OPERA DAY IN THE BAY to Present Free Concert with 13 Bay Area Companies

Programming for the upcoming Opera Day in the Bay, an unprecedented collaborative concert bringing together 13 Bay Area opera companies and producers, was announced today for the free public performance on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. in the majestic Transamerica Pyramid Center Redwood Park, at the base of San Francisco's iconic Transamerica Pyramid Center.

Designed to showcase the distinctive repertoire and artistic focus of each participating company, the program will take audiences on a musical journey spanning several centuries of opera—from rarely heard Baroque treasures and enduring classics of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, to works by today's composers. The wide-ranging program will also spotlight opera's continuing evolution as a living art form, with several contemporary selections, including four new works created in 2025-26.

Participating organizations include Ars Minerva, Festival Opera, GK Works LLC, Lamplighters Music Theatre, Livermore Valley Opera, Mercury Theater, Opera Parallèle, Opera San José, Pocket Opera, Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, San Francisco Opera Guild, Upspark Productions, and recently added West Bay Opera; previously announced West Edge Opera has withdrawn.

Programming for the concert will feature musical selections from the following composers and operas:

• San Francisco Opera Guild: Henry Purcell, The Fairy Queen and C. Altman, The Velveteen Rabbit
• Pocket Opera: Giacomo Puccini, Madama Butterfly
• Ars Minerva: Giovanni Porta, Ifigenia in Aulide; Marc'Antonio Ziani, Andromeda
• Opera Parallèle: Carla Lucero/Jarrod Lee, Hello, Star; Joby Talbot/Gene Scheer, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly; and Stewart Wallace/Michael Korie, Harvey Milk Reimagined
• Livermore Valley Opera: Giacomo Puccini, Suor Angelica and Tosca
• Opera San Jose: Mozart, Così fan tutte; Bizet, Les pécheurs de perles; Saint-Saëns, Samson et Dalila; and Mozart, Mitridate
• Upspark Productions: A.I. Messiah
• West Bay Opera: Mozart, Die Entführung aus dem Serail
• Festival Opera: Mozart, Don Giovanni; Leoncavallo, I Pagliacci
• Mercury Theater: Carla Lucero, Muriel & Anita
• Pocket Opera: Giuseppe Verdi, Rigoletto
• Lamplighters Music Theatre: Gilbert & Sullivan, The Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore
• GK Works LLC: Kennedy Verreg/George Kopp, Madame Theremin
• Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera: Verdi, Il Trovatore; Gian Carlo Menotti, The Medium
• Ars Minerva: Leonardo Vinci, Astianatte; Pietro Andrea Ziani, Circé
• Lamplighters Music Theatre: Gilbert & Sullivan, Ruddigore and The Pirates of Penzance
• Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera: Georges Bizet, Carmen
• Grand Finale to be announced

From the rustic outdoor stage, internationally acclaimed and prolific Bay Area composer Carla Lucero will serve as the concert emcee. The performance will also honor the life and extraordinary legacy of beloved soprano, educator, and Livermore Valley Opera Artistic Director, the late Erie Mills, whose artistry and leadership left an indelible mark on the Bay Area opera community and the international operatic stage.

While admission is free, the public is encouraged to reserve tickets in advance via Eventbrite online at https://tinyurl.com/OperaDay2026. It is recommended the public should enter the park at 545 Sansome Street, between Washington and Clay Streets, San Francisco.

Céline Ricci, Producer of Opera Day in the Bay, Founder of Ars Minerva and Program Director at 836M Arts Organization, said, 'Opera Day in the Bay exists because an extraordinary community of artists and organizations embraced the spirit of collaboration and shared a vision that transcends any single company. Every participating organization enthusiastically said 'yes' to creating something larger than ourselves—a celebration of opera that belongs to everyone.'

Ricci continued, 'We are equally grateful to the Transamerica Pyramid Center management for opening the spectacular Redwood Park as the home for this inaugural event. Seeing our opera community unite with such generosity, creativity, and purpose has been deeply inspiring, and we look forward to welcoming audiences from across the Bay Area to experience this remarkable celebration together.'

Opera Day in the Bay is made possible by the generous support and in-kind donations from: 836M Arts Organization; Transamerica Pyramid Center; Ars Minerva, logistics; Festival Opera, piano/keyboard; Lamplighters Music Theatre, volunteers; Opera Parallèle, marketing/communications; Pocket Opera, stage management; and San Francisco Opera Guild, volunteers.

Transamerica Pyramid Center Redwood Park is located on the east side of the Transamerica Pyramid Center, 600 Montgomery Street, and is distinguished by the welcoming architectural design of William Pereira and landscape designer Thomas Galli. Hailed as an urban oasis, the park is a tranquil half-acre sanctuary nestled in the heart of San Francisco's Financial District, and home to a dense grove of 50 Coastal Redwood trees transplanted from the Santa Cruz mountains.

All programming subject to change.

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