Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Danielle de Niese plays the title role in "Partenope" by the San Francisco Opera. Austrian soprano Christina Gansch, who won plaudits in last summers Don Giovanni as Zerlina, adds Pamina to her gallery of Mozart portrayals on the War Memorial Opera House stage. . [3], Another innovation was "Opera in the Park" which, since 1971, has been an annual free concert in Golden Gate Park on the Sunday following opening night of the Fall Season. After much controversy surrounding her management of the SFO, which included deficits created after the "dot-com" collapse in 2000 and the effects of September 11 on arts attendance, she announced in 2004 that she would not renew her contract with the company when it ended in late 2005. In this, he was greatly supported by his long relationship with Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, the often-controversial stage director and designer who began his association with SFO in 1957. This one-hour version of Puccini's opera will be sung in Italian and feature English dialogue. Saids two-hundred-year-old autobiography comes vividly to life on the lyric stage in Omar, the first opera by MacArthur Fellowship genius award recipient Rhiannon Giddens and composer Michael Abels, known for his music for films, including Jordan Peeles Get Out, Us and Nope. SAN FRANCISCO, CA (January 24, 2023) San Francisco Opera Tad and Dianne Taube General Director Matthew Shilvock and Caroline H. Hume Music Director Eun Sun Kim today announced details for the Companys 101st season, which opens September 8, 2023. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. War Memorial Opera House301 Van Ness AvenueSan Francisco, CA 94102-4509, (415) 864-3330Mon 10am-5pmTue-Sat 10am-6pm, Performance days: 10am through first intermission, AboutPress RoomBlogVisitPerformance Archive, Opera ShopStreaming the First CenturyBohme Out of The Box, SF Opera GuildMerola Opera ProgramOpera Center, San Francisco Opera is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Meet new people, get insider scoop and save big on some of the best seats in the house. Tenor Bille Bruley appears with San Francisco Opera for the first time as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. As a singer, Sayo was forever to remain his passion, one which was accentuated by seeing her in Manon performances in Montreal. San Francisco Opera Front Row is now available on AppleTV! View more recently sold homes. Short versions of all the works in the season were broadcast on about 30 California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and British Columbia radio stations, starting about 1941. By Mark Taylor. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. Mo. bass. The Samoan tenor reflects on the centrality of his family in his musical journey from New Zealand to the worlds leading opera stages in this episode from the Companys award-winning In Song series. These are English translations of the libretto projected over the proscenium simultaneously with the action on stage. [11], As part of his future plans, Gockley stated "I want nothing less than to have the greatest stars of the opera world perform here regularly. "I was singing and thought, 'I wish people could hear me right . [16] Following the initial presentation of the four operas in movie theaters in 2008, San Francisco Opera used these four titles to create its Grand Opera Cinema Series, making these titles available to be presented by performing arts centers, theaters, and universities. It traditionally features artists from the opening weekend in full concert with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Opera funding,", "San Francisco Opera Picks Matthew Shilvock, an Insider, to be its Leader", "Gockley era starts off strong with soprano Patricia Racette flexing vocal, dramatic muscle", History of San Francisco Opera on company's website, Joshua Kosman, "S.F. War Memorial Opera House 301 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102-4509. 1233 Howard St Apt 2A, San Francisco, CA 94103-2775 is an apartment unit listed for rent at /mo. Performance days: 10am through first intermission. Make a gift that's meaningful to you today and start enjoying the perks of membership! Gockley also stated that Luisotti would conduct three to four productions each season, including one non-Italian opera; since 2009 these non-Italian operas have included Salome, Lohengrin, and Carmen. Artists making house debuts include sopranos Claire de Svign, Julie Fuchs, Brittany Renee, Lucy Shelton, Anna Simiska, Slvka Zmenkov; mezzo-soprano Judit Kutasi; countertenors Nicholas Tamagna, Carlo Vistoli; tenors Roberto Alagna, Bille Bruley, Jonah Hoskins, Jamez McCorkle, Miles Mykkanen; baritones Norman Garrett, Thomas Lehman, John Moore, George Petean, Lauri Vasar; bass-baritones David Bii, Renato Girolami, Kwangchul Youn; bass Wei Wu; interdisciplinary musician Vilma J; and conductors John Kennedy, Clment Mao-Takacs, Ramn Tebar. Ft. 601 Van Ness Ave #608, San Francisco, CA 94102. