SAN FRANCISCO OPERA FALL SEASON CONTINUES WITH NOVEMBER DECEMBER OPERAS AND CONCERTS

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1 SAN FRANCISCO OPERA FALL SEASON CONTINUES WITH NOVEMBER DECEMBER OPERAS AND CONCERTS New Production of Jules Massenet's Manon Opens November 4 Featuring Role Debuts of Ellie Dehn as Manon and Michael Fabiano as Des Grieux Giacomo Puccini's Turandot Returns November 18 with Nina Stemme in the Title Role, Brian Jagde as Calaf and Leah Crocetto as Liù John Adams Girls of the Golden West with Libretto by Director Peter Sellars Receives World Premiere November 21 Sol3 Mio, San Francisco Opera Chorus and Adler Fellows Featured in Fall Concerts Tickets available at sfopera.com and (415) Manon production by Vincent Boussard [ Martynas Aleksa]; Turandot production by David Hockney [ Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera] John Adams and Peter Sellars with members of the Girls of the Golden West cast [ Stefan Cohen/San Francisco Opera] SAN FRANCISCO, CA (September 26, 2017) The 2017 Fall Season of San Francisco Opera continues in November and December with a new production of Jules Massenet s Manon (November 4 22), Giacomo Puccini s Turandot (November 18 December 9) and the highly anticipated world premiere of John Adams Girls of the Golden West (November 21 December 10). Special concert presentations include the San Francisco Opera Chorus (November 30), the popular award-winning New Zealand vocal trio Sol3 Mio performing with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra (December 1) and The Future Is Now: Adler Fellows Concert (December 8). The Company s 95th season culminates in June 2018 with Wagner s Der Ring des Nibelungen. 1

2 Massenet: Manon (November 4 22) After an absence of nearly two decades, Massenet's Manon returns to the War Memorial Opera House stage on November 4 in a new production by Vincent Boussard. Composed at the height of the Belle Époque, Massenet s romantic tragedy follows a young beauty who forsakes true love for a life of wealth and extravagance as the toast of Paris. Manon features soprano Ellie Dehn in the title role and tenor Michael Fabiano as Chevalier des Grieux. French conductor and Massenet specialist Patrick Fournillier leads the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Ellie Dehn thrilled San Francisco Opera audiences last summer in what the San Francisco Chronicle called a sumptuous, sparkling turn as the sexually irresistible Musetta in Puccini s La Bohème. In her sixth leading role with the Company, the American soprano takes on the ebullient and capricious Manon for the first time. In another exciting role debut, internationally-acclaimed American tenor Michael Fabiano, who was recently praised by the New York Times for his sensitive, vibrant lyric tenor, adds the role of Chevalier des Grieux to his expanding repertory. San Francisco Opera s cast for Manon also features baritone David Pershall as Manon s cousin Lescaut, bass James Creswell as Comte des Grieux, baritone Timothy Mix as the wealthy tax collector De Brétigny and tenor Robert Brubaker as Guillot de Morfontaine. Soprano Monica Dewey makes her Company debut as Pousette, soprano Laura Krumm is Javotte and mezzo-soprano Renée Rapier is Rosette. French director Vincent Boussard, whose staging of Bellini s I Capuleti e i Montecchi was presented at San Francisco Opera in 2012, returns to direct his sensual interpretation of Manon, a co-production with the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Israeli Opera. Boussard noted: I believe that the story of a young lady who wants to listen to a call for freedom and pleasure belongs to our period of time. The production features sets designed by Vincent Lemaire, costumes designed by Boussard and lighting by Gary Marder. Puccini: Turandot (November 18 December 9) After opening the 2017 Fall Season in a revival of David Hockney s vivid and colorful production, which continues to underscore perfectly the alarming power of Puccini s work (San Francisco Chronicle), Turandot returns November 18. Bringing her acclaimed portrayal of Princess Turandot to the War Memorial Opera House stage for the first time, internationally renowned Swedish soprano Nina Stemme heads the cast. During her previous Company appearances as Brünnhilde in Wagner s Ring, the Mercury News praised Stemme as a singer of arresting power and sheer delicacy, her voice both spacious and focused. And filled with color. American tenor Brian Jagde, who sounded radiant and hit all his high notes with aplomb (San Francisco Examiner) when he performed his first Calaf on opening night of San Francisco Opera s Season, reprises the role. Leah Crocetto sings Liù, a breakout role for the American soprano when 2

