He started ushering for the Ballet at the beginning of 2014. Along with Eun Sun Kims multi-season Verdi and Wagner cycles and the repertoire expanding co-commissions, San Francisco Operas 202324 Season will witness the Company debuts of many exceptional artists on stage and in the pit. In January 2009, Gockley announced the reappointment of Patrick Summers as principal guest conductor[21] and named Giuseppe Finzi as the company's new assistant music director. The building was designed by Arthur Brown Jr., the architect who conceived Coit Tower and City Hall. The current chorus consists of two groups: the forty-eight-member Regular Chorus with twenty-six men and twenty-two women, and the Extra Chorus, which can expand the ensemble to 100 singers or more in larger operas. By 1975 he was director of the Canadian Opera Company where, in 1983, he had introduced the revolutionary supertitles. Tenor Bille Bruley appears with San Francisco Opera for the first time as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. San Francisco Opera General Director Kurt Herbert Adler (third from left) is honored by members of the opera supporters' group Il Cenacolo at a Christmas dinner in 1969. Soprano Brittany Renee makes her house debut as Julie, a friend to Omar amid the trials of their lives under enslavement. War Memorial Opera House301 Van Ness AvenueSan Francisco, CA 94102-4509, (415) 864-3330Mon 10am-5pmTue-Sat 10am-6pm, Performance days: 10am through first intermission, AboutEmployment | AuditionsPress RoomBlogVisitPerformance Archive, Opera ShopStreaming the First CenturyBohme Out of The Box, SF Opera GuildMerola Opera ProgramOpera Center, San Francisco Opera is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It was launched with the commissioning of the following operas: Summing up his years at the SFO, the San Francisco Chronicle noted: "He's never been interested in the succs d'estime, the daring intellectual or theatrical coup that dazzles culture mavens but leaves the general public alienated or bewildered. San Francisco Opera is a member of. About Contact Us (415) 861-4008 Moving up the ranks in the 1950s, he landed in New York in 1959 and for the next 20 years made London Records, Decca's classical arm, the most significant classical label in the United States. Salary Range : $68,000.00 - $73,000.00 Salary/year . The organization was . Our San Francisco-born entrepreneurial spirit and zest for life kick started this culture in 1981, and it shines through to this day. Alumni of the program have made important debuts at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Covent Garden, San Francisco Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin and English National Opera, to name just a few. cello. Its lively arias illuminate a heros quest and the steadfastness of true love. violin I. violin II. SOLD FEB 9, 2023. San Francisco Opera We have been thrilling audiences in San Francisco since 1923. Box Office (415) 864-3330 Mon 10am-5pm Tue-Sat 10am-6pm. The San Francisco Opera Chorus was the subject of the 1992 Oscar-winning feature-length documentary In the Shadow of the Stars . Tenor Pene Pati, whose fast-rising career began at San Francisco Opera with triumphs as the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto and Romo in Romo et Juliette, returns as the lovable Nemorino. War Memorial Opera House301 Van Ness AvenueSan Francisco, CA 94102-4509, (415) 864-3330Mon 10am-5pmTue-Sat 10am-6pm, Performance days: 10am through first intermission, AboutPress RoomBlogVisitPerformance Archive, Opera ShopStreaming the First CenturyBohme Out of The Box, SF Opera GuildMerola Opera ProgramOpera Center, San Francisco Opera is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Box Office (415) 864-3330 Mon 10am-5pm Tue-Sat 10am-6pm. Dastoor, a native of Pasadena, began her professional career at Opera San Jos in 2007, when she was hired by the company's founding director Irene Dalis as a member of the resident company. Each 5-part workshop . Omar, the first opera by Grammy Award-winning artist Rhiannon Giddens in collaboration with composer Michael Abels, brings an urgent, American story to the War Memorial Opera House in November. San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Arts advocate and San Francisco Opera board member Annette Campbell-White was honored at the sixth annual International Opera Awards (IOA) in London for her lifelong commitment to opera and . 