[2], Mansouri introduced many new operas to the SFO repertory. War Memorial Opera House 301 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102-4509. Lotfi Mansouri (born 1929) was already a known quantity when Terry McEwen announced his retirement. Michael Christie conducts the fast-paced, electro-acoustic work. It traditionally features artists from the opening weekend in full concert with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. 2022-23 Meet Us DEI About SFCO Calendar Plan Your Visit Programs Become a Member Back MainStage 2022-23 Family . Box Office (415) 864-3330 Mon 10am-5pm Tue-Sat 10am-6pm. ", He continued: "Embattled by financial woes and trying labor negotiations, Rosenberg was routinely blamed for problems that were largely beyond her control. [1] The first performance occurred in the Stanford Cardinal's football stadium on June 3rd, 1922, with a star-studded group of singers, including Giovanni Martinelli in Pagliacci, followed by Carmen and Faust. Visit Us. Naval officer Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton. Visit Us. His passion for opera in general led him to visit the Royal Opera House in London and a lowly paid job with Decca Records in that city. Pamela Rosenberg[de]'s first connection with the San Francisco Opera was as a standee while attending the University of California, Berkeley. In January 2001, Rosenberg announced her first artistic initiative for San Francisco Opera, "Animating Opera", a multi-year plan of interwoven themes and series. Friday, September 9, 2022, 8 p.m. concert. February 23, 2023. Description . It was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives. The following day his mentor, Kurt Herbert Adler, died. In November 1992, Mansouri introduced "Pacific Visions", an ambitious program designed to maintain the vitality of the opera repertoire through new commissions and the presentation of unusual repertoire. - Alexander is a trained young opera artist with an expertise in and passion for contemporary (post . On October 15, 1932 the company inaugurated the new opera house with a performance of Tosca on with Claudia Muzio in the title role. For over 75 years, San Francisco Opera Guild hasoffered enthralling, award-winning K-12 education programs and engaging community outreach programs. in Wagner's Ring Cycle alone, we spend 14 hours together in the dark, sharing our love for extraordinary music. 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. The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs is the first of three San Francisco Opera co-commissions to be presented during the 2023-24 Season, reaffirming the Company's commitment to expanding the operatic repertoire. The overwhelmingly favorable response prompted the company to introduce the practice in increasing numbers of performances in subsequent seasons. San Francisco, California, U.S. Visit Us. Mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, who radiantly personified (Dallas Morning News) Laurene Powell Jobs at the world premiere, and bass Wei Wu, role creator of Jobs spiritual advisor, Kbun Chino Otogawa, reprise their respective parts. Nearby Hotels. Her taste for new and unusual operas and a European-honed aesthetic that favored brash and even radical reinterpretations of the classics, the thinking went, drove away audiences and donors and ran up costs in the company's hour of greatest need."[9]. The third performance of every main-stage opera during the 202223 season will be available to view as a livestream. Many have also returned to LA Opera to sing leading roles. Contact Us [26] In 2013, the company presented three world premieres: Nolan Gasser and Carey Harrison's The Secret Garden, based on the children's book by Frances Hodgson Burnett (and staged in conjunction with UC Berkeley's Cal Performances);[27] Mark Adamo's The Gospel of Mary Magdalene;[28] and Tobias Picker and J. D. McClatchy's Dolores Claiborne,[29] based on the novel by Stephen King. 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. Countertenor Carlo Vistoli makes his American opera debut as Arsace, and countertenor Nicholas Tamagna joins the Company as Armindo. Another aim was to present new talent, and, for this, he was tireless in seeking out up-and-coming new singers, whether American or European, by attending performances in both major and minor opera houses. The artists of the San Francisco Opera Chorus, recently praised by the San Francisco Chronicle for singing splendidly under its new director, John Keene, will be featured throughout the new season. 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. San Francisco Opera debuted on September 26, 1923, with La Bohme by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) at the Exposition Auditorium (now . "[This quote needs a citation]. War Memorial Opera . LOHENGRIN by Richard Wagner Visit Us. While it was a popular and critical triumph, the five-day season was not a financial success. Mansouri's feelings on the effects of titling was that the audience would be more engaged in the performance. By introducing his young singers to the great voices of the past, inviting them to rehearsals, and giving tickets to current productions McEwen hoped to create rounded performers who could appear in the regular Fall season. He was elected at a special meeting of the board of . Following Adler's retirement announcement in June 1979, Terence A. McEwen (19291998) was Adler's hand-picked successor. San Diego Opera Association was incorporated in 1965 as a producing company and presented . Merola heard of him and, over the telephone, invited him to San Francisco opera in 1943 as chorus director. Your support helps us fulfill our mission to bring the transformative power of musical storytelling to our community. This is one of those places where the San Francisco Ballet really . Baritone Norman Garrett makes his house debut in the double roles of Omars brother, Abdul, and Abe; baritone Daniel Okulitch portrays both Johnson and Owen and tenor Barry Banks is the Auctioneer and Taylor. Presented by San Francisco Opera Guild, Insight Panels are free for San Francisco Opera members, subscribers and students with valid ID. Able to prioritize competing or conflicting requests. 