Celebrating the Beauty and Creativity of San Francisco Opera and Three Brilliant New Productions

Congratulations to brilliant San Francisco Opera for a glorious Summer Season 2023.

I’m looking forward to attending three very exciting opera productions. The special season opens this week at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. On June 16, San Francisco Opera’s Centennial will be marked with music and joy and artistry at the 100th Anniversary Concert.

Bravo, San Francisco Opera and the entire company for a season of depth, innovation, beauty, and surprises. I look forward to classic opera pleasures and new delights.

A scene from Puccini's “Madame Butterfly.” Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

San Francisco Opera’s 2023 Summer Season opens June 3 with Giacomo Puccini’s Madame Butterfly (Madama Butterfly).

Music Director Eun Sun Kim leads the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in a new production by visionary Japanese director Amon Miyamoto. San Francisco Opera Chorus director John Keene prepares the artists of the Opera Chorus.

The company’s summer season also brings the return of Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s fairy-tale opera Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman Without a Shadow) from June 4–28, a rarely performed masterwork that had its American premiere in San Francisco in 1959.

The third production is the highly anticipated Bay Area premiere of El último sueño de Frida y Diego  (The Last Dream of Frida and Diego). This new San Francisco Opera co-commission is by Berkeley-born composer Gabriela Lena Frank and Pulitzer Prize-winning librettist Nilo Cruz.

I am excited also to see a dazzling lineup of production, design, and costume talents.  

In addition to accomplished and compelling musical artists, SF Opera brings together an international group of creative arts talent. Each opera is distinctive in style, expression and visual delights.

Centennial Festive Evening

On Friday, June 16, San Francisco Opera welcomes an all-star, international roster of artists to celebrate the Company’s first 100 years and usher in its second century with the one-night-only 100th Anniversary Concert followed by a dinner with the artists fundraising benefit.

More information below on a remarkable program of leading international artists, creators and musical greats. 

•  Madame Butterfly  •

Jongwon Han as The Bonze, Karah Son as Cio-Cio-San, and John Charles Quimpo as Adult Trouble in Puccini's “Madame Butterfly.” Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

This new production is led by visionary Japanese director Amon Miyamoto. 

Known for its many stirring melodies, including Cio-Cio-San’s aria “Un bel dì” (“One beautiful day”), the Humming Chorus and the passionate Act I love duet, Madame Butterfly is among the most famous operas from the composer of La Bohème, Tosca, Gianni Schicchi and Turandot. 

Julius Ahn as Goro in Puccini's “Madame Butterfly.” Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

Karah Son as Cio-Cio-San in Puccini's “Madame Butterfly.” Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

Michael Fabiano as Pinkerton and Karah Son as Cio-Cio-San in Puccini's “Madame Butterfly.” Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

Karah Son as Cio-Cio-San in Puccini's “Madame Butterfly.” Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

Viva Young Maguire as Trouble, Karah Son as Cio-Cio-San, and Hyona Kim as Suzuki in Puccini's “Madame Butterfly.” Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

The new staging, a co-production with the Tokyo Nikikai Opera Foundation, Semperoper Dresden and the Royal Danish Opera, features the work of set designer Boris Kudlička, lighting designer Fabio Antoci and projection designer Bartek Macias.

•  Die Frau Ohne Schatten  •

Johan Reuter as Barak and Nina Stemme as the Dyer's Wife in Strauss and Hofmannsthal's “Die Frau ohne Schatten.” Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

Die Frau ohne Schatten is, along with Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle and Hector Berlioz’s Les Troyens, among opera’s most ambitious and exhilarating large-scale works for the stage. 

For decades following its 1919 world premiere, Strauss’ magnum opus was considered impossible to produce by many American impresarios due to the work’s massive orchestral forces, complex scene changes and vocal demands. San Francisco Opera presented the work’s American premiere in 1959.

This new-to-San Francisco Opera production, which features otherworldly transitions between the spirit world, the imperial palace and the humble household of the tradesman, Barak. It’s the creative vision of artist David Hockney. 

Linda Watson as the Nurse and Stefan Egerstrom as the Spirit Messenger in Strauss and Hofmannsthal's “Die Frau ohne Schatten.” Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

Camilla Nylund as the Empress and David Butt Philip as the Emperor in Strauss and Hofmannsthal's “Die Frau ohne Schatten.” Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

Camilla Nylund as the Empress and David Butt Philip as the Emperor in Strauss and Hofmannsthal's “Die Frau ohne Schatten.”  Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

David Butt Philip as the Emperor in Strauss and Hofmannsthal's “Die Frau ohne Schatten.” Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

A scene from Strauss and Hofmannsthal's “Die Frau ohne Schatten.” Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

Camilla Nylund as the Empress in Strauss and Hofmannsthal's “Die Frau ohne Schatten.” Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

Former San Francisco Opera music director Sir Donald Runnicles, who led the company’s acclaimed performances of Wagner’s Ring cycle in 2011 and 2018, returns to the podium to conduct Die Frau ohne Schatten for the first time in his career.

Die Frau ohne Schatten, like Elektra, requires one of the largest pit orchestras in the operatic repertoire, and Maestro Runnicles leads the artists of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, including 96 instrumentalists in the pit and 9 backstage, for these performances.

Swedish soprano Nina Stemme portrays the Dyer’s Wife. Stemme’s first performances of the role at the Vienna State Opera in 2019 were among opera’s hottest pre-pandemic tickets which Opera News hailed as “A stunning role debut.”

