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News

Merola Opera Program to Present ‘La Tragédie de Carmen’

https://operawire.com/merola-opera-program-to-present-la-tragedie-de-carmen/

San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program is set to present “La Tragédie de Carmen.” The condensed, stark adaptation of Bizet’s “Carmen,” created by Peter Brook, Jean-Claude Carrière, and Marius Constant, presents the opera in a raw and psychologically intense form. The work will be conducted by Merole Almuni Stephanie Rhodes Russell and directed by another Merola alumni Mo Zhou. “La Tragédie {…}

News

Merola Opera Program to Perform ‘Ariadne auf Naxos’

https://operawire.com/merola-opera-program-to-perform-ariadne-auf-naxos/

San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program is set to present Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos.” The serio-comic work will be conducted by Ann-Katrin Stöcker with stage direction by Omer Ben Seadia. The work will be performed July 30 and August 1, 2026 at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The opera will be performed in German with English supertitles. This summer the {…}

News

Merola Opera to Present ‘L’Anima Napoletana’

https://operawire.com/merola-opera-to-present-lanima-napoletana/

The San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program is set to open with “L’Anima Napoletana.” The evening will be a Neapolitan-inspired vocal/piano recital celebrating the lyrical richness and emotional depth of Southern Italy. Curated by Merola faculty member Mario Antonio Marra, the program will draw on the late 19th and early 20th centuries, blending folk-inspired melodies with refined romantic harmonies to explore {…}

News, Season Announcement

Merola Opera Program Reveals 2026 Summer Season

https://operawire.com/merola-opera-program-reveals-2026-summer-season/

(Photo Credit: Kristen Loken) The Merola Opera Program has announced its 2026 Summer Festival season. The Summer Festival opens with “L’Anima Napoletana,” a vocal and piano recital curated by Merola faculty member Mario Antonio Marra. The program presents Neapolitan songs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, performed in Italian and Neapolitan dialect with English supertitles. Performance Date: June {…}

News

Merola Opera Program Raises $380,000 at 2026 Benefit Gala

https://operawire.com/merola-opera-program-raises-380000-at-2026-benefit-gala/

(Photo credit: Jessica Monroy for Drew Altizer Photography) The Merola Opera Program raised over $380,000 at its 2026 Benefit Gala, “La Bella Voce: A Night of Merola,” on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the City Club of San Francisco. The evening honored Bernice Lindstrom with the Exemplary Service Award, recognizing her long-standing support of artist sponsorships and her profound impact {…}

News

Merola Opera Program & San Francisco Opera Center Present 2026 Schwabacher Recital Series

https://operawire.com/merola-opera-program-san-francisco-opera-center-present-2026-schwabacher-recital-series/

(Photo credit: Matthew Washburn) The Schwabacher Recital Series presented by Merola Opera Program and San Francisco Opera Center returns with a series of three recitals. The series opens on April 1 with three of the 2024 Merola alumni and second-year San Francisco Opera Adler Fellows, soprano Mary Hoskins, baritone Olivier Zerouali, and pianist Ji Youn Lee. The evening’s program, curated {…}

News

Merola Opera Program Announces Gala ‘La Bella Voce: A Night of Merola’

https://operawire.com/merola-opera-program-announces-gala-la-bella-voce-a-night-of-merola/

The Merola Opera Program is set to present an evening of Italian splendor at its 2026 Benefit Gala, “La Bella Voce: A Night of Merola.” The evening will be held on March 7, 2026 at the San Francisco City Club. Chaired by Robert Beadle and exclusively sponsored by Diane B. Wilsey, the gala will celebrate “la dolce vita” with gourmet {…}

News

San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program Announces 2026 Artists

https://operawire.com/san-franciscos-merola-opera-program-announces-2026-artists/

San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program has announced the artist cohort for its 2026 season, selecting 28 participants from more than 1,500 international applicants. The 2026 ensemble includes sopranos Shannon Crowley, Adia Evans, Charlotte Kelso, Abigail Raiford, Jennifer Robinson, Emilie Kealani, and Anna Thompson; mezzo-sopranos Theo Claveles, Katherine Dobbs, Stella FitzGerald, and Ariana Maubach; tenors Chester Seungyup Han, Ryan Bryce Johnson, {…}

Behind the Scenes, Interviews

Q & A: Tenor Alek Shrader on Joining the Merola Opera Program’s Staff & His Shift in Career Focus

https://operawire.com/q-a-tenor-alek-shrader-on-joining-the-merola-opera-programs-staff-his-shift-in-career-focus/

It’s been a busy summer for tenor Alek Shrader. He’s coming off a run of “Idomeno” as Arbace at the San Francisco Opera. He’s going to direct “Così fan tutte” in San Jose. He has a Manetti-Shrem performance in Napa Valley. And just recently it was announced that he was joining the staff of the Merola Opera Program. Shrader, who {…}