3 she first essayed the part on the stage of the War Memorial Opera House in Crocetto also won acclaim for her portrayal of the tragic heroine at her Metropolitan Opera debut in Cast members also include American bass Soloman Howard in his Company debut as Timur and conductor Christopher Franklin who makes his first appearance leading the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Adams: Girls of the Golden West (November 21 December 10) From the composer of Nixon in China, The Death of Klinghoffer and Doctor Atomic, comes the most eagerly anticipated new opera of the season (New York Times): the world premiere of John Adams Girls of the Golden West. With a libretto by director Peter Sellars, the work explores the true and often brutal stories of pioneers during the California Gold Rush. Created expressly for San Francisco Opera, the opera is a co-production with the Dallas Opera and Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam. Set in historic mining sites high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains only 200 miles away from San Francisco, Girls of the Golden West premieres in the city which owes much of its early growth and enterprising spirit to the Gold Rush, a global event that attracted unprecedented multitudes from around the world. Dramatizing the 49ers humorous, heroic and violent experiences on California s challenging frontier, the libretto for Girls of the Golden West is drawn from period sources including The Shirley Letters, Louise Clappe s elegant and vivid accounts, written under the pen name Dame Shirley, about the rugged conditions in the gold fields; abolitionist Frederick Douglass speech What to a slave is the fourth of July? ; diaries of Chilean miners; poetry of Chinese and Argentinian settlers; songs of the period; and Mark Twain s Roughing It. Conductor and frequent Adams collaborator Grant Gershon leads the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and an exceptional cast, including Julia Bullock (Dame Shirley), Hye Jung Lee (Ah Sing), J Nai Bridges (Josefa Segovia), Paul Appleby (Joe Cannon), Davóne Tines (Ned Peters), Elliot Madore (Ramón), Ryan McKinny (Clarence King) and dancer Lorena Feijóo (Lola Montez). Sellars anchors a production team from the worlds of opera, theater and cinema, including set designer David Gropman, costume designer Rita Ryack, lighting designer James F. Ingalls, sound designer Mark Grey and choreographer John Heginbotham. In support of the premiere, San Francisco Opera and other leading cultural institutions will present an array of public events and exhibitions from September through December, including an all-day, multidisciplinary symposium at the Dianne and Tad Taube Atrium Theater on October 28. Girls of the Golden West ancillary activities range from discussions with the opera s creators and cast to public exhibitions and examinations of the work s rich historical setting and sources, especially the California history classic The Shirley Letters. For a full calendar of Girls of the Golden West ancillary activities, please visit sfopera.com/ggwevents. 3

4 SAN FRANCISCO OPERA CHORUS CONCERT Taube Atrium Theater, November 30 On Thursday, November 30 at 8 p.m., the San Francisco Opera Chorus will perform in the intimate Taube Atrium Theater. Under the baton of Chorus Director Ian Robertson and with Associate Chorus Master Fabrizio Corona at the piano, the 47-member chorus will perform sacred, secular and operatic music by J.S. Bach, di Lasso, Elgar, Ešenvalds, Massenet, O Regan, Poulenc, Praetorius, Puccini, Purcell, Verdi and Wagner. For more information, visit sfopera.com/chorusconcert. SOL3 MIO WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO OPERA ORCHESTRA War Memorial Opera House, December 1 The critically-acclaimed New Zealand trio Sol3 Mio will take to the War Memorial Opera House stage on Friday, December 1 at 7:30 p.m. for a special holiday concert. This exclusive San Francisco Opera presentation of Samoan brothers and Adler Fellow tenors Pene Pati and Amitai Pati, and their Samoan cousin baritone Moses Mackay, will feature the popular trio in a program of holiday favorites, operatic works, crossover hits and songs from the South Pacific. Robert Mollicone, a former San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow, makes his mainstage debut conducting the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Known for their impassioned singing and brotherly bonhomie onstage, Sol3 Mio brings classically trained voices and operatic credentials (Pene Pati was the Duke of Mantua in Verdi s Rigoletto at San Francisco Opera last summer) to a wide repertory. The group s multi-platinum album sales in New Zealand, performances throughout the country and visits to Australia, Japan, Europe and Hawaii have earned them an enormous audience at home and abroad. To learn more about Sol3 Mio and hear excerpts, visit sol3mio.com. For more information, visit sfopera.com/sol3mio. THE FUTURE IS NOW: ADLER FELLOWS CONCERT War Memorial Opera House, December 8 The annual concert showcasing the San Francisco Opera Center Adler Fellows, The Future Is Now, will be held on Friday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the War Memorial Opera House. Stage director and firstyear Adler Fellow Aria Umezawa stages this program of arias and operatic scenes featuring the 2017 class of Adler Fellows accompanied by the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Conductor James Gaffigan leads the Orchestra in his Company debut. For more information, visit sfopera.com/futureisnow. TICKETS AND INFORMATION Tickets for Manon, Turandot and Girls of the Golden West are priced from $26 to $398. Please visit sfopera.com for further details or call the Opera Box Office at (415) San Francisco Opera Box Office hours are Monday 10 a.m. 5 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. 6 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. 6 p.m. during performance season. Standing Room tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on the day of each 4

