San Francisco Opera Guild Honors Maria Manetti Shrem at AN EVENING ON THE STAGE Gala
The November 19 benefit celebrated the longtime arts advocate with the Guild’s 2025 Crescendo Award.
By: A.A. Cristi Dec. 02, 2025
San Francisco Opera Guild commemorated the 2025 edition of An Evening on the Stage with a sold-out gala honoring philanthropist Maria Manetti Shrem, who received the Guild’s Crescendo Award for her longstanding support of the organization and San Francisco Opera. The event took place November 19 on the War Memorial Opera House stage.
The black-tie dinner brought together 265 guests for a program that included a cocktail reception, staged performances, award presentation, and dancing. The evening’s décor, created by J. Riccardo Benavides with event concept curator Eva Zanetti, reflected Manetti Shrem’s Florentine roots.
Performances throughout the night featured former Adler Fellows Leah Crocetto, Edward Nelson, and Ronny Michael Greenberg, along with soprano Paloma Siliezar and the San Francisco Opera Guild Opera Scouts, accompanied by Paul Dab. McCalls Catering & Events provided dinner, and Vybe Society performed for the post-dinner dance portion.
Among those in attendance were San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock, San Francisco Opera Association board leadership, and past gala honorees including Paul Pelosi, Gordon Getty, Jake Heggie, and Frederica von Stade.
Proceeds from the event support San Francisco Opera Guild’s education programs, which reach thousands of students across the Greater Bay Area. Ticket packages ranged from $1,500 to $10,000.
Maria Manetti Shrem
San Francisco Opera Guild honored Maria Manetti Shrem for her decades-long commitment to arts, education, cultural heritage, and community support. Alongside her late husband Jan Shrem, she has contributed to more than 60 programs across 45 institutions, including San Francisco Opera Guild, San Francisco Opera, UC Davis, Cal Performances, Festival Napa Valley, the Metropolitan Opera, SFMOMA, and the de Young/Legion of Honor. Her philanthropy also extends internationally to organizations such as The King’s Foundation, American Friends of the Louvre, Venetian Heritage, Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, and others.
In 2016, she and her husband co-founded the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at UC Davis. Her 2024 gift to UC Davis’ College of Letters and Science established its largest endowment in the school’s history and launched the Arts District in early 2025. Her sustained support of San Francisco Opera Guild has expanded access to music and arts education for K–12 students throughout Northern California.
About San Francisco Opera Guild
Founded in 1939, San Francisco Opera Guild is dedicated to arts education and community engagement. The Guild produces key philanthropic events throughout the year—including the annual Opera Ball—and supports programs that bring opera education to K–12 classrooms, after-school programs, workshops, and public previews. For more information, visit sfopera.com/Opera-Guild.
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