Selections and Scenes from Darius Milhaud’s Esther de Carpen

Esther de Carpentras (1938) is a two-act opéra bouffe (satirical comic opera) by Darius Milhaud with a libretto by Armand Lunel. Rooted in Purim traditions of southern France’s Jewish communities, it fuses biblical Esther themes, Judeo-Provençal performance heritage, and Milhaud’s Jewish identity. 

This program presents excerpts, animation, and contextual lectures.  This concert is a program of the NCMA’s Initiative for Jewish Art and Culture, made possible through the generosity of our donors, whose annual gifts have supported programming for the 2025 season.