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. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Paiement has served as the Artistic Director of the BluePrint Project at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) where she has commissioned, premiered, and recorded works from many living . Member benefits include attendance at vocal master classes, invitations to special events and ticketing privileges. One device changed the way we interact with each other and the world, but what did it do to the man whose creative zeal brought it into existence? 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. During the 1983 fall season, the student/family matinee performances of La traviata were presented with supertitles. One was to expand the season which in Merola's time ran from the Friday after Labor Day until early November (when the Metropolitan Opera's season began) in order to capitalize on the availability of singers by presenting up to fourteen operas with two or three performances each. Job Details . 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. $375,000 Last Sold Price. The Orchestra's most treasured relationship is the one we have with you, our audience. San Francisco Opera War Memorial Performing Arts Center San Francisco. Then head of the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto, Mansouri had received an education in medicine in Los Angeles, but gave it all up upon becoming fixated on opera, first as a young tenor with UCLA's Opera Workshop, and then with opera in general. Your support helps us fulfill our mission to bring the transformative power of musical storytelling to our community. The updated setting for this funny and heart-warming 1832 romance, which includes Donizettis cherished aria Una furtiva lagrima (A furtive tear), takes place on the Italian Riviera during the 1950s. Contact Us (415) 861-4008 War Memorial Opera House 301 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102-4509. 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. Among those who were offered new and exciting challenges were Geraint Evans, the Welsh baritone, Leontyne Price, and Luciano Pavarotti. On 9 January 2007, SFO announced its third music director would be the Italian conductor Nicola Luisotti, beginning with the 2009/10 season, for an initial contract of 5 years. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. I cannot wait for Eun Suns first Wagner opera in the house as she continues to bring awe-inspiring interpretations to our theater. Merola's road to prominence in the Bay Area began in 1906 when he first visited the city. FREE AND OPEN TO ALL! Mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack reprises the role of Rosmira, tenor Alek Shrader returns as Emilio and Hadleigh Adams is Ormonte. [14], The technology for the simulcasts and other innovations like OperaVisiona series of screens located throughout the War Memorial Opera House that project close-up shots of the action on stageis made possible through SFO's Koret-Taube Media Suite. Box Office (415) 864-3330 Mon 10am-5pm Tue-Sat 10am-6pm. War Memorial Opera House 301 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102-4509. 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. On 8 February 1988, McEwen announced his resignation. Several innovations undertaken by Adler included the Merola Opera Program (named after the first general director). 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. 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. 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. Vilma J, a Finnish musician who crosses musical boundaries from folk to experimental electronic music, makes her house debut as Markta. San Francisco Opera 2021-22 season. In the summer of 2015 the world premiere of La Ciociara[30] by Marco Tutino and Luca Rossi, based on novel of the same name by Alberto Moravia, took place. Tickets for each livestream performance are $27.50. The Company will continue to share its performances globally through livestreams of the third performance of each opera in the repertory. San Francisco Bay Area. San Francisco Opera Center is dedicated to nurturing opera's most promising young artists. [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. Jan 2008 - Aug 202214 years 8 months. The San Francisco Opera Orchestra performs "Dio, che nell'alma infondere " from "Don Carlo" (Giuseppe Verdi) during the Opera Ball on Sept. 9. Eun Sun Kim said: The works of Wagner and Verdi are cornerstones of the operatic repertoire as we know it. San Francisco Opera announced that Jack Calhoun will take on the role of board president on August 1, 2023. . Discover more about opera with education classes, articles, and more. PARTENOPE by George Frideric HandelJune 1528, 2024, Julie Fuchs; Carlo Vistoli; Daniela Mack; Nicholas Tamagna; Alek Shrader; Hadleigh Adams; Christopher Moulds. Towards the end of the 2001 season, Mansouri announced his retirement after fourteen seasons with SFO and 50 years in opera. Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Danielle de Niese plays the title role in "Partenope" by the San Francisco Opera. View more recently sold homes. October 30th, 2022 at 4pm. Short versions of all the works in the season were broadcast on about 30 California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and British Columbia radio stations, starting about 1941. Of Time and Love - Concerto for Viola and Ochestra (25 . Verdis Il Trovatore returns in the 2009 co-production by Sir David McVicar with a powerful cast and Handels gender-bending comedy Partenope will be reprised in the award-winning staging by Christopher Alden and starring French soprano Julie Fuchs and Italian countertenor Carlo Vistoli in their American opera debuts. But just as a bride and groom toast their marriage, a devastating secret unfolds that threatens to tear the couple apart, questioning where innocence and guilt begin and end. Donald Runnicles was named music director and principal conductor of SFO in 1990, and assumed the posts in 1992. Pay-what-you're-able with a minimum ticket price of $9.99. Saids two-hundred-year-old autobiography comes vividly to life on the lyric stage in Omar, the first opera by MacArthur Fellowship genius award recipient Rhiannon Giddens and composer Michael Abels, known for his music for films, including Jordan Peeles Get Out, Us and Nope. Music Director Eun Sun Kim conducts Mozarts timeless, exhilarating work of art. At this convention, the delegates reviewed and . Handels 1730 comedy Partenope returns in the Olivier Award-winning production by director Christopher Alden. Called a "transitional year" in its announcement Tuesday, June 22, the season is expected to open . A gem in San Franciscos architectural crown, the 3,146-seat War Memorial Opera House is a California Historical Landmark. The San Francisco Opera Chorus was the subject of the 1992 Oscar-winning feature-length documentary In the Shadow of the Stars . In the summer of 1972, the San Francisco Opera began its 50th anniversary celebrations with a special free concert in Sigmund Stern Grove. San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Incorporated within the production programming of "Animating Opera" was the America staged premiere of Messiaen's Saint-Franois d'Assise, Virgil Thomson's The Mother of Us All, as well as a commission for a new work by John Adams and Peter Sellars entitled Doctor Atomic, which premiered on 1 October 2005. The San Francisco Opera House is located on Van Ness Avenue, near SF City Hall and the Davies Symphony Hall. After three months of acting as artistic director, and with the assistance of its president, Robert Watt Miller, Adler was confirmed as general director. In partnership with the Dolby family, the Company will continue its popular Dolby Family Opera for the Bay program. NEW SAN FRANCISCO OPERA CO-PRODUCTIONTHE ELIXIR OF LOVE (LELISIR DAMORE) by Gaetano DonizettiNovember 19December 9, 2023, Pene Pati; Slvka Zmenkov; David Bii; Renato Girolami; Ramn Tebar. Performance days: 10am through first intermission. Each night, the young Cio-Cio-San looks out over the port of Nagasaki, eagerly waiting the return of her husband, U.S. SOLD FEB 9, 2023. Contact Us (415) 861-4008 These included "Seminal Works of Modern Times", "The Faust Project", "Composer Portrait: Janek/Berlioz", "Women Outside of Society: Laws Unto Themselves", "Metamorphosis: From Fairy Tales to Nightmares", and "Outsiders or Pioneers? At the center of Richard Wagners Lohengrin stands a woman accused and her mysterious protector, the proverbial knight in shining armor. Alexander is a graduate of the prestigious Merola program at the San Francisco Opera, and is the recipient of the 2013 John Moriarty Award for his outstanding contribution to Central City Opera. Chronicle file photo 1969 Above: members of the young artist program perform with Susan Graham in a 2019 recital. 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. With the company now entering its second century, we want to invite people of all ages and backgrounds around the Bay Area to experience the art produced by this dynamic institution their opera company. harp. 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. Auditorium of the War Memorial Opera House at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center. For five years, he worked to build the chorus of the Chicago Opera Company. Rosenberg returned to Germany to work with Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic as its Intendantin. War Memorial Opera House 301 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102-4509. Finzi was named as SFO's resident conductor in 2011. It began during the 1954/55 Season and was given its current name in 1957. The performance will be approximately 3 hours and 10 minutes including one intermission. Beginning with this glorious gem of the operatic canon, presented in director David Aldens production from Londons Royal Opera, Covent Garden, Eun Sun Kim and the Company initiate a multi-season journey through the composers works. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. 