San Francisco Opera Tickets

The great Andrea Bocelli once said “to sing opera, one needs two things: the voice and the passion - and above all, the passion.” Opera has always been a pure art form, where a simple story is brought to life with the help of some of the best singers and musicians in the world. The beauty of opera is in the emotions it stirs in people. It is for that reason that this age old art form is still thriving today. An essential part of this world has been the San Francisco opera (SFO).

Founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola, the opera has become a cultural and artistic hub of the San Francisco area. It has been the center of the opera community in the U.S for a very long time and has featured some of the greatest opera stars in the history of the business. Now that the latest season is underway, book your San Francisco Opera tickets and experience the magnificence of classical music live at the War Memorial Opera House.

Merola was a conductor in the early 1900s and visited San Francisco for a few shows during that time. He realized that there were great opportunities for a new opera company to be established in the city and moved there in 1921 to see if that could be done. He launched the company in 1923 with the first few performances being held at the Stanford University’s football field. The inaugural season lasted for five days and was critically acclaimed but it needed more financing.

Merola decided to turn to the city’s residents for help in order to generate funds for a proper opera company in the city. Within a short period of time, enough money was raised to finance a longer season, one which would include international operas as well as world renowned singers. By 1932 the SFO had a building of its own when the War Memorial Opera House was completed and that further enhanced its reputation. The SFO was also instrumental in introducing mainstream American audiences to operas and initiated several teaching and training programs to nurture future talent.

Merola remained the general manager till his death in 1953 when he passed away while performing Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Kurt Herbert Adler took over in 1953 and he was preceded by Terence McEwen who became the general manager between 1982 to 1988. McEwen was followed by Lotfi Mansouri from 1988 to 2001 and Pamela Rosenberg from 2001 to 2005. In 2006 David Gockley took over and has remained at the post since then.

The SFO has been credited with introducing numerous programs to help in the development and promotion of opera all across the globe. The Merola Opera Program was initiated in 1954 where twenty eight apprentice singers, coaches and directors get the chance to learn and study from some of the leading experts in the field. The company has also held an annual free concert in the Golden Gate Park called the ‘Opera in the Park’ since 1972 to encourage the general public to take an interest in this art form.

Teaching centers were opened to provide opera education to people of all ages. The students learn all the basic skills of working in this setting. They also get to perform in special shows. In 2006 the company broadcasted its opera live at the Civic Center Plaza where an additional eight thousand spectators watched the show. This broadcast has become a staple and many different arenas are now used for this purpose. The SFO has also broadcasted it performances on the Radio for a very long time and recently introduced the ‘Grand Opera Cinema Series.’ This is where the operas are filmed to be showcased as movies in theatres, arenas etc.

Today the SFO is one of the leaders when it comes to the innovations brought about in operas. It is the pioneer of many of technologies and methods currently in use. It was among the first companies to incorporate cutting edge technology in shows and are the second largest company in North America associated with operas. This is your chance to be a part of the SFO experience live. Book your San Francisco Opera tickets and get lost in a world governed by the laws of classical music.