Opera San José and the City of San José are set to present the Tunnel of Terror, a free, family-friendly celebration taking over San José City Hall Plaza on Oct. 24. The immersive evening will transform the city’s iconic Sonic Runway into a vibrant Halloween destination featuring live opera and popular music performances, interactive light and sound art, costume contests, {…}
Opera San José is set to present “Fiddler on the Roof.” Set in a vibrant Jewish village in early 20th-century Russia, the musical follows Tevye, a humble dairyman struggling to preserve his family’s traditions as his five daughters challenge convention and society undergoes profound change. The cast will include baritone Eugene Brancoveanu as Tevye, soprano Nicole Koh as Tzeitel and {…}
Opera San José has appointed Alek Shrader as its new Director of Development. The internationally acclaimed American tenor, stage director, and arts leader brings his extensive experience as a performer, educator, director, fundraiser, and advocate for emerging artists to the company’s leadership team. In his new role, Shrader will lead the company’s development efforts, cultivating relationships with donors, patrons, and {…}
Opera San José General Director & CEO Shawna Lucey have announced the 2026–27 Artists-in-Residence, a group of distinguished opera professionals who will perform in the company’s four mainstage productions. This season’s selected artists are María Brea (soprano), Shanley Horvitz (soprano), Rodrigo Gonzalez Jacob (conductor), Nicole Koh (soprano), Michael Jesse Kuo (baritone), Phillip Lopez (bass-baritone), Courtney Miller(mezzo-soprano), David Morgans (tenor), Micah Perry (tenor), Melissa Sondhi (soprano), Wm. Clay Thompson(bass), and Mark Anthony Vallejo (director). In a statement, Opera San José General Director & CEO Shawna {…}
Opera San José will present “Opera in the Rose Garden” at the Municipal Rose Garden in San José, California on Saturday, June 20. The showcase will feature the OSJ Orchestra conducted by Music Director Joseph Marcheso in music from “Die Fledermaus,” “Pagliacci,” “Rigoletto,” “Carmen,” “The Pearl Fishers.” Special guests include tenor Pasquale Esposito and soprano Victoria McDowell, joined by sopranos {…}
Opera San José is set to close its 2025-26 season with Verdi’s “La Traviata.” In a statement, Opera San José General Director & CEO Shawna Lucey said, “Verdi’s thrilling masterpiece invites us into Violetta’s world—one of intoxicating love, profound courage, and devastating sacrifice. It is deeply intimate yet fills the theater with huge emotion and unforgettable music.” Lucey added, “Bringing La {…}
Opera San José has announced its 2026-27 season celebrating its 43rd season. In a statement, General Director & CEO Shawna Lucey said, “This season, Music Director and Opera San José Principal Conductor Joseph Marcheso and I are thrilled to present repertoire that will delight longtime opera lovers while welcoming new audiences into the magic of brilliant singing, transformative music, and {…}
Opera San José’s “La Dolce Vita Gala” gala on Feb. 21, 2026 raised over $300,000 for the company. The evening, which attracted a host of civic leaders and arts supporters to celebrate Maestro Joseph Marcheso’s 10th anniversary season, was brought to life by Gala Host and Auction Committee members Laura Bajuk, Mark Chambers-Bray, Lenore Johnson, Oceane Li, and Joyce Scott. {…}
This February, Opera San José is set to open the famed double bill of “Cavalleria Rusticana” and Pagliacci.” These highly dramatic verismo operas are notable as stories in which women’s fidelity and sexuality are called into question by the male-directed societies. Men have the upper hand in these operas and their machismo views of fidelity, as well as their lust {…}
Opera San José has partnered with Cloud4Wi to introduce a new interactive audience experience, using enterprise WiFi-based technology to engage patrons in real time. The project aims to expand the traditional performance model by allowing audiences to influence the outcome of a live production. The initiative debuted during the company’s run of Mozart’s “Così fan tutte,” allowing patrons to vote {…}
In childhood soprano Emily Michiko Jensen performed as a “super” for San Diego Opera’s production of “Madama Butterfly,” along with her sister. Now, she will star as Cio-Cio San in Opera San José’s “Madama Butterfly”, which opens on Nov. 16 and runs through the 30th. Jensen, a Japanese-American San Diego native who draws from her rich heritage as a woman {…}