Summer 2026 Announcement: McIntosh to Debut in World Premiere with Festival Napa Valley

Simone McIntosh will be debuting a world premiere by Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer presented by Festival Napa Valley. The work entitled ‘The Judgement of Paris’ will tell the true story of the 1976 wine competition in Paris, in which a Napa Valley wine won the international competition for the first time. The comedic retelling of this story will intertwine historic scenes with Roman Gods, Venus and Baccus.

McIntosh will perform the role of Patricia Gallagher, the young American living and studying in Paris who presented the winning Napa Valley wine. The cast will be made up of soprano Danielle De Niese as Venus and baritone Quinn Kelsey as Bacchus, with tenor Nicholas Phan as Steven Spurrier, and soprano Brenda Rae as Odette Kahn.

This world premiere will mark the 50th anniversary of the event and the 20th anniversary of Festival Napa Valley.