2022-23 Meet Us DEI About SFCO Calendar Plan Your Visit Programs Become a Member Back MainStage 2022-23 Family . Bass Soloman Howard proposes to Ailyn Perez during curtain call of Tosca at San Francisco Opera. Make a gift that's meaningful to you today and start enjoying the perks of membership! Eun Sun Kim said: The works of Wagner and Verdi are cornerstones of the operatic repertoire as we know it. Nearby Hotels. Much of the magic came, as well, from the 24-member Wili ensemble, who moved as one in their hops across the stage, back leg in arabesque, each leg identical in height to its neighbor. San Francisco Opera's recent commissions include Dream of the Red Chamber by Bright Sheng and David Henry Hwang in the fall of 2016, based on the work of the same name by 18th-century Qing Dynasty writer Cao Xueqin. Partenope is the queen of the Paris social scene, her salon a magnet to the eras surrealist artists as they vie for her hand in a laugh-out-loud comedy. . During this time, Merola conceived of a vision for the company that involved branching away from the area's reliance on visiting troupes for entertainment, which had been a commonplace practice since the Gold Rush era, and creating a regional San-Francisco-based company. harp. To accomplish this, the company started a campaign to name various locations of the new space after donors in 2011. Learn how you can support us. In the summer of 1972, the San Francisco Opera began its 50th anniversary celebrations with a special free concert in Sigmund Stern Grove. New Zealand-born heldentenor Simon ONeill is Lohengrin and American soprano Julie Adams, a recent San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow, portrays Elsa. For more information, call the box office at 415-864-3330 or visit www.sfopera.com. Performance days: 10am through first intermission. Bud Cary San Francisco opera collection. Composer and performer Rhiannon Giddens Photo: Ebru Yildiz "Omar," a new operatic collaboration by Grammy Award-winning musician Rhiannon Giddens and composer Michael Abels, is scheduled for a world premiere in May at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, S.C, after which the piece will be performed by a consortium of co-commissioning companies, including the San Francisco Opera. CO-COMMISSION BAY AREA PREMIEREOMAR music by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels, libretto by Rhiannon GiddensNovember 521, 2023, Rhiannon Giddens; Michael Abels; Jamez McCorkle; Taylor Raven; Brittany Renee; Daniel Okulitch; John Kennedy. The building has been the home of San Francisco Opera since it opened on October 15, 1932 with a performance of Giacomo PuccinisTosca. Make a gift that's meaningful to you today and start enjoying the perks of membership! Master's student Joseph Calzada is behind the technology that brings opera and classical music into virtual reality (VR), allowing audiences all over the world to experience music universally. In 1986, Sir John Pritchard was appointed music director, and served until 1989. Among his successes in this regard was the mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick from Nevada. Janos Gereben, "Music News: 22 November 2011". It was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives. Towards the end of the 2001 season, Mansouri announced his retirement after fourteen seasons with SFO and 50 years in opera. San Diego Opera is a widely respected member of the international opera community and an invaluable cultural resource to the San Diego region. Amid the romance and intrigue, the operas story is driven forward by one of operas most elevating soundscapes. [19][20] Luisotti made his SFO debut in 2005 with La forza del destino, and returned in 2008 to conduct La bohme prior to assuming the role of music director. These free, live performances of an abridged version of Giacomo Puccinis La Bohme will travel to outdoor locations throughout the Bay Area this spring. Donald Runnicles was named music director and principal conductor of SFO in 1990, and assumed the posts in 1992. The program now annually offers approximately 23 gifted singers, four apprentice coaches, and one apprentice stage director the rare opportunity of studying, coaching, and participating in master classes with established professionals for eleven weeks during the summer. This one-hour version of Puccini's opera will be sung in Italian and feature English dialogue. Led by experienced teachers, workshops will explore the unique experiences within us all as participants build storytelling literacy skills in a creative and collaborative environment. Sean Martinfield, "SF OPERA Announces audited financial results for Fiscal Year 2010/11", Rita Moreno to Host KQED's San Francisco Opera Broadcasts, TheaterMania.com, "San