In just under two months, we will raise the curtain on San Francisco Opera’s newest co-commission, Kaija Saariaho’s . I can say without exaggeration that this is one of the most deeply impactful works I have ever seen on the stage, and I am so proud that it will have its highly anticipated American premiere in San Francisco. The hails it as a “masterpiece” and with good reason: it takes us deep into emotional complexity in a way that pulls us in, takes hold of us, and leaves us changed. As we prepare to bring this extraordinary work to the stage, I wanted to share with you some of my personal ..read more

I hope that you’ve had a chance to explore the 2024-25 season and I encourage you to watch my video introduction which gives an overview of the productions and casts, as well as explains the change in the number of offerings next season ..read more

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On October 15 we open Wagner’s , an epic fairytale of a Knight of the Holy Grail rescuing—and marrying—a persecuted woman, but ultimately having to return to the Realm of the Grail when his new wife asks the forbidden question: his name. It is a magnificent work with which we begin a journey into Wagner’s operas with Music Director Eun Sun Kim, building towards the return of the ..read more

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When it comes to immediately identifiable clothing, there are few more iconic women in the world than Frida Kahlo. Her style, her imagery, her artistry have become ubiquitous from the most revered art museums to the smallest tourist stores in Mexico. So how do you go about representing the costumed world of Frida on stage? On June 13 we open El último sueño de Frida y Diego The Last Dream of Frida and Diego ), and I cannot wait to share with you the sumptuous, beautiful, emotive worlds of the living and the dead that will come to life in this opera by Bay Area composer Gabriela Lena Frank and ..read more

As we prepare to open the summer portion of our Centennial Season on June 3, the Opera House is electric with the intensity of three operas in simultaneous rehearsal. It is hard to express how thrilling this moment is – creativity is present in every nook and cranny of the company as the musical, visual and dramatic elements of these three operas come into alignment ..read more

In times of adversity, oppression, grief, and suffering, music has the power to unite, uplift, and remind us of our shared humanity. The Jewish people forced by Nazi Germany to live in the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII experienced horrific oppression and suffering, and their indomitable spirit and resistance would spark the first major civilian rebellion in Nazi-occupied Europe. Theirs was the largest extended act of Jewish armed resistance ..read more

Her stages were often gymnasiums. And her call time could be bright and early at 8 a.m., just as the children were filing into the classroom for their morning lessons. In just 10 months, she estimates she and her little team performed 250 times ..read more

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