Opera San José to Bring Free Outdoor Concert to San José Municipal Rose Garden

Opera San José will present live music under the summer sky at Opera in the Rose Garden, a free outdoor concert featuring the Opera San José Orchestra under the direction of OSJ Music Director and conductor Joseph Marcheso.

Presented in the country’s most celebrated municipal Rose Garden, the event is being presented as part of SJ26’s celebration of the FIFA World Cup, showcasing San José as a global destination for both world-class sporting events and world-class opera. The evening will feature beloved selections from Die Fledermaus, Pagliacci, Rigoletto, Carmen, The Pearl Fishers, and more, performed by an all-star lineup of Opera San José artists and guest performers including internationally acclaimed Italian tenor Pasquale Esposito and “The Voice of the Capital of Silicon Valley,” soprano Victoria McDowell. Opera in the Rose Garden will take place Saturday, June 20, 2026, at the Municipal Rose Garden, 1649 Naglee Ave, San Jose, with check-in beginning at 5:00pm and the concert running from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. For more information, visit operasj.org or call 408-437-4450 (open Monday through Friday, 11:00am –5:30pm).

“Opera San José is proud to be a driver of the sports and entertainment economy that's defining the future of our region — because the economy of tomorrow is built on exactly this kind of world-class cultural experience,” said CEO & General Director of Opera San José, Shawna Lucey. “As the FIFA World Cup brings the world to our doorstep, we're showing that San José is a global destination for both world-class sport and world-class art. Or as my friend John Poch put it: even if the Italian players aren't here, their tenors are. This concert is a celebration of what makes live opera so powerful — its ability to bring people together through shared emotion, storytelling, and music. Whether you're a lifelong opera fan or experiencing opera for the very first time, we've designed this evening as a gift to the community: an accessible, welcoming gathering in one of America's most beautiful gardens, where families and neighbors of all ages can share in the joy and connection that only live performance can create.”

Vendors will be on site throughout the evening, and complimentary Kona Ice will be available for all attendees. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and picnic items to enjoy the performance in one of San José’s most iconic outdoor spaces known as “America’s Best Rose Garden.”

The concert will feature performances by sopranos Madison Hatten and Nicole Koh; tenors Alex Boyer, Edward Graves, and Ben Gulley; baritones Eugene Brancoveanu and Luis Alejandro Orozco; bass-baritone Philip Skinner; and special guest artists Pasquale Esposito and Victoria McDowell.

Opera in the Rose Garden is made possible in part through a grant awarded to Opera San José by the Applied Materials Foundation Community Fund. Additional support has been provided through the ARTS WILL PLAY IN 2026 grant, an in-kind marketing grant awarded by the City of San José Office of Cultural Affairs, Visit San José, and San José Sports Authority.