Ian Robertson News

San Francisco Opera presents Richard Strauss' Arabella in five performances at the War Memorial Opera House from October 16 through November 3. Last performed by the Company 20 years ago, Arabella returns in Tim Albery's acclaimed production with leading Strauss interpreter Marc Albrecht, making his United States opera debut on the podium. The cast features soprano Ellie Dehn performing the title role for the first time, baritone Brian Mulligan in his role debut as Mandryka, soprano Heidi Stober as Zdenka, tenor Daniel Johansson in his first San Francisco Opera engagement as Matteo and Hye Jung Lee as the Fiakermilli. Company Chorus Director Ian Robertson prepares the San Francisco Opera Chorus.

San Francisco Opera unveils a new production of Giacomo Puccini's Tosca on Wednesday, October 3, with a cast led by Italian soprano Carmen Giannattasio in her Company and role debuts as Tosca, tenor Brian Jagde as Cavaradossi and baritone Scott Hendricks as Baron Scarpia with conductor Leo Hussain leading the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus in his first performances with the Company. Puccini's monumental work, which has a distinguished history at San Francisco Opera, will be staged by American director Shawna Lucey with new sets and costumes designed by Robert Innes Hopkins and built entirely in San Francisco Opera's scenic and costume shops.

San Francisco Opera's 2018-19 Season opens Friday, September 7 with the double bill of Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci (or CavPag), and opening night galas hosted by San Francisco Opera Guild and the BRAVO! CLUB. Italian conductor Daniele Callegari makes his Company debut leading an International cast in Jose Cura's production, staged in revival by fellow Argentine Jose Maria Condemi. Opening weekend festivities inaugurating the Company's 96th season continue Saturday, September 8, with Gaetano Donizetti's Roberto Devereux and on Sunday, September 9, with San Francisco Chronicle Presents Opera in the Park, the annual free concert in Golden Gate Park celebrating the new opera season.

San Francisco Opera's 2018-19 Season opens Friday, September 7 with the double bill of Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci (or Cav/Pag), and opening night galas hosted by San Francisco Opera Guild and the BRAVO! CLUB. Italian conductor Daniele Callegari makes his Company debut leading an International cast in Jose Cura's production, staged in revival by fellow Argentine Jose Maria Condemi. Opening weekend festivities inaugurating the Company's 96th season continue Saturday, September 8, with Gaetano Donizetti's Roberto Devereux and on Sunday, September 9, with San Francisco Chronicle Presents Opera in the Park, the annual free concert in Golden Gate Park celebrating the new opera season.

In an onstage presentation following the July 1 performance of Richard Wagner's Gotterdammerung, San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock presented former general director David Gockley with the San Francisco Opera Medal, the Company's highest honor. An industry pioneer who helped shape the operatic repertory and build new audiences for the artform, Gockley served ten years at the helm of San Francisco Opera and is currently the Company's General Director Emeritus.

San Francisco Opera's presentation of Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) opens tonight with the first of three complete cycles, each presented over the course of one week as the composer originally intended, from June 12 through July 1 at the War Memorial Opera House. Encompassing four operas-Das Rheingold, Die Walkure, Siegfried and Gotterdammerung-and more than 17 hours, Wagner's Ring is one of the most ambitious works of music, theater and stagecraft ever created.

Complementing the highly-anticipated performances of Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen on the stage of the War Memorial Opera House (June 12-July 1), San Francisco Opera presents its ongoing Ring Festival of ancillary events and activities. Designed to deepen public engagement and provide informative, fun ways to explore Wagner's profound masterwork, the Ring Festival offers a diverse schedule of lectures, exhibitions, film screenings, musical programs and opportunities to hear from artists, production team members and Wagner experts.

San Francisco Opera presents Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) in three complete cycles, each presented over the course of one week as the composer originally intended, from June 12 through July 1 at the War Memorial Opera House. Encompassing four operas-Das Rheingold, Die Walkure, Siegfried and Gotterdammerung-and more than 17 hours, the story and music of Wagner's Ring are the acme of the operatic artform and one of the most ambitious works of music, theater and stagecraft ever created. In anticipation of the performances, San Francisco Opera today announced a schedule for its Ring Festival events designed to provide the public, from first-timers to experienced Ring-goers, with enriching activities including lectures, symposia, film screenings, musical programs, public discussions and a Ring Community Day for families.

San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock today announced plans for the 2018 19 Season. The Company's 96th Season will open Friday, September 7 with a gala double-bill performance of Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci in Jos Cura's production with an international cast featuring Lianna Haroutounian, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Roberto Aronica, Marco Berti and Dimitri Platanias, conducted by Daniele Callegari. To usher in the new opera season, San Francisco Opera Guild will produce its signature benefit event, Opera Ball 2018.

