Photo: Kristen Loken

Merola Opera Program released its lineup for the 2023 season, which will feature the 29 Artists who were recently announced.

This year the Merola Opera Program participants will train with faculty members such as Deb Birnbaum, Julia Faulkner, Gerald Martin Moore, John Churchwell, and Alan Darling, to name a few.

Singers and audiences alike will be immersed in opera classics as well as works by twentieth-century composers.

“Metamorphosis: Recovery, Renewal, and Rebirth” opens the season. The piano and vocal recital focuses on themes of “change and growth.” Works by Alma Mahler, Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, Robert Owens, Florence Price, and more are on the program. San Francisco Conservatory of Music hosts.

Performance Date: June 29, 2023 

Next is the fully staged production of Benjamin Britten’s “The Rape of Lucretia” at Herbst Theatre. German stage director Jan Eßinger makes his U.S. debut with a modern take on the challenging piece. An open-format discussion follows performances. Judith Yan conducts.

Performance Date: July 13 & 15, 2023

Returning to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music is the “Schwabacher Summer Concert,” which features extended scenes from opera hits by Donizetti, Handel, Verdi, and others. Steven White conducts the full orchestra with Merola alum (’14) Omer Ben Seadia directing.

Performance Date: Aug. 3 & 5, 2023

Closing the season is the “Merola Grand Finale.” The all-hands-on-deck production features the full roster of artists led by Kelly Kuo and director Tania Arazi-Coambs. The War Memorial Opera House will hold the final showcase.

Performance Date: Aug. 19, 2023