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 {…}
Opera San José is set to present Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” The opera will be directed by Michelle Ainna Cuizon and conducted by Joseph Marcheso and will be presented at the California Theatre. The cast will feature Opera San José Artist-in-Residence Emily Michiko Jensen in the title role of Cio-Cio-San, mezzo-soprano Kayla Nanto as Suzuki, Courtney Miller as Kate Pinkerton, tenor {…}
Opera San José has named its 2025-26 Artists-in-Residence. The artists include Joanne Evans (mezzo-soprano), Emily Michiko Jensen (soprano), Nicole Koh (soprano), Noah Lindquist (conductor), Courtney Miller (mezzo-soprano), Benjamin Ruiz (tenor), and MarkAnthony Vallejo (director). They will be a part of the company’s four mainstage productions, community engagements, and will also receive personalized mentorship, free housing during their residencies. “This remarkable {…}
(Credit: Bob Shomler) Opera San José is set to open its 42nd season with Mozart’s “Così Fan Tutte.” The opera will be directed by Alek Shrader in his OSJ directorial debut, with Music Director and Principal Conductor Joseph Marcheso leading Mozart’s score. The ensemble cast will feature Ricardo José Rivera as Guglielmo, Ricardo Garcia and Benjamin Ruiz alternating as Ferrando, Dale {…}
Opera San José has announced that it will showcase a workshop of a new opera by composer Stefan Cwik and librettist Anthony Asaro. The workshop is set for Saturday, Oct. 11 at the Heiman Rehearsal Hall. The opera in question, “Solaris,” is based on the famed science fiction novel by Stanislaw Lem that was the basis for Andrei Tarkovsky and {…}
Last week, President Donald J. Trump threatened to shut down the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for good by gutting its funding under the new budget proposal. In response, and not for the first time, the NEA opted for fighting another day by submitting to new requirements under Trump to remain a viable institution in the land. However, in {…}