San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock today announced plans for the 2018 19 Season. The Company's 96th Season will open Friday, September 7 with a gala double-bill performance of Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci in Jos Cura's production with an international cast featuring Lianna Haroutounian, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Roberto Aronica, Marco Berti and Dimitri Platanias, conducted by Daniele Callegari. To usher in the new opera season, San Francisco Opera Guild will produce its signature benefit event, Opera Ball 2018.

Following the December 3 matinee performance of Puccini's Turandot, San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock presented British artist David Hockney with the Company's highest honor, the San Francisco Opera Medal. In an onstage ceremony amongst the brilliant red Act III setting of Hockney's production, which premiered at San Francisco Opera in 1993, the 80-year-old artist received the medal before a sold-out audience.

Immediately following the November 21 world premiere of his opera, Girls of the Golden West, composer John Adams was presented with the San Francisco Opera Medal by Company General Director Matthew Shilvock. With the opening night audience in attendance and surrounded onstage by members of the cast and creative team for his new work set during the tumultuous California Gold Rush, the internationally renowned composer, conductor and Berkeley resident received San Francisco Opera's most esteemed award.

San Francisco Opera presents six performances of Jules Massenet's Manon at the War Memorial Opera HouseNovember 4 22.

The 2017 Fall Season of San Francisco Opera continues in November and December with a new production of Jules Massenet's Manon (November 4 22), Giacomo Puccini's Turandot (November 18 December 9) and the highly anticipated world premiere of John Adams' Girls of the Golden West (November 21 December 10). Special concert presentations include the San Francisco Opera Chorus (November 30), the popular award-winning New Zealand vocal trio Sol3 Mio performing with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra (December 1) and The Future Is Now: Adler Fellows Concert (December 8). The Company's 95th season culminates in June 2018 with Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen.

San Francisco Opera presents Verdi's La Traviata in ten performances at the War Memorial Opera House, September 23 through October 17. Company Music DirectorNicola Luisotti leads an international cast featuring three artists making their Company debuts in leading roles: Romanian soprano Aurelia Florian as Violetta Val ry, Brazilian tenor Atalla Ayan as Alfredo Germont and Polish baritone Artur Rucinski as Giorgio Germont.

San Francisco Opera's production of Richard Strauss'Elektra opens in a new staging by acclaimed English director Keith Warner at the War Memorial Opera House on Saturday, September 9. Absent from the Company's repertory for two decades, Strauss' 1909 opera, with a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal and based on the Greek tragedy by Sophocles, returns with a powerful cast headlined by soprano Christine Goerke in the title role. Hungarian conductor Henrik Nanasi makes his Company debut leading the San Francisco Opera Orchestra

San Francisco Opera inaugurates its 95th season on Friday, September 8, with Puccini's Turandot, staged in the iconic production by English artist David Hockney and conducted by Company Music Director Nicola Luisotti, and two opening night galas. Saturday, September 9 features the opening of a new production of Richard Strauss' Elektra. The festivities continue on Sunday, September 10, with San Francisco Chronicle Presents Opera in the Park, an annual Bay Area tradition celebrating the opening of the opera season with a free concert in Golden Gate Park.

San Francisco Opera presents Verdi's La Traviata in ten performances at the War Memorial Opera House, September 23 through October 17. Company Music DirectorNicola Luisotti leads an international cast featuring three artists making their Company debuts in leading roles: Romanian soprano Aurelia Florian as Violetta Valery, Brazilian tenor Atalla Ayan as Alfredo Germontand Polish baritone Artur Ruci?ski as Giorgio Germont. The classic 1987 San Francisco Opera production, which evokes the opulence of mid-19th century Paris in lavish, detailed settings and costumes, will be revived by original director John Copley along with stage director Shawna Lucey. Artistic Director of Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco Carola Zertuche contributes new choreography in her Company debut. Ian Robertson directs the San Francisco Opera Chorus.

San Francisco Opera today announced the addition of two concerts to its 2017 Fall Season. On Thursday, November 30, the San Francisco Opera Chorus will be featured in an all-choral program at the Taube Atrium Theater in the Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera. The following evening on December 1, multi-platinum New Zealand vocal trio Sol3 Mio (pronounced So-le Mio) will make their continental United States concert debut at the War Memorial Opera House accompanied by the San Francisco Opera Orchestra conducted by Robert Mollicone. In a related announcement, the venue for the annual The Future is Now concert featuring the 2017 Adler Fellows on Friday, December 8, will be the War Memorial Opera House.

The 2017 national radio broadcast series of San Francisco Opera performances on the WFMT Radio Network begins on Saturday, September 2 with a 1979 archival broadcast of Amilcare Ponchielli's La Gioconda. The cast features soprano Renata Scotto in the title role and tenor Luciano Pavarotti as Enzo Grimaldi, each singing their role for the first time on any stage.