San Francisco Opera Announces Cast Change for ‘Il Trovatore’

The San Francisco Opera has announced a cast change for its production of Verdi’s “Il Trovatore.” The company said that mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk will perform the role of Azucena in all performances, replacing Anita Rachvelishvili who has withdrawn for personal reasons. Semenchuk returns to San Francisco following performances with the company in productions of “ Luisa Miller”  “Aida,” and “Cavalleria Rusticana.” Semenchuk joins {…}

Q & A: Merola Opera Program Leadership on How Cultivating Awareness Makes Britten’s “The Rape of Lucretia” an Urgent Story Visible Today

Photo Credit: Kristen Loken Merola Opera Program presents Benjamin Britten’s “The Rape of Lucretia” on July 13th and 15th at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, with director Jan Essinger, conductor Judith Yan, and a creative team including intimacy coordinator Maya Herbsman. Merola will also host a special conversational forum, post-performance on Saturday, July 15th with the creative team and {…}