5 performance; standing room tickets are $10 each, cash only and limited to two tickets per person. Casts, programs, prices and schedules are subject to change. All War Memorial Opera House opera performances are preceded by an informative Pre-Opera Talk beginning 55 minutes prior to curtain. Pre-Opera Talks are free of charge to patrons with tickets for the corresponding performance. Visit sfopera.com/learn for information about the Company s lectures, preview events and enrichment programs. OperaVision screens, suspended from the ceiling of the balcony section at selected performances, provide close-up and mid-range ensemble shots in high-definition video; English subtitles appear at the bottom of each screen. OperaVision is made possible by the Koret-Taube Media Suite. Tickets for the San Francisco Opera Chorus Concert on November 30 at the Taube Atrium Theater are $35 and seating is general admission. Tickets for the Sol3 Mio concert on December 1 at the War Memorial Opera House range from $20 to $100. Tickets for The Future Is Now: Adler Fellows Concert on December 8 at the War Memorial Opera House range from $30 to $80. The War Memorial Opera House is located at 301 Van Ness Avenue. The Dianne and Tad Taube Atrium Theater is in Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera, which is located on the fourth floor of the Veterans Building at 40t Van Ness Avenue. Patrons are encouraged to use public transportation to attend San Francisco Opera performances. The War Memorial Opera House and Veterans Building are within walking distance of the Civic Center BART Station and near numerous bus lines, including 5, 21, 47, 49 and the F Market Street. For further public transportation information, visit bart.gov and sfmta.com. # # # # # NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 OPERA SEASON CASTING AND CALENDAR *San Francisco Opera Debut Role Debut Current Adler Fellow OperaVision Performance All performances take place at the War Memorial Opera House unless otherwise noted. MANON by Jules Massenet NEW PRODUCTION November 4 (7:30 p.m.), 7 (7:30 p.m.), 10 (7:30 p.m.), 16 (7:30 p.m.), 19 (2 p.m.), 22 (7:30 p.m.), 2017 Co-production with Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Israeli Opera Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille after Antoine-François Prévost s novel L histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut Approximate running time: 3 hours, 15 minutes including two intermissions Sung in French with English supertitles First performance: Paris; January 19, 1884 First SFO performance: September 29, 1924 Most recent SFO performances: November 1998 Cast: Manon Ellie Dehn 5

6 Chevalier des Grieux Lescaut Comte des Grieux Guillot de Morfontaine De Brétigny Pousette Javotte Rosette Innkeeper Creative Team: Conductor Director Set Designer Costume Designer Lighting Designer Chorus Director Michael Fabiano David Pershall James Creswell Robert Brubaker Timothy Mix Monica Dewey* Laura Krumm Renée Rapier Anders Fröhlich Patrick Fournillier Vincent Boussard Vincent Lemaire Vincent Boussard Gary Marder Ian Robertson San Francisco Opera Orchestra, San Francisco Opera Chorus and San Francisco Opera Dance Corps TURANDOT by Giacomo Puccini (Last duet and finale by Franco Alfano) November 18 (7:30 p.m.), 25 (7:30 p.m.), 28 (7:30 p.m.); December 3 (2 p.m.), 6 (7:30 p.m.), 9 (7:30 p.m.), 2017 Co-production with Lyric Opera of Chicago Libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni Based on Friedrich Schiller s version of a play by Carlo Gozzi Approximate running time: 3 hours including two intermissions Sung in Italian with English supertitles First performance: Milan; April 25, 1926 First SFO performance: September 19, 1927 Most recent SFO performances: September 2017 Cast: Turandot Calaf Liù Timur Ping Pang Pong A Mandarin Emperor Altoum Creative Team: Conductor Production and Design Director Costume Designer Original Lighting Designer Nina Stemme Brian Jagde Leah Crocetto Soloman Howard* Joo Won Kang Julius Ahn Joel Sorensen Brad Walker Robert Brubaker* Christopher Franklin* David Hockney Garnett Bruce Ian Falconer Thomas J. Munn 6

