Events

The WSSC plans unique events

throughout the calender year…

Our events occur in several regular places throughout the year and sometimes in special locations which will be noted:

NOTE: ZOOM Events are for WSSC

members and guests who purchased

a $10,00 entry fee.

The Colburn School 200 S. Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90012 Directions Parking The Chairman’s Home: 1630 South Barranca Ave.. #167 Glendora, CA 91740 Directions Bayreuth Festival Festspielhügel 1-2 85445 Bayreuth

PARISFAL

at the Goetheanum, Switzerland

Sunday, March 29th @ 4PM CET

After its national success, this Parsifal returns to the Goetheanum stage, blending opera and eurythmy. The Goetheanum, often called the Grail Castle, is once again opening for modern audiences in Dornach near Basel. Built between 1925 and 1928 by about 100 people following Rudolf Steiner’s design, it is an early example of organic reinforced concrete architecture, with shipbuilders contributing innovative techniques. The building’s organic forms reflect anthroposophy’s focus on understanding and promoting life, connecting the structure to its surroundings. Steiner had always hoped to witness Parsifal staged there, and now that dream has finally come true. Wagner’s music is performed by conductor Roland Fister and the Baden-Baden Philharmonic, while 29 eurythmists from the Goetheanum and Else Klink Ensembles visually interpret the work. The opera is directed by Jasmin Solfaghari. For more information about the production and cast, click here.

“ISOLDE SINGS!”

A discussion with soprano,

CATHERINE WOODWARD

Sun., Feb. 15th 2026 @ 11 AM PST

“For sheer consistency, though, could anyone hold a candle to Catharine Woodward as Brünnhilde, whose bright soprano gleamed from her first triumphant appearance to the blazing finish? One of the pleasures, and saving graces, of Die Götterdämmerung was seeing her simply stand and deliver. It’s not a competition but this treasurable talent took home the gold.” - Daniel Lewis, The Times Feb. 2, 2025 Catharine is a British dramatic soprano resident in Germany. Her first Wagner role was Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in 2019, she has since sung Isolde, Kundry, Gerhilde in Bayreuth, and Brünnhilde at the Regents Opera for the complete Ring Cycle. She is singing Isolde again in the upcoming Longborough Opera production in June of 2026. Beyond Wagner, she’s sung, Leonora di Vargas Forza del destino, Mimi in La Boheme, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Alice Ford in Falstaff, Edna Tobias & The Angel and Sarah Clemency and more. Catharine studied Music at the University of Durham, vocal Performance at Trinity Laban & at the Alexander Gibson Opera School at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She has worked at the Royal and Ballet and Opera, Covent Garden; English National Opera; Scottish Opera; the Aix-en-Provence Festival and many other prestigious companies and festivals. Career highlights include a documentary for the Open University - Future Diva, and performing at Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Coronation Festival in 2014. In 2017 she appeared in comedy series “Taskmaster” on Dave & also demonstrated the function of the vocal tract by singing Puccini in an MRI scanner for the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. In January 2018 she performed excerpts of Madama Butterfas a featured artist in ITV drama “Next Of Kin”.

PARISFAL: THE WILL AND

REDEMPTION

Lecture with John L.

Mastrogiovanni, D.Min.

Saturday, March 7th or 14th

11:00 AM - 2:30 PM PST

Date & Cost: TBA (Lunch Included)

Parsifal is Richard Wagner’s final musical and philosophical treatise to the world. Since its introduction to opera houses beyond Bayreuth, many have shared their insights about what the spiritual and religious meanings were regarding this work. However, Wagner himself knew what he meant when he conceived it and had a definite purpose for the work. For instance, on September 7th, 1865, Wagner wrote to Mathilde Wesendonck and defined the meaning of Kundry’s kiss, its impact on Parsifal and the drama. In “Parsifal: The Will and Redemption,” Dr. Mastrogiovanni, an educator in theology for more than 40 years, as well as a student of Wagner’s music since the age of five, utilizes Wagner’s own concepts from his letters and prose works to help define the meaning of this amazing Sacred Stage Drama. As a recent lecturer in Bayreuth said, “If you love Wagner’s Ring and feel ready to enter his last opera Parsifal – this is the book to accompany you.”