•  El ultimo sueño de Frida y Diego  •

Daniela Mack as Frida Kahlo, Alfredo Daza as Diego Rivera, and Yaritza Véliz as Catrina in Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz's “El último sueño de Frida y Diego.” Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

San Francisco Opera presents the Bay Area premiere of El último sueño de Frida y Diego June 13– 30. The new, vivid and dramatic opera by Bay Area composer Gabriela Lena Frank with librettist and frequent collaborator Nilo Cruz is a San Francisco Opera co- commission and the company’s first Spanish-language opera (the performances will feature English and Spanish supertitles). 

The opera takes place in 1957 on El Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead), three years after the death of visionary painter Frida Kahlo. The last wish of her lonely husband, famed muralist Diego Rivera, is to see Frida again and the underworld answers his call. The two artists enjoy one last opportunity at reunion, reconciliation and release from the pain of longing. 

Daniela Mack as Frida Kahlo in Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz's “El último sueño de Frida y Diego.” Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

Alfredo Daza as Diego Rivera in Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz's “El último sueño de Frida y Diego.” Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

Yaritza Véliz as Catrina in Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz's “El último sueño de Frida y Diego.” Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

Yaritza Véliz as Catrina and Daniela Mack as Frida Kahlo in Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz's “El último sueño de Frida y Diego.”

Daniela Mack (center) as Frida Kalho in Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz's “El último sueño de Frida y Diego.”

Gabriela Lena Frank’s music is regularly featured by the nation’s leading ensembles, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra. She is composer in residence of the Philadelphia Orchestra and has composed new works for cellist Yo-Yo Ma, soprano Dawn Upshaw and conductors Marin Alsop and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. El último sueño de Frida y Diego is her first opera.

Artists & Creatives

I am excited also to see a dazzling lineup of orchestral, lighting, production, design, and costume talents. 

In addition to accomplished and compelling musical artists, SF Opera brings together an international group of creative arts talent. Each opera is distinctive in style, expression and visual delights.

Madame Butterfly:  Stage set designs by Boris Kudlicka and costumes by Kenzo Takada. The Japanese designer Kenzō Takada was the founder of the luxury brand KENZO.

Die Frau Ohne Schatten:  Sets by David Hockney. Costumes by Ian Falconer.

El último sueño de Frida y Diego:  Sets by Jorge Ballina. Costumes by Eloise Kazan.

San Francisco Opera Music Director Eun Sun Kim  Photo: Kim Tae-hwan

Sir Donald Runnicles (conductor)  Photo: Simon Pauly

MADAME BUTTERFLY

Michael Fabiano (Lt. B. F. Pinkerton in June performances)  Photo: Jiyang Chen

Amon Miyamoto (director)

Julius Ahn (Goro)  Photo: Jules Ko

DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN

Nina Stemme (Dyer's Wife)  Photo: Neda Navaee

Camilla Nylund (The Empress)  Photo: annas-foto.de

Roy Rallo (stage director)

EL ÚLTIMO SUEÑO DE FRIDA Y DIEGO

Gabriela Lena Frank  Photo: Mariah Tauger

Eloise Kazan (costume designer)  Photo: Alex Farbe

Lorena Maza (director)

Daniela Mack (Frida Kahlo)  Photo: Shervin Lainez

San Francisco Opera Announces Program for One-Night-Only Centennial Celebration

100th Anniversary Concert
: War Memorial Opera House, June 16, 2023

Musical program spanning the company’s first century features the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus, conductors Eun Sun Kim, Sir Donald Runnicles, Patrick Summers and 15 vocal soloists.

The featured soloists are sopranos Karita Mattila, Ailyn Pérez, Patricia Racette, Nina Stemme, Heidi Stober, Adela Zaharia; mezzo-sopranos Susan Graham, Daniela Mack; tenors Lawrence Brownlee, Michael Fabiano, Brandon Jovanovich, Russell Thomas; baritones Lucas Meachem, Brian Mulligan; and bass-baritone Christian Van Horn.

The evening will feature selections from Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Tannhäuser, three works that marked a dramatic acceleration for the Company on the way to opening the 1935 season with its first-ever Ring cycle.

European masterpieces of the twentieth century are signified with selections from the works by Benjamin Britten and Erich Wolfgang Korngold. SFOpera’s longstanding reputation as a commissioner of new works and its relationship with composer John Adams are both observed with the inclusion of “Batter my heart” from Doctor Atomic, one of three operas by the Bay Area composer to have its world premiere on the stage of the War Memorial Opera House. 

Patricia Racette (soprano)  Photo: Kate Russell

Lawrence Brownlee (tenor)  Photo: Zakiyah Caldwell Burroughs

Heidi Stober (soprano)  Photo: Simon Pauly

Christian Van Horn (bass-baritone)  Photo: Dario Acosta

Adela Zaharia (soprano)  Photo: Klaudia Taday

Congratulations to SFOpera General Director Matthew Shilvock. I am looking forward to a wonderful and inspiring Summer Opera 2023.

San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock. Photo: Kristen Loken

Eun Sun Kim and the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Photo: Drew Altizer/San Francisco Opera

San Francisco War Memorial Opera House

CREDITS:

San Francisco Opera
War Memorial Opera House
301 Van Ness Avenue 

San Francisco, CA 94102


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Tickets:

www.sfopera.com



Livestreaming
SFOpera will share its performances globally through livestreams of the three operas and 100th Anniversary Concert. Each of the mainstage opera livestreams (excluding the concert) includes a 48-hour on-demand viewing option.) For more information, visit: www.sfopera.com/digital/Livestream.