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Position Type : Full Time . Contact Us (415) 861-4008 Baritone Norman Garrett makes his house debut in the double roles of Omars brother, Abdul, and Abe; baritone Daniel Okulitch portrays both Johnson and Owen and tenor Barry Banks is the Auctioneer and Taylor. 100th Anniversary Concert and Dinner with the Artists. era: Opera director was gambling man", "San Francisco Opera's 75th Anniversary Gala", "Runnicles Won't Renew Contract with S.F. One of the highlights of the afternoon program was a moving performance of the love duet from Madama Butterfly with soprano Licia Albanese and tenor Frederick Jagel. The final performance of Cos fan tutte on Saturday, April 1, at 7:30pm will be livestreamed on thedallasopera.TV. A count condemned her mother to be burned as a witch. CONTRACT: All members of the San Francisco Opera Extra Chorus are contracted through the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement between AGMA and San Francisco Opera. Tickets: Mini subscriptions (3 or 4 operas) from $78, full subscriptions . Make a gift that's meaningful to you today and start enjoying the perks of membership! She made her company debut as Gerhilde in the San Francisco Opera's production of Wagner's "Die Walkre." She went on to sing with the San Francisco Opera for the next seven years. Amid the romance and intrigue, the operas story is driven forward by one of operas most elevating soundscapes. In SFO's September 2009 program magazine, David Gockley announced that bringing on Luisotti as the company's music director was a large part of his goal to "reinvigorate the core Italian repertory that is San Francisco Opera's birthright." The San Francisco opera scene is always alive with boisterous voices and tragic stories that come to life on stage to entertain patrons who love the unique style and artistry of the opera. This once-in-a-century event features the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus, music directors past and present and 15 of the greatest artists to grace the War Memorial Opera House stage. 1 Bath. One device changed the way we interact with each other and the world, but what did it do to the man whose creative zeal brought it into existence? Edwin MacArthur led the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in several 78-rpm recordings for RCA Victor in the late 1930s, including performances by soprano Kirsten Flagstad. It's been three years since she passed. San Francisco Bay Area. For the 2022/23 season, his appearances include Normanno in Lucia di Lammermoor and Spoletta in Tosca with LA Opera, where he is a member of the . Alongside her is their young son, Trouble, who has never met his father. The San Francisco Opera House is located on Van Ness Avenue, near SF City Hall and the Davies Symphony Hall. Dastoor, a native of Pasadena, began her professional career at Opera San Jos in 2007, when she was hired by the company's founding director Irene Dalis as a member of the resident company. Member benefits include attendance at vocal master classes, invitations to special events and ticketing privileges. Adler developed a strong professional relationship with Birgit Nilsson. Visit Us. The estimated total pay for a Chorus Member at San Francisco Opera is $3,886 per month. I am so proud that we are telling so many new stories this season, and Im excited to continue our innovation explorations as we chart a course for the future of opera. The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs is the first of three San Francisco Opera co-commissions to be presented during the 2023-24 Season, reaffirming the Company's commitment to expanding the operatic repertoire. Job Details . Ambitious programming initiatives and plans for a second, smaller performance venue went by the wayside. "Rush" tickets: some performances offer tickets starting at $30-35 for full-time students, seniors 65+, and military members. Chronicle file photo 1969 San Francisco Opera's inaugural international opera season was launched. The production used imagery from various eras of American history and had a feminist and environmentalist viewpoint. San Francisco philanthropist Dede Wilsey pledged a $5-million gift, and the entire facility was named the Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera. Other operas new to the SFO's repertoire during her directorship include Busoni's Doktor Faust, Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre and Janek's The Cunning Little Vixen. Eventually, as seen in the 1961 SFO season, eleven operas were given five or six performances each on average while the season ran to late November. IL TROVATORE by Giuseppe VerdiSeptember 12October 1, 2023, Arturo Chacn-Cruz; Angel Blue; George Petean; Anita Rachvelishvili; Eun Sun Kim. Can't make it to the Winspear? in Wagner's Ring Cycle alone, we spend 14 hours together in the dark, sharing our love for extraordinary music. LOHENGRIN by Richard Wagner San Francisco Opera is a member of. San Francisco Opera