Brad Walker News

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 American soprano Toni Marie Palmertree will sing Liu, replacing Maria Agresta who has withdrawn due to illness.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.

San Francisco Opera continues its 2017 Summer Season on June 10 at the War Memorial Opera House with Giacomo Puccini's La Boheme. Coinciding with city-wide celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the "Summer of Love," this revival of one of the greatest love stories in the operatic repertory will feature a brilliant cast including sopranos Erika Grimaldi, Julie Adams and Ellie Dehn; tenor Arturo Chacon-Cruz as Rodolfo; and baritone Audun Iversen. Carlo Montanaro conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestral and Chorus. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the company onstage below!

San Francisco Opera continues its 2017 Summer Season on June 10 at the War Memorial Opera House with Giacomo Puccini's La Boheme. Coinciding with city-wide celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the "Summer of Love," this revival of one of the greatest love stories in the operatic repertory will feature a brilliant cast including sopranos Erika Grimaldi, Julie Adams and Ellie Dehn; tenor Arturo Chacon-Cruz as Rodolfo; and baritone Audun Iversen. Carlo Montanaro conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestral and Chorus.

The Merola Opera Program launches its 60th Anniversary season on Sunday, June 11 with a Benefit Gala at City Hall and a concert immediately following at Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, featuring some of the acclaimed Merola program's most illustrious participants. The 60th Anniversary concert will feature performances by Merola alumni from the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and current and recent participants, including: soprano Deborah Voigt (1985); mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick (1983); Mark Morash, pianist and Merola Opera Program Music Director (1987); and soprano Tracy Dahl (1985); soprano Kristin Clayton (1993), mezzo-soprano Catherine Cook (1990), Bojan Knezevic, bass-baritone (1992, 1993, 1994), and John Churchwell, pianist (1996); baritone Quinn Kelsey (2002); 2013 Merola graduates mezzo-soprano Zanda Šv?de and tenors Pene Pati and Issachah Savage; soprano Julie Adams, and bass Anthony Reed,  all from 2014; Amina Edris and Toni Marie Palmertree, sopranos; and Brad Walker, bass-baritone, both from 2015; and 2016 artists Sarah Cambidge, soprano; Amitai Pati and Kyle van Schoonhoven, tenors; Andrew G. Manea, baritone; John Elam and Jennifer Szeto, pianists; and director Aria Umezawa.

SF Opera Lab pops up at the Uptown Nightclub in Oakland on March 23, 2017 with Hands-On Opera, an interactive night of operatic fun and mischief.

SF Opera Lab pops up at the Uptown Nightclub in Oakland on March 23, 2017 with Hands-On Opera, an interactive night of operatic fun and mischief. This SF Opera Lab event, the first to be held outside of San Francisco, will be curated by stage director and current San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow Aria Umezawa and feature performances by Adler Fellows including sopranos Sarah Cambidge and Amina Edris; tenors Amitai Pati and Kyle van Schoonhoven; baritone Andrew G. Manea; bass-baritone Brad Walker; bassAnthony Reed; and pianists Jennifer Szeto and Ronny Michael Greenberg. Dancing will follow the performance with a live DJ.

San Francisco Opera presents a trio of operatic favorites- Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni and Giacomo Puccini's La Boheme-at the War Memorial Opera House from May 31 through July 2.

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 Center Director Sheri Greenawald today announced the thirteen recipients of the 2017 Adler Fellowship. Nine singers, three pianist/apprentice coaches and one director will take part in the program-a multi-year performance-oriented residency offering advanced young artists intensive individual training, coaching and professional seminars, as well as a wide range of performance opportunities. Adler Fellows are selected from the young artists who have participated in the Merola Opera Program. The prestigious fellowship has nurtured the development of more than 175 young artists since its inception.

San Francisco Opera presents Leoš Jana?ek's V?c Makropulos (The Makropulos Case), a suspenseful lyric drama about the quest for eternal youth, in five performances at the War Memorial Opera House from October 14-29. Director Olivier Tambosi returns to oversee his imaginative staging, a co-production with Finnish National Opera, which premiered at San Francisco Opera in 2010 to considerable praise.

