Lisa Hirsch

Lisa Hirsch is a Bay Area music writer. She studied music at Brandeis and Stony Brook and blogs about classical music and opera at Iron Tongue of Midnight.

Articles By This Author

Lisa Hirsch - December 15, 2025

The ensemble-in-residence partnered with Kronos Quartet’s Paul Wiancko for an enriching performance of Schubert’s String Quintet.

Lisa Hirsch - December 9, 2025

The adventurous chorus took on a program of unusual Christmas works and came up with some big winners.

Lisa Hirsch - November 24, 2025

San Francisco Opera Center’s Adler Fellows show they’re ready to be heard around the world.

Lisa Hirsch - November 17, 2025

The new work by Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang is wry, funny, and irreverent, with a powerful message underneath the dazzling spectacle.

Lisa Hirsch - November 12, 2025

The company will revive Francesca Zambello’s Der Ring des Nibelungen in 2028.

Lisa Hirsch - November 7, 2025

The anti-hero Hercules tries to marry his son’s fiancée, gods and goddesses intervene — what could possibly go wrong?

Lisa Hirsch - October 28, 2025

Richard Wagner’s symbol-laden drama becomes human in the company’s subtle, dramatically keen production.

Lisa Hirsch - October 21, 2025

The conductor enters the fifth year of her tenure after a string of successes with Wagner and Verdi.

Lisa Hirsch - October 17, 2025

Three retired musicians share their journeys to new careers.

Lisa Hirsch - September 30, 2025

Avery Boettcher shines as the opera’s tragic protagonist, but middling results from her counterparts weigh down the production.