Skip to main content Skip to footer site map

San Diego Opera Presents World Premiere Of GHOSTS By Composer Nicolas Reveles

Performances run April 14-16.

San Diego Opera Presents World Premiere Of GHOSTS By Composer Nicolas Reveles

San Diego Opera's 2022-2023 season continues with another world premiere evening when the Company presents Ghosts, an evening of three horror-inspired one-act operas by local composer Nicolas Reveles on Friday, April 14, 2023 at 7:30 PM at the Balboa Theatre (868 4th Ave. San Diego, CA). Additional performances are April 15 at 7:30 PM and April 16 at 1 PM.

Ghosts is comprised of the three operas: Eden, with libretto by John de los Santos, who also directs the evening, explores the boundaries of madness and obsession and is a tribute to Edgar Allan Poe; Dormir, with libretto by Michael Vegas Mussman, is an imaginative exploration of what might happen when Old World spiritual practices meet the Christian belief system, when portals open and unknown, powerful entities appear; and House, with libretto by the composer, explores the idea that trauma haunts many of us, and that trauma remains in our bodies like ghosts. The evening stars mezzo-soprano Emily Fons, last heard as Rosina in the Company's drive-in performances of The Barber of Seville in 2021 and bass-baritone Ashraf Sewailam, last heard as Bartolo in 2019's The Marriage of Figaro. Rounding out the cast is mezzo-soprano Ann McMahon Quintero and tenor Andres Acosta in Company debuts. Bruce Stasyna conducts the performances. Sets are by Tim Wallace and costumes are by Faith James Steenbergen.

"I have always loved the horror genre: short stories, novels, and especially film. It's a wonder to me why more opera composers aren't drawn to the genre because it is full of opportunities for dramatic music and passionate vocal expression," shares the composer, Nicolas Reveles. "Lucia di Lammermoor, Pagliacci, and Il tabarro are notable exceptions in the standard repertory. And a smattering of Poe-influenced operas and even operas based on novels by Stephen King (Dolores Claiborne and The Shining) have appeared more recently. Dormir, completed just before the pandemic of 2020, and House, written during the early months of the pandemic, are an attempt to bring the genre of operatic horror into a smaller space where, in my mind, they would have more of an impact on audiences than in a grand theatre.

For our most current information about tickets and pricing, please visit www.sdopera.org or call 619.533.7000



Write Out Loud Presents SCI-FI What Else Might There Be? at Old Town Theatre Photo
Write Out Loud - an organization founded in 2007 with a commitment to inspire, challenge and entertain by reading short stories aloud for a live audience to continue their 16th Season of Story Concerts with SCI-FI What Else Might There Be? on Monday, April 10th at the Old Town Theatre.

Wildsong Presents ROCK OF AGES Beginning This Week Photo
Wildsong Productions presents Rock of Ages, melting faces at the OB Playhouse March 24 - April 16. Wildsong Productions, based in San Diego California, is a nonprofit 501(c) community theatre group. Since April of 2022, they have produced 8 shows at the OB Playhouse, with Rock of Ages being the 9th!

Casa Romantica Debuts Spring Celtic Festival Celebrating Irish and Scottish Culture Photo
Experience a taste of art, culture, and the beauty of the Emerald Isles right here in Southern California! Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, Orange County’s major cultural institution and arts destination, will present its first-ever Celtic Spring Festival. Experience the rich culture and history of Ireland and Scotland first-hand through an array of authentic activities, live music, special concerts and performances, traditional drinks, and more.

Symphony San Jose Unveils First Season Under New Director Photo
Symphony San Jose announces its 2023/2024 season, the first curated by new Executive Artistic and General Director Robert Massey, who took the helm of the organization last June.


More Hot Stories For You


Write Out Loud Presents SCI-FI What Else Might There Be? at Old Town TheatreWrite Out Loud Presents SCI-FI What Else Might There Be? at Old Town Theatre
March 24, 2023

Write Out Loud - an organization founded in 2007 with a commitment to inspire, challenge and entertain by reading short stories aloud for a live audience to continue their 16th Season of Story Concerts with SCI-FI What Else Might There Be? on Monday, April 10th at the Old Town Theatre.

Wildsong Presents ROCK OF AGES Beginning This WeekWildsong Presents ROCK OF AGES Beginning This Week
March 23, 2023

Wildsong Productions presents Rock of Ages, melting faces at the OB Playhouse March 24 - April 16. Wildsong Productions, based in San Diego California, is a nonprofit 501(c) community theatre group. Since April of 2022, they have produced 8 shows at the OB Playhouse, with Rock of Ages being the 9th!

Casa Romantica Debuts Spring Celtic Festival Celebrating Irish and Scottish CultureCasa Romantica Debuts Spring Celtic Festival Celebrating Irish and Scottish Culture
March 23, 2023

Experience a taste of art, culture, and the beauty of the Emerald Isles right here in Southern California! Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, Orange County’s major cultural institution and arts destination, will present its first-ever Celtic Spring Festival. Experience the rich culture and history of Ireland and Scotland first-hand through an array of authentic activities, live music, special concerts and performances, traditional drinks, and more.

Symphony San Jose Unveils First Season Under New DirectorSymphony San Jose Unveils First Season Under New Director
March 21, 2023

Symphony San Jose announces its 2023/2024 season, the first curated by new Executive Artistic and General Director Robert Massey, who took the helm of the organization last June.

The Old Globe Announces Cohort For The 2023 Classical Directing FellowshipThe Old Globe Announces Cohort For The 2023 Classical Directing Fellowship
March 20, 2023

The Old Globe has announced the four-member cohort for the 2023 Classical Directing Fellowship, a program of the Karen and Stuart Tanz Fellowships at The Old Globe, led by the Globe's Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein, a leading Shakespearean teacher, author, podcast host, and director.