Francisco Opera appoints Nicola Luisotti as Music Director beginning in 200910 season", "Nicola Luisotti named Opera's music director, starting in 2009", "3 Generations of Chinese Women Find Voice in Opera". So far these include Philip Glass and Christopher Hampton's Appomattox in 2007;[24] Stewart Wallace and Amy Tan's The Bonesetter's Daughter in 2008;[25] and Christopher Theofanidis and Donna Di Novelli's Heart of a Soldier in 2011. . Edwin MacArthur led the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in several 78-rpm recordings for RCA Victor in the late 1930s, including performances by soprano Kirsten Flagstad. After closing at the end of the 1995 Fall season for "a 21-month, US$88.5 million renovation, San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House reopened on 5 September 1997 with a gala concert celebrating this occasion, as well the 75th anniversary of the San Francisco Opera. First, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs by Bay Area composer Mason Bates and Pulitzer Prize-winning librettist Mark Campbell takes the stage in September with baritone John Moore as eponymous iconoclastic Steve Jobs, whose ideas helped reshape our world. Solomon Howard and Ailyn Prez have been together since 2019. For five years, he worked to build the chorus of the Chicago Opera Company. The 1923-24 season, for example, included productions of Andrea Chnier (with Beniamino Gigli), Mefistofele (again with Gigli), Tosca (with Giuseppe De Luca and Martinelli), and Verdi's Rigoletto (with Queena Mario, De Luca and Gigli). July 30th, 2022, European Premiere Rages of Love - Dan Zhu, violin, Bright Sheng, conductor and pianist Chteau de Fontainebleau Fontainebleau, France. In partnership with the Dolby family, the Company will continue its popular Dolby Family Opera for the Bay program. Our federal tax ID is 94-0836240, ng opera stages in this episode from the Companys award-winning. San Francisco Opera Company celebrated the annual Opera in the Park event in Sharon . San Francisco Opera is a member of. Saariaho specialist Clment Mao-Takacs conducts an international cast of singers and actors in this towering work performed in nine languages. In collaboration with the San Francisco Opera ("Opera"), the City of Dublin will be hosting the Opera's free performance of " Bohme Out of the Box ," from March 31 through April 2, at the Emerald Glen Park Amphitheater. [12] Subsequent simulcasts have been presented at Stanford University's Frost Amphitheater, four theaters in Northern California,[13] and San Francisco's AT&T Park. San Francisco Opera created a memorable performance out of Verdi's "La Traviata," a work That once heard, will always im[act you deeply. The fundraising campaign was a success. CO-COMMISSION BAY AREA PREMIERETHE (R)EVOLUTION OF STEVE JOBS music by Mason Bates, libretto by Mark CampbellSeptember 22October 7, 2023, Mason Bates; Mark Campbell; John Moore; Sasha Cooke; Bille Bruley; Wei Wu; Michael Christie. Transsexual dancer, singer and comedian. Merola heard of him and, over the telephone, invited him to San Francisco opera in 1943 as chorus director. He trained a chorus, assembled an orchestra from members of the San Francisco Symphony, and enlisted some of opera's top singersmany of them stars from the Metropolitan Opera in New York. War Memorial Opera . Armed with nothing but a magic flute and magic bells, a prince and a bird-catcher embark on a perilous journey to rescue a kidnapped princess only to discover that their adversary may actually be their ally. . 202324 MAINSTAGE SEASONOPERA BALLSeptember 8, 2023, Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak; Eun Sun Kim. When: Aug. 21 to July 3, 2022. Austrian soprano Christina Gansch, who won plaudits in last summers Don Giovanni as Zerlina, adds Pamina to her gallery of Mozart portrayals on the War Memorial Opera House stage. Pay-what-you're-able with a minimum ticket price of $9.99. San Francisco Opera known for commissioning numerous world premieres, training some of opera's greatest young artists and being one of the world's leading opera companies. While it was a popular and critical triumph, the five-day season was not a financial success. For the 2022/23 season, his appearances include Normanno in Lucia di Lammermoor and Spoletta in Tosca with LA Opera, where he is a member of the . Continued visits over the next decade convinced him that an opera company in San Francisco was viable. It became clear to Merola that a more solid financial base was needed, so he set about fundraising for a full season of opera in the fall of 1923. The overwhelmingly