San Francisco Opera Announces 2017 Fall Radio Broadcast Schedule on Classical KDFC

San Francisco Opera's partnership with the Bay Area's Classical KDFC continues this fall with monthly opera broadcasts beginning September 3with Giuseppe Verdi's Otello in a historic 1978 performance featuring Plácido Domingo in the title role and Katia Ricciarelli as Desdemona. From October through December, the broadcasts will feature presentations from San Francisco Opera's 2017 Summer Season: Mozart's Don Giovanni,Verdi's Rigoletto and Puccini's La Bohème. Each broadcast was recorded live at the War Memorial Opera House and features the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and San Francisco Opera Chorus.

San Francisco Opera broadcasts air on Classical KDFC on the first Sunday of each month at 8 p.m.and are hosted by radio announcer Dianne Nicolini. The performances are also available atkdfc.com for streaming on demand for four weeks after each broadcast.

The September 3 Classical KDFC broadcast of Verdi's Otello is a performance from San Francisco Opera's archives. Recorded on September 22, 1978, the opera features tenor Plácido Domingo in one of his greatest portrayals as Otello, Italian soprano Katia Ricciarelli as Desdemona and Mexican-born baritone Guillermo Sarabia as Iago. Conductor Giuseppe Patanè led the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus in the memorable production by Jean-Pierre Ponnellewhich opened the 1978-79 Season.

The 2017 fall broadcast schedule continues on October 1 with Mozart's Don Giovanni starring acclaimed bass-baritone Ildebrando D'Arcangelo in his San Francisco Opera debut as the Don, bass-baritone Erwin Schrott in his first performances with the Company as Leporello. The cast also features Erin Wall as Donna Anna, Anna María Martínez as Donna Elvira, Sarah Shafer as Zerlina, Michael Sumuel as Masetto and Andrea Silvestrelli as the Commendatore. French conductor Marc Minkowski leads the Orchestra, Chorus and cast in his premiere San Francisco Opera engagement.

On November 5, the broadcast will be Verdi's Rigoletto in a performance led by Company Music Director Nicola Luisotti and starring baritone Quinn Kelsey in the title role, soprano Nino Machaidze in her Company debut as Gilda and tenor Pene Pati performing the Duke of Mantua for the first time on any stage. The December 3 broadcast of Puccini's La Bohème is conducted byCarlo Montanaro and features tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz as Rodolfo, Erika Grimaldi as Mimì,Ellie Dehn as Musetta, Audun Iversen as Marcello, bass-baritone Brad Walker as Schaunard,Scott Conner as Colline and veteran bass-baritone Dale Travis in the dual roles of Benoit and Alcindoro.

Classical KDFC can be heard on the FM dial at 90.3 (San Francisco), 89.9 (Wine Country), 92.5 (Ukiah-Lakeport), 104.9 (Silicon Valley), 103.9 (Monterey); on Comcast Cable 981; or online atkdfc.com. KDFC monthly broadcasts can also be streamed on demand at kdfc.com for four weeks after each Sunday night broadcast.

Sunday, September 3 at 8 p.m. - FROM THE ARCHIVES: Giuseppe Verdi's Otello

Plácido Domingo (Otello), Katia Ricciarelli (Desdemona), Guillermo Sarabia (Iago), Barry McCauley (Cassio), Gwendolyn Jones (Emilia), Clifford Grant (Lodovico), Stephen West (Montano), Barry Busse (Roderigo), John Del Carlo (A Herald); conducted by Giuseppe Patanè. Recorded September 22, 1978.

Sunday, October 1, 2017 at 8 p.m. - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni

Ildebrando D'Arcangelo (Don Giovanni), Erin Wall (Donna Anna), Ana María Martínez (Donna Elvira), Erwin Schrott (Leporello), Stanislas de Barbeyrac (Don Ottavio), Sarah Shafer (Zerlina), Michael Sumuel (Masetto), Andrea Silvestrelli (The Commendatore); conducted by Marc Minkowski. Recorded Summer 2017.

Sunday, November 5, 2017 at 8 p.m. - Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto

Quinn Kelsey (Rigoletto), Nino Machaidze (Gilda), Pene Pati (The Duke of Mantua), Reginald Smith, Jr. (Count Monterone), Andrea Silvestrelli (Sparafucile), Zanda Šv?de (Maddalena), Andrew G. Manea (Marullo), Amitai Pati (Matteo Borsa), Anthony Reed (Count Ceprano), Buffy Baggott (Giovanna), Amina Edris (Countess Ceprano), Erin Neff (A Page), Jere Torkelsen (An Usher); conducted by Nicola Luisotti. Recorded Summer 2017.

Sunday, December 3, 2017 at 8 p.m. - Giacomo Puccini's La Bohème

Arturo Chacón-Cruz (Rodolfo), Erika Grimaldi (Mimì), Audun Iversen (Marcello), Ellie Dehn (Musetta), Brad Walker (Schaunard), Scott Conner (Colline), Dale Travis (Benoit/Alcindoro), Colby Roberts (Parpignol), Michael Jankosky (A Prune Vendor), BeaAlyssa Cortado (A Child), Bojan Kneževi? (Custom-House Sergeant), Torlef Borsting (Custom-House Officer); conducted by Carlo Montanaro. Recorded Summer 2017.