Karita Mattila News

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.

From January 28 through February 4, 2017, Florida Grand Opera presents, Tchaikovsky's best loved opera, Eugene Onegin, at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County. This run is followed by performances on February 9 and 11 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts Au-Rene Theater in Fort Lauderdale.

Doug Varone and Dancers announces the Winter Intensive 2017 from Monday-Saturday, January 9-14, 2017 from 9:30am-5:30pm at Hunter College 695 Park Ave, New York, NY 10065. The Winter Intensive features classes taught by company members and a number of unique special events, providing a supportive community to challenge dancers physically and artistically.

Doug Varone and Dancers proudlyreceived a National Dance Project (NDP) Touring Award from the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) which will support the company's United States tours of in the shelter of the fold during the eighteen-month tour period of June 1, 2017 - November 30, 2018.

Despite some fine singing from soprano Patricia Racette (who also went the Full Monty in the title role), the Met's revival of Richard Strauss's SALOME was a little tame--something that it should never be.

THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, PURCHASE COLLEGE (PAC) is gearing up for November, which begins with a World-Premiere from one of their own, Purchase alum and professor in the Conservatory of Dance, Doug Varone and Dancers celebrating their 30th Anniversary season with a new co-commissioned piece by The PAC.

The opera's called JENUFA, after the unfortunate young woman at the center of its story. But the star of the show at the Met's revival of this soaring musical masterpiece by Janacek is the Kostelnicka of the magnificent Finnish soprano Karita Mattila.

THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, PURCHASE COLLEGE (PAC) is gearing up for November, which begins with a World-Premiere from one of their own, Purchase alum and professor in the Conservatory of Dance, Doug Varone and Dancers celebrating their 30th Anniversary season with a new co-commissioned piece by The PAC.

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.

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 General Director Matthew Shilvock today announced the casting and schedule for the Company's summer 2018 presentations of Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). The four-opera cycle of Das Rheingold,Die Walkure, Siegfried and Gotterdammerung-widely considered the greatest and most ambitious work ever conceived for the lyric stage-will be presented in three complete cycles from June 12 through July 1, 2018. 

San Francisco Opera's partnership with the Bay Area's Classical KDFC continues with a fall season of opera radio broadcasts beginning August 7 with the star-studded, June 16, 2016 gala concert celebrating San Francisco Opera General Director David Gockley. The Company's highly acclaimed 2016 Summer Season productions of Bizet's Carmen, Verdi's Don Carlo and Jana?ek's Jen?fa, along with a special 1982 'From the Archives' broadcast of Handel's Julius Caesar, will air each month through December 4. All performances were recorded live at the War Memorial Opera House and feature the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and San Francisco Opera Chorus.

On Thursday, June 16, the San Francisco Opera honored Company General Director David Gockley with a gala evening and concert titled Celebrating David! Many of the leading artists from the world of opera gathered to honor one of the great careers in the modern history of the art form. Gockley, who in 2014 announced that he would retire from his position as General Director at the completion of the 2015­­-16 Season on July 31, has led a storied career of more than 40 years as an opera impresario.

San Francisco Opera's Summer 2016 Season at the War Memorial Opera House continues with Don Carlo, Giuseppe Verdi's grand opera of political intrigue and passion, opening on June 12. Starring an internationally renowned cast including Michael Fabiano, Ana María Martínez, Mariusz Kwiecie? and René Pape, Don Carlo is directed by Emilio Sagi and conducted by Company Music Director Nicola Luisotti. Opening on June 14, Leoš Janá?ek's riveting Jen?fa completes the summer opera season. Last presented by the Company in 2001, Jen?fa returns in an Olivier Tambosi production conducted by Ji?í B?lohlávek and featuring legendary Finnish soprano Karita Mattila, Malin Byström, William Burden and Scott Quinn.

San Francisco Opera celebrates David Gockley's remarkable career and ten-year tenure as San Francisco Opera General Director with a gala concert at the War Memorial Opera House on Thursday, June 16 at 7 p.m. David Gockley retires from San Francisco Opera in July 2016, culminating a 45-year career as one of today's most important opera impresarios.

San Francisco Opera's Summer 2016 Season at the War Memorial Opera House continues with Don Carlo, Giuseppe Verdi's grand opera of political intrigue and passion, opening on June 12. Starring an internationally renowned cast including Michael Fabiano, Ana Maria Martinez, Mariusz Kwiecie? and Rene Pape, Don Carlo is directed by Emilio Sagi and conducted by Company Music Director Nicola Luisotti. Opening on June 14, Leoš Jana?ek's riveting Jen?fa completes the summer opera season. Last presented by the Company in 2001, Jen?fa returns in an Olivier Tambosi production conducted by Ji?i B?lohlavek and featuring legendary Finnish soprano Karita Mattila, Malin Bystrom, William Burden and Scott Quinn.

MasterVoices (formerly The Collegiate Chorale) continues the 2015-2016 season with Henry Purcell and Nahum Tate's tempestuous Baroque opera, DIDO AND AENEAS, tonight, April 28, 2016 at 7pm and tomorrow, April 29, 2016 at 8pm at New York City Center, 131 W. 55th Street, New York City.

A friendly reminder! MasterVoices (formerly The Collegiate Chorale) continues the 2015-2016 season with Henry Purcell and Nahum Tate's tempestuous Baroque opera, DIDO AND AENEAS, on April 28, 2016 at 7pm and April 29, 2016 at 8pm at New York City Center, 131 W. 55th Street, New York City.

Christoph Eschenbach returns to the New York Philharmonic to conduct a program of works by Eastern European composers with folk influences: Bartok's Violin Concerto No. 2, featuring violinist Baiba Skride in her Philharmonic debut and first New York City orchestral appearance, and Dvorak's Carnival Overture and Symphony No. 8, tonight, February 25, 2016, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, February 26 at 2:00 p.m.; Saturday, February 27 at 8:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m.