Ms. Rhodes Russell returns to Wolf Trap Opera this summer to conduct Floyd's SUSANNAH. This heartbreaking retelling of the biblical tale of “Susannah and the Elders” is considered the quintessential American opera. Set in the Appalachian Mountains, Susannah innocently incites the lust of the town elders, who demand their minister force her to repent sins for which she is not guilty. Carlisle Floyd’s use of idiomatic American folk song throughout the score captures the essence of Susannah’s plight and creates effective melodrama and lyrical storytelling solidifying Floyd’s place in the canon of great American composers. Wolf Trap Opera premiere.