DON GIOVANNI to Open Opera San José 43rd Season
Tenor Alek Shrader, who directed last season’s Così Fan Tutte, helms this production.
Opera San José’s 43rd season will open with a fresh and electrifying new production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, reimagining the classic tale as a dark psychological thriller that follows a powerful aristocrat spiraling out of control. The opera follows the infamous Don Giovanni as he tears through high society, exploring the brutal consequences of unchecked power. Opera San José’s production examines dangerous obsession, manipulation, and the explosive, supernatural justice that awaits a ruthless man who finally pushes too far.
Internationally renowned tenor Alek Shrader, who directed last season’s Così Fan Tutte, helms this production, with OSJ Music Director and Principal Conductor Joseph Marcheso leading the orchestra through one of Mozart’s most celebrated scores. Don Giovanni will be performed in Italian with English and Spanish supertitles September 13-27, 2026 (performance dates/times below) at the California Theatre, 345 South First Street, San José.
Artist-in-Residence bass Wm. Clay Thompson makes his Opera San José debut in the title role of Don Giovanni, portraying Mozart's infamous libertine. Bay Area favorite bass Kenneth Kellogg appears as the Commendatore, a respected nobleman whose murder at the hands of Don Giovanni sets the opera's events in motion. Soprano Yulan Piao stars as Donna Anna, the noblewoman whose determination to avenge her father's murder drives the opera's emotional and dramatic stakes. Tenor Jonghyun Park joins the cast as the naïve yet well-intentioned Don Ottavio, following his previous Opera San José appearance as Ferrando in Così Fan Tutte. Artist-in-Residence soprano María Brea, who received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Ana Maria Soza in OSJ's Zorro, takes on the role of the passionate and determined Donna Elvira. Artist-in-Residence bass-baritone Phillip Lopez appears as Leporello, Don Giovanni's sharp-tongued servant who chronicles his master's endless conquests while desperately trying to avoid becoming entangled in the chaos they leave behind. Rounding out the cast are Artist-in-Residence soprano Nicole Kohas Zerlina, a clever and captivating young bride-to-be whose playful charm and inner strength help her navigate Don Giovanni's seductive schemes, and bass-baritone Joseph Park as Masetto, Zerlina's devoted but hot-tempered fiancé whose jealousy and determination to protect the woman he loves place him in direct conflict with Don Giovanni.
The chorus ensemble is comprised of soprano Rachel Beninghof, soprano Phoebe Chee, baritone Ethan Chu, baritone Christopher Abadia Contreras, mezzo-soprano Leah Finn, soprano Madison Hatten, bass Tres Hunter, mezzo-soprano Danielle Imai, soprano Kyounghee Lee, tenor Eric Mellum, and tenor Micah Perry, and tenor Luis Tuyub. The supernumeraries include Paige D’Encarnacao, Tracy Fuller, Marie Alexandra Ibarra, and Stephanie Melchor.
The creative team for Don Giovanni includes Alek Shrader (Director), Joseph Marcheso (Conductor), Rodrigo Gonzalez Jacob (Assistant Conductor/Chorus Master), Mark Anthony Vallejo (Assistant Director), Jenise Catrone (Stage Manager), Steven C. Kemp (Set Designer), Eric Watkins (Lighting Designer), Calli Carvajal (Hair and Makeup Designer), Caitlin Cisek (Costume Designer), Brandon DiPaola (Fight Choreographer).
Don Giovanni, which premiered on October 29, 1787, in Prague, features one of Mozart’s most acclaimed arias, “Madamina, il catalogo è questo,” as well as other favorites including “Non mi dir,” “Il mio Tesoro,” and the love duet, “Là ci darem la mano.” The two-act opera follows the charismatic yet ruthless manipulator as he destroys everyone in his path for the thrill of the chase, culminating in a visceral reckoning when his fate is sealed.
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