American tenor Jack Swanson has been named the winner of the 2026 Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Emerging Stars Competition at San Francisco Opera. Swanson, who made his house debut this summer as Count Almaviva in Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville,” was selected through a public online vote conducted from June 30 through August 5. The award carries a {…}
Matthew Shilvock has extended his contract as General Director of the San Francisco Opera. The Board of Directors of San Francisco Opera approved a new five-year contract extension effective August 1, 2026 and which will see Shilvock lead the company through the 2030–31 season. Board President Jack Calhoun said, “On behalf of the entire board of directors, I am very {…}
(Photo: Drew Altizer Photography) San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Opera Guild will present “Opera Ball” on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. The evening includes a cocktail reception, dinner, and after-party at San Francisco City Hall, along with the opening night performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Simon Boccanegra” at the War Memorial Opera House. The evening begins with a cocktail reception in {…}
(Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera) “Agamemnon! Agamemnon!” The words and tones rang in my ears still, as I emerged from the powerful rendering of San Francisco Opera’s Strauss and Hofmannsthal’s “Elektra.” The sunshine on the street did not turn it down. The 95 piece orchestra, conducted by San Francisco Orchestra Music Director, Eun Sun Kim, and the powerful voices of {…}
(Photo: Kristen Loken) San Francisco Opera will present its second annual Pride Concert on June 26 at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. Sapphira Cristál, an opera singer, composer, and drag queen, returns as emcee for the evening. Conductor Robert Mollicone leads the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in a program blending opera, musical theater, and pop, with music {…}
San Francisco Opera kicked off its Summer Season with Rossini’s popular “Il Barbier di Siviglia.” With nine principals, 36 choristers, and eight dancers, the production was a revival of the 2013 staging by Emilio Sagi and is a co-production between San Francisco and Lithuanian National Opera. Sagi aimed to bring the past into the present, emphasizing this by moving progressively {…}
(Photo credit: Nicole Cetina) San Francisco Opera Orchestra’s third annual Harmonic Interlude Concert will honor hospice workers. Soprano Jesslyn Thomas and San Francisco Opera Chorus will present a concert of works by Rossini, Strauss, Villa-Lobos, and Schubert, among others. Robert Mollicone conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. This year’s Harmonic Interlude concert marks the first time vocal selections have been {…}
The San Francisco Opera’s 2026 Summer Season opens with Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.” The work opens on May 28 and run through June 21, 2026 with Benjamin Manis conducting two international casts in Emilio Sagi’s production. The title role will be performed by baritones Joshua Hopkins and Justin Austin while the role of Rosina will star Maria Kataeva and {…}
San Francisco Opera has announced a venue change for its upcoming “Bohème Out of the Box” performances this weekend. The events on April 11 and 12 have been relocated from Crane Cove Park to Pier 70, Building 12, due to inclement weather. The free performances, featuring an abridged 75-minute version of Puccini’s “La Bohème” performed on a converted shipping-container stage {…}
(Photo: Kristen Loken) San Francisco Opera will present its second annual Pride Concert on Friday, June 26, 2026 at the War Memorial Opera House. Returning as host is Sapphira Cristál, classically trained opera singer, composer and drag queen known for her six-octave range and her runner-up finish on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16. Conductor Robert Mollicone leads the San Francisco {…}
The San Francisco Opera Guild and Neiman Marcus will present “The Art of Fashion” runway show and luncheon on Wednesday, May 13 at Neiman Marcus’ San Francisco store. The event will begin with a champagne reception at 11 a.m. in a space designed by event designer J. Riccardo Benavides, followed by a runway presentation at noon curated by Chloe King, {…}