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, Cole McIlquham, Matthew Sink, Charles Styles, and Logan Wagner; baritones Paul Jang and Enes Pektaş; basses Theo Harrah, John Mburu, and Raúl Morales Velazco; pianists and coaches Sakurako Jayne Abe, Eric Head, Deven Shah, Tony Stauffer, and Yue Qi Zhang; and stage director Claire Choquette.

“We are excited to welcome the 2026 Merola class to San Francisco for a summer that will be both artistically rigorous and deeply enriching,” said San Francisco Opera Center Artistic Director Carrie-Ann Matheson and General Manager Markus Beam (Merola ’02), per an official press release. “Their talent and commitment represent the vibrant future of opera, and we look forward to helping them thrive in this uniquely transformative environment.”

Details for the 2026 Merola Summer Festival, including performance dates and programs, will be announced in the spring.

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