favorable response prompted the company to introduce the practice in increasing numbers of performances in subsequent seasons. The complete cycles in June 2011 were conducted by Donald Runnicles and featured cycle role debuts of Mark Delavan (Wotan) and Nina Stemme (Brnnhilde) as well as Jay Hunter Morris (making his role debut in the title role of Siegfried) and Ian Storey[es] (making his role debut as Siegfried in Gtterdmmerung. The cast features baritone John Moore in his Company debut as the iconoclastic Steve Jobs, a role for which he has won praise with companies in Seattle, Atlanta, Austin and Kansas City. * Notes * Don Giovanni, the last installment of the Mozart-Da Ponte trilogy directed by Michael Cavanagh, opened yesterday evening at San Francisco Opera.It was a joy to hear Maestro Bertrand de Billy conduct this beautiful music and there was much lovely singing. The acclaimed new work Innocence, from esteemed Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho with libretto by Sofi Oksanen and text dramaturgy and multilanguage translations by Aleksi Barrire, has its American premiere in June 2024. Characteristic of Merola's years as general director was the fact (as noted by Chatfield-Taylor) that "the great singers of the world came regularly to San Francisco, often performing several roles in deference to the short season and long travel time across the country."[2]. Opera", "Pamela Rosenberg's time at the Opera was as full of drama as any production", Joshua Kosman, "David Gockley seeks to overhaul S.F. [22], The company secured composer John Adams' Nixon in China for their 2011/12 season.[23]. Alexander Wilson, Bass-Baritone. Teaching Artist at San Francisco Opera San Francisco State University Alongside her is their young son, Trouble, who has never met his father. Where: War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., S.F. San Francisco Opera is a member of. San Diego Opera Guild was founded in 1950 to present San Francisco Opera productions in the San Diego community. Ambitious programming initiatives and plans for a second, smaller performance venue went by the wayside. Earlier this month, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the nation's largest and most influential opera company, posted a 45-second video on Instagram boasting about the company's new COVID safety . 212 to serve as an entertainment hall for its members, the Bayview Opera House was designed by prominent German architect Henry . SFO's has simulcast nine operas to AT&T Park since 2007 that have collectively drawn more than 165,000 opera fans. Learn More. By the fall, he was planning his first season, and the very next year, Merola organized a trial season at Stanford University. Friday, September 9, 2022, 8 p.m. concert. THE MAGIC FLUTE by Wolfgang Amadeus MozartMay 30June 30, 2024, Amitai Pati; Christina Gansch; Kwangchul Youn; Lauri Vasar; Anna Simiska; Eun Sun Kim. San Francisco Opera is a member of. Performance days: 10am through first intermission. Your support helps us fulfill our mission to bring the transformative power of musical storytelling to our community. On December 1, the Company presents The Elixir of Love Encounter, a rollicking, experiential evening which activates the War Memorial Opera House around themes from The Elixir of Love and invites attendees to immerse themselves in the world of Donizettis work. We are entering into our second century with eight bold, innovative productionsthat take us deep into the richness of the human condition in a thrilling intersection of musical styles. Meet one of the best teams in the opera world. San Francisco Hotels ; Inn at the Opera; Search. Many have also returned to LA Opera to sing leading roles. Besides his work for SF Ballet and Opera (usually in the Orchestra), he also proudly volunteered for the San Francisco SPCA. Completed in 2007, The Koret-Taube Media Suite is the first permanent high-definition broadcast-standard video production facility installed in any American opera house according to the company's website.