Washington Concert Opera, which presents opera in a concert version – no sets or costumes, minimal acting, and the singers and orchestra share the stage -- presents George Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at Lisner Auditorium. Bizet’s score evokes an aura of an exotic place, and, with orchestral color and nuance, the mystery of the sea and nature. But at its root is a story of friendship, betrayal and sacrifice between two pearl fishers, Zurga and Nadir, whose vow of eternal friendship is threatened by their love for the same woman. Baritone Will Liverman will sing the role of Zurga in this production. Mr. Liverman continues to garner praise for his performances on the world’s greatest opera stages, including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Carnegie Hall, has premiered important works, and is co-creator of the opera, The Factotum. I asked Mr. Liverman about his portrayal of Zurga, the opera’s famous male duet and performing opera in a concert setting.
Linda Carducci: Zurga is a complex character – he goes through many transformations, from companionship to resentment, jealousy, anger, and ultimately, mercy. Considering that this emotional range develops over the course of the opera, how do you mentally set up those stages and move through them?
Will Liverman: For me, Zurga really starts from a place of loyalty and friendship. The bond between him and Nadir is real, and I try to ground everything in that shared history first. When the jealousy and resentment creep in, I don’t think of it as a sudden shift but more as something that slowly breaks through the surface. Zurga is a leader, so he’s used to controlling his emotions, but the situation forces him to confront feelings he probably thought were long buried. As the opera unfolds, I try to let each moment build on the last. The anger and betrayal feel very human, but what ultimately moves me about Zurga is that he still finds the capacity for mercy at the end. He’s a little crazy for burning everything down, but his intentions were good and he finds his way back to loyalty by the end.
LC: One of the highlights of The Pearl Fishers is the gorgeous male duet, “Au font du temple saint,” in which Zurga and Nadir eloquently declare their undying bond of friendship. I’ll bet it’s a joy to sing that.
WL: It really is. That duet is one of those moments in opera where everything just lines up beautifully. The melody is so memorable, but what makes it special is the sincerity of the friendship between Zurga and Nadir. It’s not just a beautiful tune, it’s really two men reminding each other of a promise they made and the bond they share.
As a baritone, it’s also just incredibly satisfying musically. The lines sit in a really expressive part of the voice, and when the tenor and baritone blend well together it creates this warmth that audiences immediately feel. Every time we get to that moment in rehearsal or performance, it feels like the emotional center of the opera for me. It reminds you what’s at stake for the rest of the story.
LC: How is performing opera in a concert setting different from performing opera in a traditional, staged setting? Are there adjustments in your performing style that are made?
WL: I actually really enjoy the concert format because it puts the music completely front and center. Without sets and costumes, the storytelling has to come through the voice and the text, so you lean even more into the musical and emotional details of the score.
For me the adjustment is mostly internal. You’re not relying on much staging or physical movement to communicate the drama, so everything has to live in the phrasing and connection. At the same time, there’s something really special about sharing the stage with the orchestra and being right in the middle of that sound. It reminds you that opera at its core is really about the power of the music and the voices working together to tell the story.
Georges Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers is presented by Washington Concert Opera on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at Lisner Auditorium. Details here.
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