Merola Presents Schwabacher Summer Concert

San Francisco's acclaimed Merola Opera Program, one of the most prestigious and selective opera training programs in the world, launches its 61st season offering audiences a look at the opera stars of tomorrow. Some of opera's greatest moments will come to life as Merola's young artists perform staged scenes from Vanessa, Il tabarro, Don Giovanni, and Les pêcheurs de perles in the Schwabacher Summer Concert. With performances in English, Italian, and French (with supertitles), the Schwabacher Summer Concert will be conducted by Kathleen Kelly (Merola 1991/1992), the first woman and first American named as Director of Musical Studies at the Vienna State Opera. Kelly returns to San Francisco's Merola Opera Program where she was an apprentice coach. It will be directed by Aria Umezawa (Merola 2016), currently completing her second year as a San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow - the first stage director awarded this fellowship in 15 years.

7:30pm, Thursday, July 5

San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 50 Oak St., San Francisco

7:30pm, Saturday, June 7

Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University, 327 Lasuen St., Stanford

TICKETS: San Francisco tickets: $35-$55
Palo Alto tickets: $30-$50 (go on sale May 24)

Discount available for purchase of three San Francisco-based Summer Festival productions (deadline June 18, 2018). Also discount for groups of 10 or more. $15 student tickets available in limited quantity in advance at San Francisco Opera Box Office.

INFO: For information or to order tickets visit http://merola.org or call the San Francisco Opera Box Office at 415-864-3330. The box office is open Monday, 10am-5pm, and Tuesday through Friday, 10am-6pm.

Photo: Jana McIntyre (soprano) seen in Merola Opera Program's 2017 season performance of La serva padrona.

Photo Credit: Kristen Loken