7 Lighting Designer Chorus Director Choreographer Fight Director Gary Marder Ian Robertson Lawrence Pech Dave Maier San Francisco Opera Orchestra, San Francisco Opera Chorus and San Francisco Opera Dance Corps GIRLS OF THE GOLDEN WEST by John Adams WORLD PREMIERE November 21 (7:30 p.m.), 24 (7:30 p.m.), 26 (2 p.m.), 29 (7:30 p.m.); December 2 (7:30 p.m.), 5 (7:30 p.m.), 7 (7:30 p.m.), 10 (2 p.m.), 2017 A co-commission and co-production between San Francisco Opera, the Dallas Opera and Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam The opera is presented by arrangement with Hendon Music, Inc., a Boosey & Hawkes company, publisher and copyright owner. Libretto by Peter Sellars, drawn from original sources Approximate running time: 3 hours including one intermission Sung in English with English supertitles Cast: Dame Shirley Ned Peters Josefa Segovia Clarence King Joe Cannon Ah Sing Ramón Lola Montez Production Team: Conductor Director Set Designer Costume Designer Lighting Designer Sound Designer Chorus Director Choreographer Julia Bullock* Davóne Tines* J Nai Bridges Ryan McKinny* Paul Appleby Hye Jung Lee Elliot Madore Lorena Feijóo Grant Gershon* Peter Sellars David Gropman* Rita Ryack* James F. Ingalls Mark Grey Ian Robertson John Heginbotham* San Francisco Opera Orchestra, San Francisco Opera Chorus and San Francisco Opera Dance Corps SAN FRANCISCO OPERA CHORUS CONCERT Thursday, November 30 at 8 p.m. Dianne and Tad Taube Atrium Theater Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera Veterans Building (4th floor), 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco Approximate running time: 1 hour 30 minutes including one intermission Tickets: $35 general admission 7

8 Chorus Director Ian Robertson, conductor Associate Chorus Master Fabrizio Corona, piano The acclaimed San Francisco Opera Chorus command the spotlight in a choral music program featuring works by J.S. Bach, di Lasso, Elgar, Ešenvalds, Massenet, O Regan, Poulenc, Praetorius, Puccini, Purcell, Verdi and Wagner. SOL3 MIO Friday, December 1 at 7:30 p.m. War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco Approximate running time: 2 hours, including one intermission Tickets: $20 $100 Sol3 Mio: Pene Pati Amitai Pati Moses Mackay Robert Mollicone, conductor San Francisco Opera Orchestra Sol3 Mio makes their continental United States debut accompanied by the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in the War Memorial Opera House. The award-winning New Zealand trio of two Samoan brothers and current San Francisco Opera Adler Fellows, Pene Pati and Amitai Pati, with their Samoan cousin baritone Moses Mackay, bring their impassioned singing to the stage in a program of holiday favorites, operatic works, crossover hits and songs from the South Pacific. THE FUTURE IS NOW: ADLER FELLOWS CONCERT Friday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m. War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco Tickets: $30 $ Adler Fellows: Sopranos Sarah Cambidge, Amina Edris, Toni Marie Palmertree; tenors Amitai Pati, Pene Pati, Kyle van Schoonhoven; baritone Andrew G. Manea; bass-baritone Brad Walker; bass Anthony Reed; pianists John Elam and Jennifer Szeto James Gaffigan, conductor Aria Umezawa, stage director San Francisco Opera Orchestra An exciting night of unforgettable music featuring the renowned San Francisco Opera Resident Artists, the 2017 Adler Fellows, performing arias and operatic scenes in their final concert of the year. 8

