David Leigh, Zhengyi Bai, Natalie Image, Ashley Dixon, and J'Nai Bridges Photo

From: Photo Flash: First Look at San Francisco Opera's CARMEN

San Francisco Opera's 2019 Summer Season opens with Georges Bizet'sCarmen June 5-29 at the War Memorial Opera House. Presented in American director Francesca Zambello's acclaimed staging, which has been mounted by Opera Australia, Royal Opera, Covent Garden, and Norwegian National Opera, the opera features American mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges in her first professional performances of the title role and American tenor Matthew Polenzani assuming the role of Don Jose for the first time. Romanian soprano Anita Hartig makes her San Francisco Opera debut as Micaela and American bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen is the bullfighter, Escamillo. In his first opera engagement with the Company, conductor James Gaffigan leads the cast and San Francisco Opera Orchestra.