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 {…}
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 {…}
(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 {…}
(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 {…}
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 {…}
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, {…}
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 {…}
Ronny Michael Greenberg is a pianist, producer, and musical visionary who has performed at many of the great stages in the world, including Carnegie Hall and Vienna’s Konzerthaus. He is also the founder and CEO of Taste of Talent, a nonprofit that has redefined cultural programming through innovative, multi-sensory experiences and has produced for Opera Aloha, a Pacific concert tour {…}
The Merola Opera Program has added tenor Alek Shrader to its team as the Director of Membership & Engagement. Shrader, a performer at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera, Santa Fe Opera, and Opera Philadelphia, among others, will lead the organization’s membership program, enhance donor engagement and stewardship, and enhance its visibility through storytelling and alumni activation. Shrader {…}
The Merola Opera Program is set to present the Merola Grand Finale on August 16, 2025. The concert will feature all of the Merola artists in a varied program of well-known classics and lesser-known gems. Kelly Kuo is set to conduct the evening with San Francisco native Elio Bucky directing the show. The event will also include the San Francisco {…}
The Merola Opera program is set to present Rossini’s “Le Comte Ory. The rarely performed work will be directed by Garnett Bruce in his Merola debut, while Pierre Vallet will conduct singers from the Merola Opera Program. “Le Comte Ory” opera, which has been revived in recent years, features a whirlwind of mistaken identities, gender-bending disguises, as well as effervescent {…}