San Francisco Opera 2017 National Broadcast Series on the WFMT Radio Network

The 2017 national radio broadcast series of San Francisco Opera performances on the WFMT Radio Network begins on Saturday, September 2 with a 1979 archival broadcast of Amilcare Ponchielli's La Gioconda. The cast features soprano Renata Scotto in the title role and tenor Luciano Pavarotti as Enzo Grimaldi, each singing their role for the first time on any stage.

Hosted by Dianne Nicolini, the weekly national broadcasts of San Francisco Opera performances, recorded live at the War Memorial Opera House, air at 10 a.m. PDT on Saturdays through October 14 (times may vary, please check local listings). Performances feature the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and San Francisco Opera Chorus (Ian Robertson, Chorus Director).

Additional broadcasts in the 2017 series include: Verdi's Aida on September 9, conducted by San Francisco Opera Music Director Nicola Luisotti, featuring Leah Crocetto in the title role and Brian Jagde as Radames; Puccini's Madama Butterfly on September 16 starring Lianna Haroutounian as Cio-Cio-San and Vincenzo Costanzo as Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton; Giordano's Andrea Chénier on September 23, with Maestro Luisotti leading Yonghoon Lee in the title role, Anna Pirozzi as Maddalena and George Gagnidze as Carlo Gérard; Dream of the Red Chamber on September 30, featuring the San Francisco Opera world premiere opera by Chinese American composer Bright Sheng and acclaimed playwright David Henry Hwang; Donizetti's comedic Don Pasquale on October 7 featuring an ensemble cast of bass-baritone Maurizio Muraro in the title role, baritone Lucas Meachem as Dr. Malatesta, the Company debut of tenor Lawrence Brownlee as Ernesto, and soprano Heidi Stober as Norina; and on October 14 an archival broadcast from 1980 of Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal's Arabella starring soprano Kiri Te Kanawa in one of her most acclaimed portrayals as the title character.

San Francisco Opera is featured on WFMT Radio Network's 2017 American Opera Series, which also features performances by the Lyric Opera of Chicago, LA Opera, Caramoor, Opera Southwest, Arizona Opera and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra which presents a concert version of Verdi's Falstaff. Now in its eleventh year, WFMT Radio Network's American Opera Series is designed to provide public and commercial stations with outstanding live opera performances. The WFMT Radio Network is one of the world's most respected producers and distributors of classical, jazz, folk and public affairs programming. For more information, visit radionetwork.wfmt.com.

For more information about San Francisco Opera's radio broadcasts, visit sfopera.com/broadcast.