The San Diego Opera is set to open its 2025-26 season with Ruggero Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci.”

The opera is set to be performed on Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 at the San Diego Civic Theatre. 

In a statement, David Bennett, the Joann Clark General Director and CEO of San Diego Opera, said he chose the “gritty verismo melodrama” this season as a “celebration of the human voice and its capacity to tell stories.”

The production will star Jonathan Burton as Canio, Hailey Clark as Nedda, Kidon Choi as Tonio, Timothy Murray as Silvio, and Arnold Livingston Geis as Beppe.

Yves Abel will conduct the San Diego Symphony Orchestra and directed by Christopher Mattaliano.   

Later this season, the San Diego Opera will present Gioachino Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville,” February 13-15, 2026, and Georges Bizet’s “Carmen” from March 27-29.

Read Related Stories 

• Opera Profile: A Look at Leoncavallo’s ‘Pagliacci’

• San Diego Opera Adds ‘Fellow Travelers’ to its 2025-26 Season