SCHWABACHER SUMMER CONCERT: IT’S COMPLICATED – LOVE & OPERA to be Presented by Merola Opera Program

Bay Area audiences are invited to revel in the sheer joy of opera as the 2025 Merola Opera Program artists present an unforgettable evening of vocal fireworks and lush melodies. Selected from nearly 1,300 international applicants, these rising talents represent the next generation of opera stars. Conducted by William Long, who makes his Merola debut at the podium, the performance will feature the San Francisco Opera Center Orchestra under his baton, with stage direction by Omer Ben Seadia (Merola ‘14) and Elio Bucky (Merola ‘25). The program features extended scenes from Donizetti’s Il Campanello, Roberto Devereux, Anna Bolena, and Don Pasquale, along with a foray into the tender love duet from Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, and the powerful confrontation scene between Zia Principessa and the title character in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, which culminates in Angelica’s devastating aria, “Senza mamma.”

Celebrating the expressive power of the human voice with passion, elegance, and flair, the Schwabacher Summer Concert: It’s Complicated – Love & Opera will be presented 7:30pm, Thursday, July 10 and 2:00pm, Saturday, July 12, 2025, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall, 50 Oak St., San Francisco. For more information or to purchase tickets ($68, $38, $18 (ages 25 and under)), the public may visit merola.org or call the San Francisco Box Office at 415-864-3330. 
 
“This concert is an extraordinary opportunity for Merola’s brilliant summer cohort to take the stage with power and passion. The program, thoughtfully curated by San Francisco Opera Center Artistic Director Carrie-Ann Matheson, reflects her deep commitment to nurturing the whole artist and showcasing the depth and diversity of operatic storytelling,” said Sean Waugh, Executive Director of the Merola Opera Program. “It’s a celebration of emerging talent and the vibrant future of opera.” 
 
The Merola artists featured in Schwabacher Summer Concert: It’s Complicated – Love & Opera include sopranos Ariane Cossette (Canada), Alexa Frankian (Canada), Chea Kang (South Korea), and Charlotte Siegel (Canada); mezzo-sopranos Sadie Cheslak (USA), Ruby Dibble (USA), and Anna Maria Vacca (USA); tenors Emmanuel Fonoti-Fuimaono (New Zealand), Wesley Harrison (Canada), Tristan Tournaud (USA), and Jin Yu (China); baritones Gabriel Natal-Baez (Puerto Rico) and Joeavian Rivera (USA); and bass-baritones John Mburu (USA)  and Justice Yates (USA). 
 

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