press release announcing 2014/15 season https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Vt9V1uo0c4 Interview with Bright Sheng and David Henry Hwang about Opera. In her American opera debut, French soprano Julie Fuchs portrays the title role, a queen who is pursued by wildly different suitors. He started ushering for the Ballet at the beginning of 2014. When: Sept. 8 to June 30, 2024 Tickets: Full Series Subscriptions (6-8 productions) from $146 . Baritone George Petean joins the Company as Count di Luna, and mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili, whom conductor Riccardo Muti praised as without doubt the best Verdi mezzo-soprano today on the planet (New York Times), completes the powerful quartet in the pivotal role of Azucena. Of Time and Love - Concerto for Viola and Ochestra (25 . CO-COMMISSION BAY AREA PREMIEREOMAR music by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels, libretto by Rhiannon GiddensNovember 521, 2023, Rhiannon Giddens; Michael Abels; Jamez McCorkle; Taylor Raven; Brittany Renee; Daniel Okulitch; John Kennedy. 212 to serve as an entertainment hall for its members, the Bayview Opera House was designed by prominent German architect Henry . San Francisco (/ s n f r n s s k o /; Spanish for "Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California.The city proper is the fourth most populous in California, with 815,201 residents as of 2021, and covers a land area of 46.9 square miles (121 square kilometers), at the end of the San . Make a gift that's meaningful to you today and start enjoying the perks of membership! By introducing his young singers to the great voices of the past, inviting them to rehearsals, and giving tickets to current productions McEwen hoped to create rounded performers who could appear in the regular Fall season. San Francisco Opera Center, Marin Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony, Vallejo Symphony, Pacific Chamber Symphony, Eastern Music Festival. ", In May 2011, it was announced that Gockley's contract was to be extended through SFO's 201516 season. Given his expertise and background in understanding opera and the wonders of the human voice, it is not surprising that his approach in his early years was away from the theatrical side and more focused on singers. The legendary tenor Lauritz Melchior conducted the orchestra, rather than sing, in a performance of the famous Radetsky March by Johann Strauss I; it was possibly his last public appearance. Towards the end of the 2001 season, Mansouri announced his retirement after fourteen seasons with SFO and 50 years in opera. Worked with the San Francisco Opera and taught at San Francisco City College. Where: War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., S.F. He trained a chorus, assembled an orchestra from members of the San Francisco Symphony, and enlisted some of opera's top singersmany of them stars from the Metropolitan Opera in New York. San Francisco Opera 2023-24 season Where: War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., S.F. For its 101st season, announced Tuesday, Jan. 24, . Job Location : War Memorial Opera House - San Francisco, CA . Post-apocalyptic future felt much like something out of Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower, though that work is set in the a . The performance will be approximately 3 hours and 10 minutes including one intermission. In partnership with the Dolby family, the Company will continue its popular Dolby Family Opera for the Bay program. War Memorial Opera . The fundraising campaign was a success. 271: 1953-1956 Seems to have begun during the 1953-1954 season, succeeding Irving Steffen: Djokic, Michelle The husband-and-wife duo, each a celebrated artist on the worlds leading opera stages, headline Opera Ball, the annual benefit co-presented by San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Opera Guild. The building was designed by Arthur Brown Jr., the architect who conceived Coit Tower and City Hall. The United Nations Conference on International Organization ( UNCIO ), commonly known as the San Francisco Conference, was a convention of delegates from 50 Allied nations that took place from 25 April 1945 to 26 June 1945 in San Francisco, California, United States. [5], One of Mansouri's triumphs was the overseeing of the reconstruction and renovation of the opera house following the October 1989 earthquake. However, as Chatfield-Taylor notes, "singers, conductors, directors, and designers came back season after season. About Press Room Blog Visit Performance Archive. By the 1970s, the company was highly successful and offered audiences the "cream of the crop" of internationally known singers, but, with Adler often bringing in unknowns to make their American debuts or the surprise of well-known singers replacing ailing ones, there were some exciting nights at the opera. The staff is friendly and efficient and very helpful. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Besides his work for SF Ballet and Opera (usually in the Orchestra), he also proudly volunteered for the San Francisco SPCA. Another aim was to present new talent, and, for this, he was tireless in seeking out up-and-coming new singers, whether American or European, by attending performances in both major and minor opera houses. San Francisco Opera is a member of. San Diego Opera Association was incorporated in 1965 as a producing company and presented . War Memorial Opera House 301 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102-4509. The artists of the San Francisco Opera Chorus, recently praised by the San Francisco Chronicle for singing splendidly under its new director, John Keene, will be featured throughout the new season. Sean Martinfield, "SF OPERA Announces audited financial results for Fiscal Year 2010/11", Rita Moreno to Host KQED's San Francisco Opera Broadcasts, TheaterMania.com, "San Francisco Opera appoints Nicola Luisotti as Music Director beginning in 200910 season", "Nicola Luisotti named Opera's music director, starting in 2009", "3 Generations of Chinese Women Find Voice in Opera". SFO presented Das Rheingold in June 2008, Die Walkre in June 2010, and three complete Ring cycles in June 2011. [22], The company secured composer John Adams' Nixon in China for their 2011/12 season.[23]. The third performance of every main-stage opera during the 202223 season will be available to view as a livestream. You, as our audience, complete the cycle; one that begins with the . Paiement will also return to the Dallas Opera in April 2022 to conduct Bizet's The Pearl Fishers and to L'Opra de Montral in Season 22/23. These included "Seminal Works of Modern Times", "The Faust Project", "Composer Portrait: Janek/Berlioz", "Women Outside of Society: Laws Unto Themselves", "Metamorphosis: From Fairy Tales to Nightmares", and "Outsiders or Pioneers? You can expect in coming seasons to hear Rene Fleming, Anna Netrebko, Thomas Hampson, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Marcello Giordani, Ramn Vargas, Marcelo lvarez, Juan Diego Flrez, Ben Heppner, Natalie Dessay, and Angela Gheorghiu, among many others. Soprano Angel Blue, who made her Company debut in 2009 as Clara in Porgy and Bess, returns as Leonora, one of Verdis greatest heroines. At this convention, the delegates reviewed and . Originally built in 1888 by the San Francisco Masonic Lodge No. Collection guide, California State Library, California History Room. Dagmar Dolby said: "100 years ago, San Francisco Opera was born through the confluence of bold ideas, great artistry, and passionate support. Music Director Eun Sun Kim conducts Mozarts timeless, exhilarating work of art. By the fall, he was planning his first season, and the very next year, Merola organized a trial season at Stanford University. Pay-what-you're-able with a minimum ticket price of $9.99. The San Francisco Opera plans to launch its second century with a 2023-24 season featuring the highest proportion of contemporary work in its history, alongside an array of familiar works by Verdi, Wagner and others. Merola heard of him and, over the telephone, invited him to San Francisco opera in 1943 as chorus director. February 23, 2023. Master's student Joseph Calzada is behind the technology that brings opera and classical music into virtual reality (VR), allowing audiences all over the world to experience music universally. Teaching Artist at San Francisco Opera San Francisco State University With his Ring Cycle which began in the Summer 1983 and Fall 1984 seasons and which was presented in its entirety in June 1985 McEwen demonstrated where his priorities lay: they were focused on hiring the best singers in the world. She returned with few exceptions every season for 26 years and made her last appearance in the house in 1982. The creative team from the original production, led by director Kevin Newbury, will be reunited for this presentation near the Silicon Valley environs that provide the operas setting. Dramatizing the nexus of the sleek, high-tech devices that revolutionized modern life and the less tidy human beings who dreamed them into existence, this San Francisco Opera co-commission makes its long-awaited local premiere. Madame Butterfly (Jun 9, 2023 at 7:30pm Pacific) ON SALE NOWDie Frau ohne Schatten (Jun 20, 2023 at 7pm Pacific) ON SALE NOWEl ltimo sueo de Frida y Diego (Jun 22, 2023 at 7:30pm Pacific) ON SALE NOW100th Anniversary Concert (Jun 16, 2023 at 6:00pm Pacific)* ON SALE NOW, *On demand will not be available for this performance. Now on the Day of the Dead in 1957, a lonely, ailing Diego Rivera makes a final wish: to see his wife Frida Kahlo once more. Innocence follows a familys ability to deal with tragedy. Salary Range : $68,000.00 - $73,000.00 Salary/year . Characteristics of Merola's SFO included creating opportunities for young American singers regardless of the fact that the opera lacked a formal training program at that time, and also regular tours by the SFO to Los Angeles between 1937 and 1965, which expanded the season into November. Bud Cary San Francisco