[14]. The performance will be approximately 3 hours and 10 minutes including one intermission. Kurt Herbert Adler (19051988) came to the United States in 1938 after early experience and training in many aspects of music and theatre in Austria, Germany, and Italy. Following Adler's retirement announcement in June 1979, Terence A. McEwen (19291998) was Adler's hand-picked successor. The husband-and-wife duo, each a celebrated artist on the worlds leading opera stages, headline Opera Ball, the annual benefit co-presented by San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Opera Guild. MAR 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 31. About Press Room Blog Visit Performance Archive. By the 1970s, the company was highly successful and offered audiences the "cream of the crop" of internationally known singers, but, with Adler often bringing in unknowns to make their American debuts or the surprise of well-known singers replacing ailing ones, there were some exciting nights at the opera. San Francisco Opera Orchestra 1954-1959. after the San Francisco Symphony, he played in the Long Beach Municipal Band in the 1960s and the Long Beach Symphony) Studied at Oshkosh State Teachers College - Wisconsin in 1939. This once-in-a-century event features the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus, music directors past and present and 15 of the greatest artists to grace the War Memorial Opera House stage. - Alexander is a trained young opera artist with an expertise in and passion for contemporary (post . San Francisco Opera 2023-24 season Where: War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., S.F. He took on more and more administrative details as Merola's health and energy diminished, but Adler was not the board's natural choice to replace Merola at the time of his death in 1953. Joshua Kosman Joshua Kosman is The San Francisco Chronicle's music critic. After three months of acting as artistic director, and with the assistance of its president, Robert Watt Miller, Adler was confirmed as general director. Merola's tenure lasted 30 years. Located on the 4th floor of the Veterans Building and featuring the 299-seat Dianne and Tad Taube Atrium Theater, the John M. Bryan Education Studio for student, family and adult programs and the Edward Paul Braby San Francisco Opera Archives. She made her company debut as Gerhilde in the San Francisco Opera's production of Wagner's "Die Walkre." She went on to sing with the San Francisco Opera for the next seven years. We will have a world premiere for you in 2007, and the Wagner lovers among you will be happy to hear that we expect to commence a Ring Cycle in 2008. If You Go. Fidelio, directed by Matthew Ozawa, runs at the San Francisco Opera (301 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California) through October 30. During the nine years following the opening season, the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House was conceived. Our federal tax ID is 94-0836240. The Samoan tenor reflects on the centrality of his family in his musical journey from New Zealand to the worlds leading opera stages in this episode from the Companys award-winning In Song series. At the center of Richard Wagners Lohengrin stands a woman accused and her mysterious protector, the proverbial knight in shining armor. From 2004 to 2007, Keith Cerny served as the chief financial officer of the San Francisco Opera. Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera Show More Show Less . First presented by San Francisco Opera in 2014, Aldens staging updates the action from Handels ancient Neapolitan setting to a 1920s Parisian salon and, according to the Mercury News, turns the operas genderbending plot into a nonstop parade of visual and vocal delights. English conductor and harpsichordist Christopher Moulds, who made his Company debut in 2019 with Handels Orlando, returns to lead Partenope. [5], One of Mansouri's triumphs was the overseeing of the reconstruction and renovation of the opera house following the October 1989 earthquake. We are known for commissioning numerous world premieres, training some of opera's greatest young artists, and creating innovative programs and events to inspire a new generation of opera goers. The orchestra bubbled along as though the body of every instrument had been primed with champagne. Contact Us (415) 861-4008 In addition, the opera will be available on-demand for 48 hours after the performance. The estimated base pay is $3,886 per month. $375,000 Last Sold Price. A gem in San Franciscos architectural crown, the 3,146-seat War Memorial Opera House is a California Historical Landmark. LOHENGRIN by Richard Wagner Adler was often regarded as a difficult, sometimes tyrannical person to work for. About Employment | Auditions Press Room Blog Visit Performance Archive. October 30th, 2022 at 4pm. Thirdly, a characteristic of the Adler years was his interest in developing stronger connections to opera stage directors in an attempt to strengthen the dramatic and theatrical elements of the works. IL TROVATORE by Giuseppe VerdiSeptember 12October 1, 2023, Arturo Chacn-Cruz; Angel Blue; George