9 FALL 2017 ADDITIONAL EVENTS GIRLS OF THE GOLDEN WEST AND GOLD RUSH SYMPOSIUM Saturday, October 28, 2017, 9:30 a.m. 4 p.m. Taube Atrium Theater in the Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera Veterans Building (4th Floor), 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco San Francisco Opera invites you to delve deep into the world of John Adams Girls of the Golden West with a day-long, multidisciplinary symposium featuring panel discussions, lectures and music of the Gold Rush. Panelists include composer John Adams, librettist/director Peter Sellars, San Francisco Opera Dramaturg Kip Cranna, historians Gary Kamiya, Mark McLaughlin, Christopher O Sullivan, Marlene Smith-Baranzini, and Mary Volmer. Songs of the 49ers will be performed by Theatre Comique. Tickets are $45. For tickets and more information, visit sfopera.com/ggwsymposium. MANON INSIGHT PANEL Wednesday, November 1, :30 p.m. Taube Atrium Theater, Veterans Building(4th Floor), 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco San Francisco Opera Guild presents moderated panel discussions with cast and creative team members from Jules Massenet s Manon. Hear directly from the artists as they share insights about bringing the opera to life. Insight Panels are free to Opera Guild members, San Francisco Opera subscribers and students; $5 for general public admission. Visit sfopera.com/insights for more information. GIRLS OF THE GOLDEN WEST INSIGHT PANEL Thursday, November 9, :30 p.m. Herbst Theatre, Veterans Building, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco San Francisco Opera Guild presents moderated panel discussions with cast and creative team members from John Adams Girls of the Golden West. Hear directly from the artists as they share insights about bringing this exciting world premiere to life. Insight Panels are free to Opera Guild members, San Francisco Opera subscribers and students; $5 for general public admission. Visit sfopera.com/insights for more information. EXPLORATION WORKSHOP: ALL ABOUT TURANDOT Sunday, December 3, 2017 at 11 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. Wilsey Center for Opera, Veterans Building (4th Floor), 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco Experience Puccini s Turandot in two interactive, multi-generational workshops based on the themes, story, characters and music of the opera. Designed for families by San Francisco Opera s Education Department, the workshop is led by Teaching Artists and recommended for families with children ages 8 and older. Children should be accompanied by at least one parent or guardian. Tickets are $10 (scholarships available). For more information, visit sfopera.com/education or call (415)

10 #### San Francisco Opera is sponsored, in part, by The Dolby Family, Bertie Bialek Elliott, Ann and Gordon Getty, John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn, Burgess and Elizabeth Jamieson, Franklin and Catherine Johnson, Edmund W. and Jeannik Méquet Littlefield Fund, Steven M. Menzies, Bernard and Barbro Osher, Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem, Dianne and Tad Taube, Phyllis C. Wattis Endowment Funds, Diane B. Wilsey, and Barbara A. Wolfe. San Francisco Opera is supported, in part, by a grant from Grants for the Arts. Wells Fargo is San Francisco Opera's Season Sponsor. San Francisco Opera is proud to recognize its Corporate Partners: United Airlines, the Official Airline of San Francisco Opera, and Chevron, fueling great performances everywhere. OperaVision, high-definition projection screens featured in the upper Balcony level, is made possible by the Koret/Taube Media Suite. Yamaha is the official piano of San Francisco Opera. Pianos generously provided by Piedmont Piano Company. Turandot is made possible, in part, by Opening Weekend Grand Sponsor Diane B. Wilsey. Additional support is provided by: John A. & Cynthia Fry Gunn; Bernard & Barbro Osher; Burgess & Elizabeth Jamieson; San Francisco Opera Guild; United Airlines; Jan Shrem & Maria Manetti Shrem, through the Conductors Fund, the Emerging Stars Fund and the Great Interpreters of Italian Opera Fund; and Joan & David Traitel, through the Great Singers Fund. Manon is made possible, in part, by: John A. & Cynthia Fry Gunn; Jan Shrem & Maria Manetti Shrem, through the Emerging Stars Fund and the Great Interpreters of Italian Opera Fund; and Joan & David Traitel, through the Great Singers Fund. Girls of the Golden West is made possible, in part, by: John A. & Cynthia Fry Gunn; Bertie Bialek Eliott; Jane Bernstein & Bob Ellis; Jan Shrem & Maria Manetti Shrem, through the Emerging Stars Fund; and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts Season Sponsor Connect with San Francisco Opera on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. To obtain further press information or download photos from the 2017 Fall Season, please visit sfopera.com/press or contact: San Francisco Opera Communications Jon Finck (415) / jfinck@sfopera.com Julia Inouye (415) / jinouye@sfopera.com Jeffery McMillan (415) / jmcmillan@sfopera.com San Francisco Opera national press representation Shuman Associates (212) / shumanpr@shumanassociates.net 10