opera collection. PURPOSE: To help coordinate systems and logistics for facilities items, production rentals and theatrical technical work related to the construction, transport, mounting, and running of San Francisco Opera productions in a . The 202324 Season launches with an opening week of music and festivities beginning Friday, September 8, with Opera Ball, a gala concert featuring soprano Aleksandra Kurzak and, in his first Company appearance, tenor Roberto Alagna with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus under the baton of Eun Sun Kim. About Press Room Blog Visit Performance Archive. Three new works co-commissioned by San Francisco Opera punctuate the Companys 101st season. Alumni of the program have made important debuts at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Covent Garden, San Francisco Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin and English National Opera, to name just a few. WATCH In Song: Arturo Chacn-Cruz The Mexican tenor leads young musicians at a mariachi academy and reflects on culture, love and determination in both music and life in this episode of the Companys award- winning In Song series. The union of Elsa and Lohengrin is opposed by the scheming Ortrud, performed by Romanian-Hungarian mezzo-soprano Judit Kutasi in her American debut, and the Telramund of baritone Brian Mulligan. ", He continued: "Embattled by financial woes and trying labor negotiations, Rosenberg was routinely blamed for problems that were largely beyond her control. We will have a world premiere for you in 2007, and the Wagner lovers among you will be happy to hear that we expect to commence a Ring Cycle in 2008. In November 1992, Mansouri introduced "Pacific Visions", an ambitious program designed to maintain the vitality of the opera repertoire through new commissions and the presentation of unusual repertoire. Earlier this month, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the nation's largest and most influential opera company, posted a 45-second video on Instagram boasting about the company's new COVID safety . Each night, the young Cio-Cio-San looks out over the port of Nagasaki, eagerly waiting the return of her husband, U.S. Able to prioritize competing or conflicting requests. Education: Learn More. The audience-building ticket initiative makes prime seats available for $10 each to Bay Area residents who have not purchased tickets in the last three years. CO-COMMISSION BAY AREA PREMIERETHE (R)EVOLUTION OF STEVE JOBS music by Mason Bates, libretto by Mark CampbellSeptember 22October 7, 2023, Mason Bates; Mark Campbell; John Moore; Sasha Cooke; Bille Bruley; Wei Wu; Michael Christie. It was launched with the commissioning of the following operas: Summing up his years at the SFO, the San Francisco Chronicle noted: "He's never been interested in the succs d'estime, the daring intellectual or theatrical coup that dazzles culture mavens but leaves the general public alienated or bewildered. Recognized as one of the worlds foremost young artist programs, the Merola Opera Program trains tomorrows opera superstars and presents the annual Merola Summer Festival. Jim's presence, his keenness to see that audience members under his care were enjoying themselves, and his dry sense of humor will be intensely missed. Login the same way as you do any other smart app: . Then, on Tuesday, September 12, Kim will lead the Company in the first full opera of the season, Verdis Il Trovatore. The San Francisco Opera Orchestra performs "Dio, che nell'alma infondere " from "Don Carlo" (Giuseppe Verdi) during the Opera Ball on Sept. 9. Several innovations undertaken by Adler included the Merola Opera Program (named after the first general director). Your support helps us fulfill our mission to bring the transformative power of musical storytelling to our community. The Company will continue to share its performances globally through livestreams of the third performance of each opera in the repertory. Nilsson made her US-debut in San Francisco in 1956. In the early 1800s, Islamic scholar Omar Ibn Said was forcibly taken from his village in West Africa and sold into slavery in Charleston, South Carolina, where he recorded his story as an expansive canvas of testimony and faith. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that . Partenope is the queen of the Paris social scene, her salon a magnet to the eras surrealist artists as they vie for her hand in a laugh-out-loud comedy. The San Francisco Opera Chorus was the subject of the 1992 Oscar-winning feature-length documentary In the Shadow of the Stars . PARTENOPE by George Frideric HandelJune 1528, 2024, Julie Fuchs; Carlo Vistoli; Daniela Mack; Nicholas Tamagna; Alek Shrader; Hadleigh Adams; Christopher Moulds. Conductor John Kennedy, who led the works 2021 world premiere at Spoleto Festival USA, leads Giddens and Abels expansive score which synthesizes strains of bluegrass, spirituals, the West African kora, folk music and jazz into a compelling theatrical experience. San Francisco Opera: "Sweeney Todd," through Tuesday, Sept. 29, . He heard Leontyne Price on the radio, and offered her a role in Dialogues of the Carmelites in 1957, thus providing her with her first performance on a major operatic stage. