting for a recital, as each artist got a chance to speak directly to the audience about their repertoire choices. Instead of being on a stage somewhat removed from the audience, Kuzma and Patton were on the same level.
Kuzma started off the program with a set of three songs by Henri Duparc. With both exquisite singing from her as well as playing from pianist Joseph Li, this set felt completely in line with the French aesthetic and Duparc’s meticulous style. As Kuzma explained as part of her introduction, fewer than twenty of Duparc’s works survive, as he destroyed those he was not satisfied with. Furthermore, Kuzma’s acting was top-notch, even transformative; so engaging that one almost didn’t want to look at the translation for fear of missing something.
Patton followed up the French set with a set of German Lieder. His is a powerful voice, but true to the Lieder style and the intimacy of the venue, Patton started off Schubert’s “Ständchen” softly, creating space for growth and for the audience to pay close attention. He also treated Schubert’s interludes masterfully, allowing them to lead to the next thought instead of just waiting, so that, again, one had no desire to look away but rather ended up intrigued as to the inner monologue going on. Still, he got to show off the power of his instrument toward the end, on the last verse. Following that, his “Der Doppelgänger” had excellent text delivery; everything one could want in this song. The choice of “Auf der Bruck” to end the set was an interesting and good one. As Patton pointed out in his introduction, this bears a similarity to “Erlkönig” in that it also involves someone riding a horse, but it feels not at all ominous and does not end in death. And, since it is not as frequently performed, the audience was surely glad to hear it.
Kuzma started off the next set with a set of three songs in English by Charles T. Griffes. In this set, Kuzma was again expressive both dynamic-and-acting-wise, but the high register in which the composer set these poems caused the words to get lost. The program only included translations for the foreign-language pieces, so thee audience was left wanting to read the poems that were being sung. That said, it was wonderful to hear how free Kuzma’s sound is, and she clearly was connected to these poems in her interpretation, thus she was still able to bring in the audience and let them in on what she was feeling.
Patton’s set of English songs were by Aaron Copland: “The Boatmen’s Dance,” “Long Time Ago,” and “I Bought Me a Cat.” Heree the audience was treated to a folksy feeling that proved extremely relaxing, especially in a setting like The Barns that evokes American rural life. In particular, “I Bought Me a Cat” was delightful, almost like a grown-up Old MacDonald, with a highly satisfying ending after a build-up that lasts the entire piece. This one had the audience laughing.
Kuzma’s musical theatre offering for the evening, “Goodbye Little Dream, Goodbye” from Cole Porter’s Anything Goes, allowed her to show off a stunning interpretation. The lower range of this piece made the text completely understandable, and Kuzma proved herself to have real chops for golden-age, classic American musical theatre.
Patton and Kuzma finished the evening with the duet “If I Loved You” from Roger and Hammerstein’s Carousel. They gave some amazing delivery of dialogue as well as singing, and this was the perfect way to end the concert. One can’t help but look forward to the rest of the Salon Series when the programming is this good and the performance so connected to the audience.
Maggie Ramsey
Wolf Trap Opera Salon Series
Henri Duparc – “Chanson triste,” “Exstase,“ “L’invitation au voyage“; Franz Schubert – “Ständchen,“ “Der Doppelgänger,” “Auf der Bruck”; Charles T. Griffes – “The Lament of Ian the Proud,” “Thy Dark Eyes to Mine,” “The Rose of the Night” (3 Poems of Fiona MacLeod); Aaron Copland – “The Boatmen’s Dance,” “Long Time Ago,” “I Bought Me a Cat”; Cole Porter – “Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye” (Anything Goes); Rogers & Hammerstein – “If I Loved You” (Carousel)
Magdalena Kuzma – Soprano; Jonathan Patton – Baritone; Joseph Li – Piano
The Barns at Wolf Trap, Vienna, VA, June 8, 2026
Top image: (L to R) Joseph Li, Magdalena Kuzma, and Jonathan Patton
All photos by Mallory Snyder