Opera

SFCV’s perceptive writers report on topics relevant to opera.

Tom Jacobs - July 20, 2026

Not even a Pulitzer keeps the composer from rewriting Silent Night before it returns to the Met.

Tamzin Elliott - July 20, 2026

Grief, defiance, and humor honor trans lives in full classical splendor.

Emily Wilson - July 14, 2026

Composer Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer have created The Judgment of Paris for Festival Napa Valley.

Paul Bodine - July 13, 2026

The national tour celebrates the tenth anniversary of Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce’s timely opera.

Steven Winn - July 13, 2026

Director Mo Zhou’s production is lifted by vivid singing from Ariana Maubach and Raúl Morales Velazco.

Jason Victor Serinus - July 1, 2026

The company recently released a recording of its 2019 revival. This irresistible opera will become your guilty pleasure.

Janos Gereben - June 30, 2026

Leon Theremin, who invented the world’s first electronic instrument, married Williams, a young Black dancer in 1930s Harlem.

Steven Winn - June 30, 2026

 Emceed by funny, cheerleading Sapphira Cristál, the Pride Concert effortlessly integrated wildly different repertoire.

Jason Victor Serinus - June 24, 2026

A concert of Samuel Barber’s opera was recorded live at the Kennedy Center in 2025.

Jason Victor Serinus - June 24, 2026

For his new album, the tenor dives heart first into Hungarian operetta.