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 . Tune in for exciting behind-the-scenes content . Chinese tenor and recent San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow Zhengyi Bai portrays Monostatos. Icelandic bass Kristinn Sigmundsson, who was the Water Gnome in Dvoks Rusalka under Kims baton in 2019, returns as King Heinrich. San Diego Opera is a widely respected member of the international opera community and an invaluable cultural resource to the San Diego region. San Francisco Opera is a member of. The San Francisco opera scene is always alive with boisterous voices and tragic stories that come to life on stage to entertain patrons who love the unique style and artistry of the opera. LOHENGRIN by Richard WagnerOctober 15November 1, 2023, Simon ONeill; Julie Adams; Judit Kutasi; Brian Mulligan; Kristinn Sigmundsson; Eun Sun Kim. The San Francisco Opera plans to launch its second century with a 2023-24 season featuring the highest proportion of contemporary work in its history, alongside an array of familiar works by Verdi, Wagner and others. Matthew Shilvock, Tad and Dianne Taube General DirectorEun Sun Kim, Caroline H. Hume Music Director, John A. Gunn, Chairman, San Francisco Opera Board of DirectorsKeith B. Geeslin, President, San Francisco Opera Association, Administration Board of Directors Orchestra Chorus Dancers BACKSTAGEUnion, 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. In September 2006, it was announced and reported that by mutual agreement with Gockley, Donald Runnicles would conclude his tenure as music director in 2009. CO-COMMISSION AMERICAN PREMIEREINNOCENCE music by Kaija Saariaho, libretto by Sofi Oksanen, text dramaturgy and multilanguage translations by Aleksi BarrireJune 121, 2024, Kaija Saariaho; Sofi Oksanen; Aleksi Barrire; Ruxandra Donose; Lucy Shelton; Vilma J; Clment Mao-Takacs. He heard Leontyne Price on the radio, and offered her a role in Dialogues of the Carmelites in 1957, thus providing her with her first performance on a major operatic stage. Adler's aims in taking over the company were several. You can expect in coming seasons to hear Rene Fleming, Anna Netrebko, Thomas Hampson, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Marcello Giordani, Ramn Vargas, Marcelo lvarez, Juan Diego Flrez, Ben Heppner, Natalie Dessay, and Angela Gheorghiu, among many others. For all live, in-person performances at the Opera House, tickets range from $26-$398. About Press Room Blog Visit Performance Archive. The festive season opener marks Kurzaks return to the War Memorial Opera House stage following her nothing short of remarkable (San Francisco Chronicle) 2012 Company debut as Gilda in Verdis Rigoletto, and Alagnas first-ever appearance with San Francisco Opera. era: Opera director was gambling man", "San Francisco Opera's 75th Anniversary Gala", "Runnicles Won't Renew Contract with S.F. The building has been the home of San Francisco Opera since it opened on October 15, 1932 with a performance of Giacomo PuccinisTosca. Tenor Bille Bruley appears with San Francisco Opera for the first time as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. Join the SF Opera Community envisioning a vibrant arts world. San Francisco Opera ( SFO) is an American opera company founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola (1881-1953) based in San Francisco, California . Performance days: 10am through first intermission. Then, on Tuesday, September 12, Kim will lead the Company in the first full opera of the season, Verdis Il Trovatore. After being approached by Adler regarding the San Francisco opera job, he moved to the city in 1980 and involved himself totally in learning the running of an opera company. Tenor Bille Bruley appears with San Francisco Opera for the first time as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. As part of an announcement of the 2006/2007 season and the future of the company on 11 January, Gockley noted that "this season we debut a new visual identity and logo in keeping with a new artistic philosophy. We love San Francisco and now we love Inn at the Opera too. Taube Atrium Theater and Osher Recital Hall. 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. In this gripping one-act drama by composer Kaija Saariaho, librettist Sofi Oksanen and dramaturg Aleksi Barrire, a harrowing story of emotional shock and surprise unfolds in which the understanding of innocence and guilt is continually upended. Soprano Brittany Renee makes her house debut as Julie, a friend to Omar amid the trials of their lives under enslavement. Gaetanos Donizettis The Elixir of Love (LElisir dAmore) returns to the War Memorial Opera House stage in a co-production with Lyric Opera of Chicago from Opera North in the UK by director Daniel Slater and choreographer Tim Claydon. Lacking money, confidence and hope, a timid young waiter Nemorino gambles everything he has for a chance at an intoxicating romance with the alluring Adina. If You Go. 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. From 1971 to 1979, San Francisco station KKHI broadcast the regular Friday night performances of the opera on AM and FM (in multiplex stereo with quadraphonic encoding). The staff is friendly and efficient and very helpful. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. : The Nature of the Human Condition". violin I. violin II. Box Office (415) 864-3330 Mon 10am-5pm Tue-Sat 10am-6pm. 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. Meet one of the best teams in the opera world. Principal Tuba Zachariah Spellman demonstrates the cimbasso for opera members attending the rehearsal. San Francisco Opera: "Sweeney Todd," through Tuesday, Sept. 29, . This one-hour version of Puccini's opera will be sung in Italian and feature English dialogue. "Rush" tickets: some performances offer tickets starting at $30-35 for full-time students, seniors 65+, and military members.