(Photo: Kristen Loken/San Francisco Opera)

San Francisco Opera has revealed the David Gockley bas-relief at the War Memorial Opera House.

The bas-relief was unveiled during a ceremony honoring the General Director Emeritus on August 20, 2024 to a crowd of 100 attendees. The event was hosted by  San Francisco Opera’s Tad and Dianne Taube General Director Matthew Shilvock and featured remarks by Board Chair Emeritus John Gunn, Houston Grand Opera board member Terrylin Neale, John DeMain, Patrick Summers, and Nicola Luisotti.

Tenor Michael Fabiano and soprano Heidi Stober performed music by Gounod and Verdi alongside pianist Robert Mollicone.

“Every single day that David led Houston Grand Opera and San Francisco Opera, he pushed boundaries, setting the tone and the direction for the whole industry,” Matthew Shilvock said in an official press release. “He inspired everyone to go beyond their own comfort level because we all believed so passionately in his vision. Care, passion, resolve, focus, humor, determination, strength are just a few of the traits that have made David an impresario of towering impact in our art form and the most remarkable leader of this company.”

Gockley was general director from 2006-16. He received San Francisco Opera Medal in 2016 following his retirement.