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San Francisco Opera

San Francisco Opera
301 Van Ness Avenue
415-861-4008

San Francisco Opera's Vision

To be the most exciting force in the opera world

Our Mission

-To present opera performances of the highest international quality available to the widest possible audiences.
-To perpetuate and enrich the operatic art form.
-To be creative and innovative in all aspects of opera.
-To take a leadership role in training, arts education and audience development

This Mission Demands


-A diversified, highly committed, qualified Board of Directors working in partnership with an efficient and effective top quality management team and staff.
-Healthy financial performance with a balanced budget and adequate endowment.
-Involvement with our community.
-An image that reflects our artistic quality.


Upcoming Events at San Francisco Opera

Carmen Encounter

Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 at 7:30pm
War Memorial Opera House
San Francisco, CA
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Performance - Carmen

Friday, Nov 22, 2024 at 7:30pm
War Memorial Opera House
San Francisco, CA
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Performance - Carmen

Sunday, Nov 24, 2024 at 2:00pm
War Memorial Opera House
San Francisco, CA
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Performance - Carmen

Tuesday, Nov 26, 2024 at 7:30pm
War Memorial Opera House
San Francisco, CA
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Performance - Carmen

Friday, Nov 29, 2024 at 7:30pm
War Memorial Opera House
San Francisco, CA
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Performance - Carmen

Sunday, Dec 1, 2024 at 2:00pm
War Memorial Opera House
San Francisco, CA
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Recent News

San Francisco Opera Center Announces 2025 Adler Fellows

San Francisco, CA -- San Francisco Opera Center Artistic Director Carrie-Ann Matheson and General Manager Markus Beam announced today the 11 recipients of the 2025 San Francisco Opera Adler Fellowship. The cohort of talented young musicians begins…

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San Francisco Opera Presents Bizet's 'Carmen,' November 13 - December 1, 2024

Benjamin Manis makes Company debut conducting Bizet’s popular opera; Francesca Zambello directs her production last seen here in 2019 US debuts of Eve-Maud Hubeaux as Carmen and Louise Alder as Micaëla; Jonathan Tetelman sings Don…

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San Francisco Opera Presents Tristan Und Isolde War Memorial Opera House, October 19-November 5, 2024

Music Director Eun Sun Kim conducts Richard Wagner’s masterwork for the first time in director Paul Curran’s production featuring Simon O’Neill, Anja Kampe, Kwangchul Youn, Annika Schlicht, Wolfgang Koch Tickets available at…

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San Francisco Opera Presents West Coast Premiere of Poul Ruders and Paul Bentley's 'The Handmaid's Tale,' Opening September 14

SAN FRANCISCO OPERA PRESENTS WEST COAST PREMIERE OF COMPOSER POUL RUDERS AND LIBRETTIST PAUL BENTLEY’S THE HANDMAID’S TALE BASED ON THE BESTSELLING NOVEL BY MARGARET ATWOOD SAN FRANCISCO, CA — San Francisco Opera presents the…

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San Francisco Opera Opens 102nd Season September 6 With Giuseppe Verdi’s Un Ballo In Maschera

Music Director Eun Sun Kim leads new-to-San Francisco production by director Leo Muscato and an international cast headed by Michael Fabiano, Lianna Haroutounian, Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Mei Gui Zhang, Judit Kutasi Opening Weekend celebrations include…

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San Francisco Opera Unveils David Gockley Bas-Relief on View in The War Memorial Opera House

Sculptural portrait of San Francisco Opera’s sixth General Director joins gallery of past Company leaders in the War Memorial Opera House lobby SAN FRANCISCO, CA - San Francisco Opera General Director Emeritus David Gockley was honored on…

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Subscriptions And Single Tickets Available For San Francisco Opera's 2024–25 Season

102nd Season opening weekend features Music Director Eun Sun Kim on the podium September 6 for Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera and Opera Ball, free Opera in the Park concert on September 8 Season features the West Coast premiere of Poul…

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San Francisco Opera Goes on the Road This June

Free outdoor mobile stage performances of Bohème Out of the Box in Albany (June 27) and Union City (June 29); Out of the Box: Encore Concert with Adler Fellows in Union City (June 29) First Act family workshops presented before all…

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San Francisco Opera Presents Handel's 'Partenope' from June 15-28, 2024

Christopher Moulds conducts Handel’s witty Baroque comedy in award-winning production by Christopher Alden set in a 1920s Parisian salon International cast features Company debuts of Julie Fuchs, Carlo Vistoli and Nicholas Tamagna, along with…

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San Francisco Opera Presents Mozart's The Magic Flute

Production by Barrie Kosky and Suzanne Andrade reimagines fairy-tale opera through aesthetics of silent film, early animation and 1920s cabaret Eun Sun Kim conducts international cast featuring Amitai Pati, Christina Gansch, Kwangchul Youn, Lauri…

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San Francisco Opera Medal Awarded to Director Michael Cavanagh (1961-2024)

Michael Cavanagh (1961-2024) Awarded Opera Medal Opera director who created many unforgettable productions for San Francisco Opera recognized with Company’s highest honor San Francisco, CA - San Francisco Opera presented the Opera Medal,…

