Long before Gounod’s famous Faust, a 26-year-old French composer, Louise Bertin, took on Goethe’s epic drama and created something entirely her own. Raw, visceral, and unfiltered, Fausto unfolds as the story of an aging, disillusioned scientist who strikes a desperate bargain with the Devil to reclaim youth and pursue pleasure. Blending classical elegance with romantic intensity, Bertin offers a strikingly eclectic yet deeply personal musical voice. Both bold and deeply human, Opera Neo’s American premiere of Fausto invites audiences to rediscover a forgotten masterpiece and encounter a uniquely youthful female perspective on one of Western culture’s most enduring stories.

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Peter Kozma directs the production and conducts the Opera Neo Orchestra, performing on period instruments.