Petean; Anita Rachvelishvili; Eun Sun Kim. Chronicle file photo 1969 Other operas new to the SFO's repertoire during her directorship include Busoni's Doktor Faust, Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre and Janek's The Cunning Little Vixen. Board Member Bay Area Girls Rock Camp Jan 2023 Arts and Culture More activity by Vivienne . The first official performance given by San Francisco Opera was La bohme, with Queena Mario and Giovanni Martinelli, on September 26, 1923, in the city's Civic Auditorium. Dramatizing the nexus of the sleek, high-tech devices that revolutionized modern life and the less tidy human beings who dreamed them into existence, this San Francisco Opera co-commission makes its long-awaited local premiere. However, until well after Merola's death on August 30, 1953 while conducting an open-air concert at Stern Grove, the main San Francisco season rarely extended beyond late October. For the ultimate opera experience immerse yourself in a story about a half-spirit and half-mortal, the Empress who lives in fear of a curse: If she doesnt acquire a human shadow in three days time, the spirit world will reclaim herand turn her husband to stone. Your support helps us fulfill our mission to bring the transformative power of musical storytelling to our community. Adler's aims in taking over the company were several. San Francisco Opera is a member of. By "hand holding" her through the various stages of training, he prepared her for the role of Azucena in Il trovatore for the summer 1986 season to great acclaim. On October 15, 1932 the company inaugurated the new opera house with a performance of Tosca on with Claudia Muzio in the title role. Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing the performance and professional singing skills of its members. San Francisco Opera is taking opera out of the Opera House for Bohme Out of the Box. She returned with few exceptions every season for 26 years and made her last appearance in the house in 1982. SAN FRANCISCO Wagner was the worst. Post-apocalyptic future felt much like something out of Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower, though that work is set in the a . This was a momentous change in the world of opera. Supertitles are now used for all San Francisco Opera productions and SFO also rents its supertitles internationally to other opera companies. Called a "transitional year" in its announcement Tuesday, June 22, the season is expected to open . Tenor Bille Bruley appears with San Francisco Opera for the first time as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. Sign up to attend a performance below. It began during the 1954/55 Season and was given its current name in 1957. Naval officer Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton. Handels 1730 comedy Partenope returns in the Olivier Award-winning production by director Christopher Alden. After much controversy surrounding her management of the SFO, which included deficits created after the "dot-com" collapse in 2000 and the effects of September 11 on arts attendance, she announced in 2004 that she would not renew her contract with the company when it ended in late 2005. Appealing to more than just the city's elite, Merola raised 2441 contributions of $50 each from many "founding members. Opera funding,", "San Francisco Opera Picks Matthew Shilvock, an Insider, to be its Leader", "Gockley era starts off strong with soprano Patricia Racette flexing vocal, dramatic muscle", History of San Francisco Opera on company's website, Joshua Kosman, "S.F. Then, on Tuesday, September 12, Kim will lead the Company in the first full opera of the season, Verdis Il Trovatore. Your support helps us fulfill our mission to bring the transformative power of musical storytelling to our community. Icelandic bass Kristinn Sigmundsson, who was the Water Gnome in Dvoks Rusalka under Kims baton in 2019, returns as King Heinrich. San Francisco Opera's inaugural international opera season was launched. Photo: Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle. Tune in for exciting behind-the-scenes content . 271: 1953-1956 Seems to have begun during the 1953-1954 season, succeeding Irving Steffen: Djokic, Michelle All employment is conditioned upon providing timely and satisfactory evidence of the ability Among those who were offered new and exciting challenges were Geraint Evans, the Welsh baritone, Leontyne Price, and Luciano Pavarotti. San Francisco Opera ( SFO) is an American opera company founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola (1881-1953) based in San Francisco, California .