Julius Ahn News

San Francisco Opera will present Giacomo Puccini's Turandot at the War Memorial Opera House in six performances from November 18 through December 9. After opening the Company's 2017 Fall Season in September, the work returns in the colorful production by British-born artist David Hockney and with a cast headed by internationally renowned Swedish soprano Nina Stemme. Tenor Brian Jagde reprises the role of Calaf, soprano Leah Crocetto sings Li and bass Soloman Howard makes his Company and role debuts as Timur. In his first San Francisco Opera appearance, American conductor Christopher Franklin leads the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Chorus and dancers.

San Francisco Opera inaugurates its 95th season on Friday, September 8, with Puccini's Turandot, staged in the iconic production by English artist David Hockney and conducted by Company Music Director Nicola Luisotti, and two opening night galas. Saturday, September 9 features the opening of a new production of Richard Strauss' Elektra. The festivities continue on Sunday, September 10, with San Francisco Chronicle Presents Opera in the Park, an annual Bay Area tradition celebrating the opening of the opera season with a free concert in Golden Gate Park.

San Francisco Opera announced today a casting update for its season-opening production of Giacomo Puccini's Turandot, running from September 8 through 30 at the War Memorial Opera House. American soprano Toni Marie Palmertree will sing Liu, replacing Maria Agresta who has withdrawn due to illness. Originally scheduled to portray Puccini's tragic heroine on September 24 and 30, Palmertree will now perform in all six September performances.

Single (non-subscription) tickets for San Francisco Opera's 2017 Fall Season at the War Memorial Opera House go on sale Monday, June 26, 2017, at 10 a.m. Tickets may be purchased online at sfopera.com; in-person at the San Francisco Opera Box Office, located at 301 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco and open Mondays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; and by phone at (415) 864-3330 during Box Office hours. Full and Half Series subscription packages are also available. Tickets for the three cycles of Wagner's Ring during the summer of 2018 are available as complete, four-opera cycles only.

The partnership between San Francisco Opera and the Bay Area's Classical KDFC continues with monthly broadcasts of performances captured during the Fall 2016 Season, including the world premiere of Bright Sheng and David Henry Hwang's Dream of the Red Chamber, and a historic broadcast from the Company's archives. All performances were recorded live at the War Memorial Opera House and feature the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus (Ian Robertson, Chorus Director).

San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock and Music Director Nicola Luisotti today announced plans for the 2017-18 repertory season. The Company's 95th season will open Friday, September 8 with a gala performance of Giacomo Puccini'sTurandot led by Maestro Luisotti and an international cast starring Martina Serafin, Maria Agresta and Brian Jagde.

San Francisco Opera's 2016–17 Season continues with ten performances of Giacomo Puccini's heartbreaking drama Madama Butterfly, November 6 through December 4 at the War Memorial Opera House. The cast will feature the much-anticipated American debut of young Italian tenor Vincenzo Costanzo as Lt. B.F. Pinkerton and return of Armenian soprano Lianna Haroutounian as the tragic heroine, Cio-Cio-San. Jun Kaneko's colorful and compelling production, last seen in San Francisco during the 2013–14 Season, will be directed by Leslie Swackhamer and Maestro Yves Abel conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus.

 Pittsburgh Opera announces its 2016-2017 season. The season includes the very first world premiere in our 78 year history and two Pennsylvania premieres. The season will encompass four operas produced at the Benedum Center and two Resident Artist operas - the annual production at Pittsburgh CAPA Theater and the Second Stage Project at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters.

San Francisco Opera General Director David Gockley and Music Director Nicola Luisotti today announced the Company's 2016–17 Season repertory and roster of international guest artists, conductors and creative teams scheduled to appear at the War Memorial Opera House, as well as initial programming for SF Opera Lab 2017 presentations at the Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera's Taube Atrium Theater. The Company's 94th Season will also mark Matthew Shilvock's inaugural year as San Francisco Opera's new general director, succeeding his mentor and internationally respected impresario, David Gockley, who will step down on July 31, 2016.

The cast and company of Madam Butterfly at the Royal Albert Hall, produced by Raymond Gubbay with the Royal Albert Hall, will tonight celebrated the production's 100th performance in the venue. The current revival runs until Sunday 15 March.

MADAM BUTTERFLY, Giacomo Puccini's masterpiece of doomed love and tragic passion, will play a limited run at the Royal Albert Hall, beginning tonight 26 February 2015. David Freeman will direct, reviving his Japanese water garden production, designed by David Roger.

A new behind-the-scenes rehearsal video has been released for MADAM BUTTERFLY, Giacomo Puccini's masterpiece of doomed love and tragic passion, which will play a limited run at the Royal Albert Hall, beginning on 26 February 2015.

A behind-the-scenes rehearsal video has been released for MADAM BUTTERFLY, Giacomo Puccini's masterpiece of doomed love and tragic passion, which will play a limited run at the Royal Albert Hall, beginning on 26 February 2015.

MADAM BUTTERFLY, Giacomo Puccini's masterpiece of doomed love and tragic passion, will play a limited run at the Royal Albert Hall, beginning on 26 February 2015. David Freeman will direct, reviving his Japanese water garden production, designed by David Roger.

MADAM BUTTERFLY, Giacomo Puccini's masterpiece of doomed love and tragic passion, will play a limited run at the Royal Albert Hall, beginning on 26 February 2015. David Freeman will direct, reviving his Japanese water garden production, designed by David Roger.

The Canadian Opera Company's beloved production of Puccini's heartbreaking masterpiece of love, longing and loss, Madama Butterfly, comes to the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts this October. An exquisite production by Canadian theatrical legend Brian Macdonald, designed by Susan Benson with lighting by Michael Whitfield, the COC'sMadama Butterfly has become a Toronto favourite, playing to sold-out audiences at its 1990 premiere and subsequent revivals in 1994, 1998, 2003 and 2009. Madama Butterfly is sung in Italian with English SURTITLESTM and runs for 12 performances on October 10, 11, 15, 18, 19, 21, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 31, 2014.

A reception at 6:30 precedes the ceremony, which will begin at 7:30. All are welcome to attend the free event, which is fast becoming the theater-networking event in the state.

They tell the story (based on a true one) of Guang (Julius Ahn), an illegal immigrant who gets stuck in a Bronx elevator for 81 hours while making deliveries for the Happy Dragon Chinese Restaurant.

Long Wharf Theatre and the International Festival of Arts and Ideas will present Stuck Elevator, written by New Haven resident Aaron Jafferis, with music by Byron Au Yong, directed by Chay Yew, from tonight, June 20-29.

Long Wharf Theatre and the International Festival of Arts and Ideas will present Stuck Elevator, written by New Haven resident Aaron Jafferis, with music by Byron Au Yong, directed by Chay Yew, from June 20-29.