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San Francisco Opera Presents U.S. Premiere of Kaija Saariaho's 'Innocence' June 1-21, 2024

Acclaimed by the New York Times as a “masterpiece.” Innocence By Kaija Saariaho, Sofi Oksanen and Aleksi Barrière Healing at the Edge of Tragedy. A joyous wedding celebration takes a shocking turn when the darkest of…

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San Francisco Opera Presents "Bohème Out of the Box" in Burlingame (April 13–14) and Alameda (April 20–21)

San Francisco, CA -- San Francisco Opera’s popular Bohème Out of the Box returns to Bay Area communities this spring and summer. The free outdoor performances of an abridged version of Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème kick off…

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Merola Opera Program and San Francisco Opera Center Present Mezzo-Soprano Samantha Hankey and Pianist Carrie-Ann Matheson in Recital on April 3, 2024

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Now in its 40th year, the Schwabacher Recital Series, presented by Merola Opera Program and San Francisco Opera Center, comes to a close this season with an intimate concert featuring mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey and pianist…

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San Francisco Opera, in Partnership with San Francisco Public Library, Presents "The Opera in You" Storytelling Workshops, March-May 2024

San Francisco Opera Workshop Series, Presented In Partnership With San Francisco Public Library, Continues This Spring Free In-Person Writing/Storytelling Workshops At Public Library Branches, March-May 2o24, Plus Online Workshops…

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San Francisco Opera's 2024-25 Season Announced

SAN FRANCISCO OPERA’S 2024–25 SEASON ANNOUNCED 102nd season opening weekend kicks off September 6 with Opera Ball and Un Ballo in Maschera; Free Opera in the Park concert September 8 Music Director Eun Sun Kim’s annual…

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San Francisco Opera's 101st Season Continues with the 2024 Summer Season

SAN FRANCISCO OPERA’S 101ST SEASON CONTINUES MAY 30-JUNE 30, 2024 American Premiere of San Francisco Opera Co-Commission INNOCENCE, the Acclaimed Final Operatic Creation of Luminary Composer Kaija Saariaho Music Director Eun Sun Kim Leads…

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San Francisco Opera Presents Gordon Getty with The Spirit of the Opera Award

San Francisco, CA - At the conclusion of San Francisco Opera’s December 9 fall season final performance of The Elixir of Love, the Company honored composer and philanthropist Gordon Getty in an onstage ceremony. Standing amidst the cast of…

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San Francisco Opera Presents Bay Area Premiere Of Rhiannon Giddens And Michael Abels' ‘Omar’ at War Memorial Opera House from November 5-21, 2023

2023 Pulitzer Prize-Winning Opera and San Francisco Opera Co-Commission Conducted by John Kennedy and Directed by Kaneza Schaal Reprising His Acclaimed Portrayal of Omar ibn Said, Jamez McCorkle Heads an Ensemble Cast Featuring Brittany Renee,…

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San Francisco Opera and the San Francisco Chronicle Present Opera in the Park

San Francisco, CA - As part of the opening week festivities celebrating the inauguration of its second century, San Francisco Opera, in partnership with the San Francisco Chronicle, presents Opera in the Park on Sunday, September 10. This annual,…

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San Francisco Opera Presents Bay Area Premiere of The Revolution of Steve Jobs September 22 - October 7, 2023

Grammy Award-Winning Co-Commission by Composer Mason Bates and Librettist Mark Campbell Exists at the Intersection of Creativity, Technology and Human Communication Kevin Newbury Directs and Michael Christie Conducts a Cast Featuring John Moore,…

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Georgi Kelly Appointed Chief Philanthropy Officer For San Francisco Opera

Matthew Shilvock, Tad and Dianne Taube General Director of San Francisco Opera, today announced the appointment of Georgi Kelly as Chief Philanthropy Officer. Kelly joins San Francisco Opera from KQED, the NPR and PBS member station based in San…

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San Francisco Opera Announces Soprano Yaritza Véliz as Winner of the 2023 Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Emerging Stars Competition

San Francisco, CA - San Francisco Opera announces Yaritza Véliz as the winner of the 2022–23 Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Emerging Stars Competition. The Chilean soprano won over audiences in her “unforgettable,”…

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San Francisco Opera's 101st Season Opens September 8, 2023

San Francisco Opera's 101st Season Opens September 8 Music Director Eun Sun Kim Launches Company’s Second Century with Opening Night Concert and Multi-Season Initiative to Present Operas by Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner Each Season…

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San Francisco Opera's 'In Song: Daniela Mack' Now Available

Go behind the scenes In Conversation with mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack and In Song director Elena Park San Francisco, CA - San Francisco Opera’s award-winning In Song video portrait series continues with its eighth episode, In Song: Daniela…

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San Francisco Opera Celebrates Pride Month

San Francisco Opera Celebrates Pride Month with June 22 "Pride Night at the Opera" and June 25 Pride Parade SAN FRANCISCO, CA (June 20, 2023) — San Francisco Opera celebrates Pride month, honoring LGBTQ+ artists, staff, audience and…

