(Photo Credit: Olivia Kahler) What does it take to turn a gifted young musician into a first-rate opera singer? Not just a talented performer, but one who knows her craft and can sustain the life that comes with it? To find out, I spoke with Carrie-Ann Matheson, Artistic Director of the San Francisco Opera Center, a performing pianist, leadership coach, {…}
San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program will close its 2026 Summer Festival with the annual Merola Grand Finale. The performance marks the culmination of the season, bringing together participants for a vibrant showcase of operatic selections at the War Memorial Opera House. This summer’s program will feature 28 artists selected by Merola from over 1,500 international applicants with participants from Europe, {…}
(Credit: Karen Almond / Metropolitan Opera) On June 16, the final concert of the Schwabacher series will showcase bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen and pianist Carrie-Ann Matheson. They will be joined by participants of the 2026 Merola Opera Program, Shannon Crowley, Charlotte Kelso, Chester Seungyup Han, Ryan Bryce Johnson, Paul Jang, and Deven Shah. The program will feature songs by Ravel, Duparc, {…}
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 {…}