Ian Robertson News

San Francisco Opera's Tad and Dianne Taube General Director Matthew Shilvock announced today that Chorus Director Ian Robertson will retire at the close of 2021, capping a distinguished career with the Company. Robertson joined as Chorus Director in 1987 and throughout the ensuing 35 seasons established the San Francisco Opera Chorus as one of opera's finest vocal ensembles.

In anticipation of San Francisco Opera's return to the War Memorial Opera House stage for the opening of its 99th season, beginning with Puccini's Tosca on August 21, the Company has added two weekly, free opera streams for the month of August: Richard Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (August 7–8) and Gaetano Donizetti's Roberto Devereux (August 14–15).

San Francisco Opera announced today repertory, casting and reopening plans for its 99th season. Commencing with a performance of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca on Saturday, August 21, the 2021–22 Season marks the inauguration of Eun Sun Kim’s tenure as Caroline H. Hume Music Director and a reemergence of opera at the War Memorial Opera House.

San Francisco Opera's weekly, free opera streams continue in July with Janáček's intense family drama Jenůfa (July 10–11), Berlioz's massive epic Les Troyens (The Trojans) (July 17–18), Strauss' emotional thriller Elektra (July 24–25) and Verdi's Tyrolean tragedy Luisa Miller (July 31–August 1).

San Francisco Opera's weekly, free opera streams continue in April with Donizetti's Don Pasquale (April 3–4), The Fall of the House of Usher double bill featuring one-act operas by Gordon Getty and Claude Debussy (April 10–11) and Verdi's Don Carlo (April 17–18).

San Francisco Opera’s weekly, free opera streams continue in February with Wagner’s Lohengrin (February 6–7), Mozart’s Così fan tutte (February 13–14), Puccini’s La Rondine (February 20–21) and Verdi’s Falstaff (February 27–28).

Full-length free opera streams continue in January with three titles that were simulcast previously from the War Memorial Opera House to the stadium of the San Francisco Giants.

The presentations, filmed live in high-definition at the War Memorial Opera House, will be viewable on demand for free with registration at sfopera.com on the first streaming date starting at 10 am (PDT) and expiring at 11:59 pm the following day.

San Francisco Opera continues streaming performances with Giacomo Puccini's Tosca on October 10a?"11, Giuseppe Verdi's Attila on October 17a?"18 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) on October 24a?"25.

San Francisco Opera continues streaming performances as part of its Opera is ON initiative with Gioachino Rossini's La Cenerentola (Cinderella) on July 18 and Leoš Janáček's Věc Makropulos (The Makropulos Case) on July 25.

San Francisco Opera continues streaming performances as part of its Opera is ON initiative with Gioachino Rossini's La Cenerentola (Cinderella) on July 18 and Leoš Janáček's Věc Makropulos (The Makropulos Case) on July 25.

San Francisco Opera continues streaming performances as part of its Opera is ON initiative with Richard Strauss' Salome (June 20), Jules Massenet's Manon (June 27) and Carlisle Floyd's Susannah (July 4). The presentations, filmed live in high-definition at the War Memorial Opera House, will be viewable on demand for free at sfopera.com on the streaming date starting at 10 am PT and expiring at 11:59 pm the following day.

San Francisco Opera's streamed performances continue through Opera is ON with Vincenzo Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi (The Capulets and the Montagues) on Saturday, May 16. Each streamed opera, captured live in high-definition at the War Memorial Opera House, will be viewable on demand at sfopera.com on the streaming date starting at 10 am and expiring at 11:59 pm the following day.

The San Francisco Opera is continuing to rehearse from home amidst the health crisis

San Francisco Opera Tad and Dianne Taube General Director Matthew Shilvock announced today that the Company's 2020 Summer Season, scheduled to take place June 7a?"July 3 at the War Memorial Opera House, has been canceled. Ongoing developments in the global effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including orders by the City of San Francisco to shelter in place through at least May 3, as well as other state and federal travel restrictions and safety measures, prohibit the Company's ability to prepare, build, rehearse and perform this summer.

While it will not be opening The Magic Flute in April due to COVID-19 restrictions, Opera San José has announced something all opera patrons can enjoy at home instead: the FREE live stream viewing of its breathtaking 2011 production of Mozart's first dramatic masterpiece, the rarely produced Idomeneo: ré di Creta.

San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock today announced the Company's 98th season, which opens on September 11, 2020 with an Opening Night Celebration featuring soprano Albina Shagimuratova and tenor Pene Pati in concert with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra conducted by Music Director Designate Eun Sun Kim. Opening Night festivities include San Francisco Opera Guild's Opera Ball, BRAVO! CLUB's annual Opening Night Gala and two new events: the Opera Supper in the Veterans Building's elegant Green Room and, for the entire audience, a celebratory, post-concert toast to the season.

On November 24, 2019, San Francisco Opera presented Giacomo Puccini's third opera, MANON LESCAUT with two spectacularly large-voiced singers, Liana Haroutounian and Brian Jagde. In a most forthright manner, Director Olivier Tambosi told the story of Renato Des Grieux' unrequited love for Manon, the socially repressed convent school graduate who suddenly discovers a new world of fashion, jewels, and predatory men

San Francisco Opera presents Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, November 15–December 7.

Director Olivier Tambosi's production of Manon Lescaut, composer Giacomo Puccini's first triumph, returns to San Francisco Opera for six performances on the War Memorial Opera House stage, from November 8 through the 26th.