Wildnis 2026 -Wagner's Villains!

Wagner in der Wildnis XXIV:

Wagner's Heroes

Our 24th Annual Weekend Retreat (a members-only event)

Friday, May 29 to Sunday, May 31, 2026 

Cacapon Resort State Park 

Berkeley Springs, West Virginia 25411      

Please check back for registration information.

Background: :   How well do we know Wagner's villains? Wagner took great care to flesh out these characters and their motivations, avoiding stereotypical portrayals. He created complex and often sympathetic villains for whom he wrote beautiful, dramatically intense music and text that keep us riveted to the dramatic action. Our highly-esteemed experts Simon Williams and Jeffrey Swann will guide us.

Pianist Jeffrey Swann offers his prized lecture-demonstrations at the piano.  An internationally renowned concert pianist, and professor at New York University, he is known from previous Wildnis weekends, his concert performances for the Wagner Society of Washington DC and others, his talks for the Smithsonian Institution Tristan und Isolde seminar in 2004, the Norn Scene for The Metropolitan Opera’s 2019 Ring production, and his lectures at Bayreuth.

Professor Simon Williams, Professor Emeritus after a thirty-year career at the University of California at Santa Barbara, presents his insightful lectures on Wagner and drama. His major publications include Wagner and the Romantic Hero, Richard Wagner and Festival Theater, A History of German Theatre (co-editor), and The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Stage Actors and Acting (sole editor). Simon is also a member of the Editorial Board of The Wagner Journal, the world's leading periodical devoted to Wagner studies.

The program features lecture and discussion sessions, informal conversations between sessions and at meals with lecturers and members, a DVD showing, and more.

Cacapon State Park, near Berkeley Springs, WVA, is a two-hour drive from downtown Washington. See http://www.cacaponresort.com for a virtual tour.

Registration Fee to be paid in full by March 15: The fee includes lectures, two nights’ lodging, breakfast, lunch, dinner, morning coffee, a welcome cocktail, and two after-hours parties. Rates vary depending on the type of room selected; please see below for rates.  WSWDC members at the Patron level or above receive priority for rooms.

NB: This is a members-only event. Are you a member for 2026? If no, please join on our website www.wagner-dc.org.  The membership requirement is waived for members of other Wagner Societies based in North America. Please tell us to which society you belong, if any, when you register.

Please check back for registration details.