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San Francisco Opera Medal Awarded To Soprano Nina Stemme After June 4 Opening Of 'Die Frau Ohne Schatten'

Swedish Soprano Honored in Onstage Presentation Following June 4 Opening of Die Frau ohne Schatten Immediately following the June 4 opening performance of Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s fairy-tale opera Die Frau ohne Schatten,…

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San Francisco Opera Mourns the Passing of Finnish Composer Kaija Saariaho

IN MEMORIAM KAIJA SAARIAHO (1952–2023) San Francisco Opera Mourns the Finnish Composer’s Passing SAN FRANCISCO, CA (June 2, 2023) —San Francisco Opera mourns the passing of composer Kaija Saariaho. The Finnish musician, whose…

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San Francisco Opera's Italian Roots Celebrated In New Museo Italo Americano Exhibition

Museo Italo Americano's New Exhbition "Bravo—Celebrating San Francisco Opera, Its Italian Roots and Legacy" Runs through October 22 at Fort Mason Center The Museo Italo Americano celebrates the 100th anniversary of San Francisco Opera with a…

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San Francisco Opera Guild and Neiman Marcus to Present Marchesa Fashion Show and Luncheon

SAN FRANCISCO OPERA GUILD AND NEIMAN MARCUS PRESENT MARCHESA FASHION SHOW AND LUNCHEON ON MAY 4 With a Special Appearance by Marchesa Co-Founder and Designer Georgina Chapman Proceeds Benefit San Francisco Opera Guild Education Programs San…

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San Francisco Opera’s StoryTelling Workshop Series, the Opera in You, Culminates With Free Public Event The Opera in You: Season Finale Showcase April 22 At The Green Room, Veterans Building

Click here to View the Information About "San Francisco Opera’s StoryTelling Workshop Series, the Opera in You, Culminates With Free Public Event The Opera in You: Season Finale Showcase April 22 At The Green Room, Veterans…

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Rise Up and Resist: A Commemorative Concert on the 80th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising on April 28 at Taube Atrium Theater

San Francisco Opera and Taube Philanthropies Join Global Commemorations with Special One-Night-Only Concert SAN FRANCISCO, CA – San Francisco Opera and Taube Philanthropies present a special one-night-only concert, Rise Up And Resist: A…

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San Francisco Opera's "Bohème Out of the Box" Comes to the East Bay at Dublin's Emerald Glen Park Amphitheater March 31–April 2

San Francisco, CA — San Francisco Opera’s Bohème Out of the Box concludes its Bay Area travels with free performances in the East Bay at Emerald Glen Park Amphitheater in partnership with the City of Dublin on March 31 (7:30…

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San Francisco Opera's 'Bohème Out of the Box' Comes to the South Bay at the Los Gatos Library March 24–26

San Francisco, CA (March 21, 2023) — San Francisco Opera is taking opera out of the Opera House and to outdoor locations throughout the Bay Area each weekend through April 2. This week, Bohème Out of the Box comes to the South Bay for…

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San Francisco Opera wards Bass-Baritone Simon Estes with OperaMedal, the Company's Highest Honor

Renowned bass-baritone, educator and humanitarian activist Simon Estes received the San Francisco Opera Medal at the Company’s Medallion Society luncheon in the ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton on Wednesday, March 8. San Francisco Opera Tad and…

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San Francisco Opera's "Boheme Out of the Box" Opens March10 at Alameda's Waterfront Park

SAN FRANCISCO OPERA’S BOHÈME OUT OF THE BOX OPENS FRIDAY, MARCH 10 AT ALAMEDA’S WATERFRONT PARK Free, Live, Mobile Stage Performances of Puccini’s La Bohème (Abridged Version) Travels to East Bay, Peninsula and…

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San Francisco Opera Announces 2023–24 Season, The Company's 101st

San Francisco Opera's Second Century Dawns with New Music and Fresh Explorations Music Director Eun Sun Kim To Lead Annual Presentations of Works by Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner Beginning with IL TROVATORE and LOHENGRIN Company Premieres…

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San Francisco Opera Presents "Bohème Out of the Box" in the East Bay, Peninsula and South Bay from March 10-April 2, 2022

SAN FRANCISCO OPERA TAKES BOHÈME OUT OF THE BOX INTO THE EAST BAY, PENINSULA AND SOUTH BAY MARCH 10–APRIL 2, 2023 Free, live, mobile stage performances of Puccini’s La Bohème (abridged version) travel to Alameda, South…

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San Francisco Opera: A Centennial Celebration Exhibition at SanFrancisco International Airport

San Francisco, CA (December 20, 2022) — SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport recently unveiled a new exhibition in connection with San Francisco Opera’s centennial titled San Francisco Opera: A Centennial Celebration. The…

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San Francisco Opera Releases Fourth Installment Of Centennial Celebration Project : Streaming The First Century

San Francisco Opera’s centennial celebrations continue with the addition of a fourth installment of Streaming the First Century, the Company’s free online hub for historic performance recordings, interviews and contemporary…

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