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. War Memorial Opera House301 Van Ness AvenueSan Francisco, CA 94102-4509, (415) 864-3330Mon 10am-5pmTue-Sat 10am-6pm, Performance days: 10am through first intermission, AboutEmployment | AuditionsPress RoomBlogVisitPerformance Archive, Opera ShopStreaming the First CenturyBohme Out of The Box, SF Opera GuildMerola Opera ProgramOpera Center, San Francisco Opera is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. They came back because Adler made the SFO an internationally respected company that ran at a high level of professionalism and offered them interesting things to do in a warm and supportive atmosphere." Paiement has served as the Artistic Director of the BluePrint Project at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) where she has commissioned, premiered, and recorded works from many living . Growing up in the Montreal area of Canada, McEwen learned to love opera at an early age, listened to the Met broadcasts, and at age 14, made a trip to New York one winter break to hear several of his favorite operas, which included Bidu Sayo and Jussi Bjrling in Rigoletto. Box Office (415) 864-3330 Mon 10am-5pm Tue-Sat 10am-6pm. FROM HARLEM TO JUILLIARD Born in New York City on January 30, 1928 to parents who emigrated from Barbados in the West Indies, Elayne Jones considers herself a "New Yorkerof African origin." . Fittingly, the concert featured operatic greats of the past, present and future. Robert Innes Hopkins, who designed San Francisco Operas recent new productions of Tosca and La Traviata, is production designer, and Ramn Tebar makes his Company debut leading the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus. In 1986, Sir John Pritchard was appointed music director, and served until 1989. Vilma J, a Finnish musician who crosses musical boundaries from folk to experimental electronic music, makes her house debut as Markta. Chorus Director John Keene prepares the artists of the San Francisco Opera Chorus. Discover more about opera with education classes, articles, and more. I believe that it speaks of glamour, sophistication, tradition and innovation all things that infuse our plans for the future of San Francisco Opera. Located on the 4th floor of the Veterans Building and featuring the 299-seat Dianne and Tad Taube Atrium Theater, the John M. Bryan Education Studio for student, family and adult programs and the Edward Paul Braby San Francisco Opera Archives. In 1975, Kurt Herbert Adler was in charge of the San Francisco Opera, and . flute/piccolo. Called a "transitional year" in its announcement Tuesday, June 22, the season is expected to open . [14], The technology for the simulcasts and other innovations like OperaVisiona series of screens located throughout the War Memorial Opera House that project close-up shots of the action on stageis made possible through SFO's Koret-Taube Media Suite. During this time, Merola conceived of a vision for the company that involved branching away from the area's reliance on visiting troupes for entertainment, which had been a commonplace practice since the Gold Rush era, and creating a regional San-Francisco-based company. From 1971 to 1979, San Francisco station KKHI broadcast the regular Friday night performances of the opera on AM and FM (in multiplex stereo with quadraphonic encoding). viola. San Francisco Opera and Washington National Opera began a co-production of a new Ring Cycle in 2006 directed by Francesca Zambello. These included more Russian operas with the highlight being Valery Gergiev's conducting of Prokofiev's War and Peace and a firm link established with the Kirov Opera. The concert is presented in conjunction with the non-profit San Francisco Parks Trust and the San Francisco Chronicle Charities.[4]. The first official performance given by San Francisco Opera was La bohme, with Queena Mario and Giovanni Martinelli, on September 26, 1923, in the city's Civic Auditorium. Same day tickets, starting at 11:00 am at the box office. San Francisco Opera General Director Kurt Herbert Adler (third from left) is honored by members of the opera supporters' group Il Cenacolo at a Christmas dinner in 1969. Appealing to more than just the city's elite, Merola raised 2441 contributions of $50 each from many "founding members. FREE AND OPEN TO ALL! Since 1983, these recitals have featured renowned Merola alumni and have also been instrumental in launching the careers of internationally acclaimed artists. Viewers watch the projected "La Traviata" at Oracle Park for San Francisco Opera's "Opera at the Ballpark." Photo: Ando Caulfield/Drew Altizer Photography In addition to an audience of 2,700 in the War Memorial Opera House, the performance was projected at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, for a crowd of at least 5,000 .