San Francisco Opera presents Leoš Jana?ek's V?c Makropulos (The Makropulos Case), a suspenseful lyric drama about the quest for eternal youth, in five performances at the War Memorial Opera House from October 14-29. Director Olivier Tambosi returns to oversee his imaginative staging, a co-production with Finnish National Opera, which premiered at San Francisco Opera in 2010 to considerable praise.

SF Opera Lab pops up at OASIS on Halloween eve, October 30, for a night of opera, drag and debauchery hosted by legendary drag artist Heklina. Soprano Julie Adams, mezzo-soprano Renee Rapier, tenor Brenton Ryan, bass-baritone Brad Walker and pianist Jennifer Szeto will join Heklina to create an evening of operatic revelry.

San Francisco Opera presents Leoš Jana?ek's V?c Makropulos (The Makropulos Case), a suspenseful lyric drama about the quest for eternal youth, in five performances at the War Memorial Opera House from October 14-29. Director Olivier Tambosi returns to oversee his imaginative staging, a co-production with Finnish National Opera, which premiered at San Francisco Opera in 2010 to considerable praise.

After a three-year hiatus Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE) opens its 2016-2017 "Year of the Phoenix" Season in the McAninch Arts Center's intimate Playhouse Theatre with Marc Camoletti's "Don't Dress for Dinner," directed by BTE Ensemble member Kurt Naebig,* Sept. 8 - Oct. 9. This production marks the return of the professional Equity company as the MAC's resident theater company. There will be a preview performance on Thursday, Sept. 8 at 8 p.m.; press opening is Friday, Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. Performances run through Sunday, Oct. 9.

After a three-year hiatus Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE) opens its 2016-2017 'Year of the Phoenix' Season in the McAninch Arts Center's intimate Playhouse Theatre with Marc Camoletti's 'Don't Dress for Dinner,' directed by BTE Ensemble member Kurt Naebig,* Sept. 8 - Oct. 9. This production marks the return of the professional Equity company as the MAC's resident theater company. There will be a preview performance onThursday, Sept. 8 at 8 p.m.; press opening is Friday, Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. Performances run through Sunday, Oct. 9.  

San Francisco Opera Center and the Merola Opera Program present the 33rd season of the Schwabacher Debut Recitals. This season, the recitals move to the state-of-the-art Dianne and Tad Taube Atrium Theater in San Francisco Opera's new Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera, located on the fourth floor of the Veterans Building (401 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco). The February 28 series-opener—Ports of Call with New York Festival of Song Artistic Director Steven Blier and 2016 San Francisco Opera Adler Fellows Amina Edris, Edward Nelson and Brad Walker—marks the inaugural public performance in the Taube Atrium Theater, which boasts the innovative Meyer Sound Constellation acoustic system. The 5:30 p.m. Sunday recital series continues on March 6 with bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch and pianist John Churchwell; March 20 with baritone Efraín Solís accompanied by pianist Robert Mollicone; and April 24 with baritone Kihun Yoon and pianist Mark Morash.

Let me start by saying, Dear Readers, that "Little Shop of Horrors" is one of my all time favorite shows. In fact I was fortunate enough to see the incredible Encore's version with Ellen Greene back in July. In my opinion, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's show is one of those near perfect musicals. So you'll understand when I say that I'm pretty picky about the show when people attempt to put it up. And that is why I'm thrilled to say that the current production from SecondStory Rep, filled with fantastic voices and tons of fun completely gets how the show needs to be done.

SAN FRANCISCO (October 12, 2015) –– San Francisco Opera Center Director Sheri Greenawald announced today the twelve recipients of the 2016 Adler Fellowship, a multi-year performance-oriented residency offering advanced young artists intensive individual training, coaching and professional seminars, as well as a wide range of performance opportunities. Adler Fellows are selected from the young artists who have participated in the Merola Opera Program. This prestigious training program has nurtured the development of more than 150 young artists since its inception.