Archive for June 2021

Sensational tenor Pene Pati makes his Company debut as Romeo in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette. Opens March 26, 2022 at the San Diego Civic Theatre. Photo courtesy of San Diego Opera.

Fall Concert Series features American mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, American soprano Michelle Bradley, and Mexican-American tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz

Mainstage productions resume at the San Diego Civic Theatre with Mozart’s Così fan tutte and Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette

Beth Morrison Production’s Aging Magician will debut locally

Debuts by rising stars include those of sensational Samoan tenor Pene Pati,  South Korean baritone Gihoon Kim, Russian soprano Kristina Mkhitaryan, and American baritone Reginald Smith, Jr.

Conductor Yves Abel returns to lead performances of Roméo et Juliette

Fall Concert Series supported by The Conrad Prebys Foundation, the 2021 Season Sponsor, Roméo et Juliette supported by Lead Production Sponsor Darlene Marcos Shiley

San Diego, CA – San Diego Opera has announce its 2021-2022 season, which returns to theatres indoors, after a reduced 2020-2021 season that saw the Company perform drive-in productions during the global coronavirus pandemic.

The season begins on Saturday, October 23, 2021 at 7:30 PM at The Balboa Theatre with a special concert by mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe who will draw from her vast repertoire of opera and Broadway to present a concert of arias and art songs, as well as a few surprises. The season continues on Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 7:30 PM at The Conrad Performing Arts Center, Baker Baum Recital Hall with a concert by American soprano Michelle Bradley who made her 2019 Company debut as Aida and will perform a program of soprano arias, spirituals, and art songs in this intimate concert.

Also making his local debut is Mexican-American tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz in concert on Friday, December 3, 2021 at 7:30 PM at the California Center for the Performing Arts, Escondido. He is the 2005 winner of the Operalia Competition. The program will feature opera favorites, zarzuela, mariachi, and personal favorites of the Mexican tenor.

Baritone Gihoon Kim, photo San Diego Opera.

San Diego Opera’s mainstage series returns February 12, 2022 at 7:30 PM for the first of four performances of Mozart’s  Così fan tutte. This marks the return of soprano Alisa Jordheim, who impressed local audiences and critics as Gilda in 2019’s production of Rigoletto, as Despina in Cosi. She is joined by a number of young artists making house debuts including baritones Reginald Smith, Jr. as Don Alfonso and Gihoon Kim as Guglielmo, who both recently competed in the 2021 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, which was won by Mr. Kim. They are joined by tenor Konu Kim as Ferrando, and mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey as Dorabella.

Soprano Kristina Mkhitaryan. Photo courtesy San Diego Opera.

Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette continues the mainstage season  Saturday, March 26, 2022 at 7:30 PM for the first of four performances. debuts for these performances is tenor Pene Pati as Roméo, a role he has sung to critical and popular acclaim. He will be joined by soprano Kristina Mkhitaryan, also in her Company debut, as Juliette. Other House debuts feature baritone Yunpeng Wang as Mercutio and mezzo-soprano Sarah Coit as Stephano. Hear Pati sing “Ah! lève toi soleil!”

Returning singers include bass Simon Lim, who was last heard as Ramfis in 2019’s Aida as Friar Laurent; tenor Adrian Kramer, last seen as Don José in 2017’s The Tragedy of Carmen as Tybalt; and bass Colin Ramsey, last heard as Colline in 2020’s La bohème as Count Capulet. San Diego Opera’s Principal Guest Conductor, Yves Abel, leads the orchestra for these performances and stage director Matthew Ozawa makes his Company debut staging the operatic adaptation of Shakespeare’s most famous play.

Principal Guest Conductor Ybes Abel. Photo San Diego Opera.

Roméo et Juliette was last presented by San Diego Opera in 2010. Additional performances are March 29, April 1, and 3 (matinee), 2022. Roméo et Juliette will be performed in French with English translations above the stage. These performances are made possible by Lead Production Sponsor Darlene Marcos Shiley.

Paola Prestini’s Aging Magician makes its San Diego Opera debut as part of the 2021-2022 season. It was originally scheduled to be performed in March of 2019 but was cancelled because of COVID-19, making San Diego Opera one of the first professional opera companies to cancel a performance due to the pandemic. It opens Friday, May 13, 2022 at 7:30 PM at The Balboa Theatre. Additional performances are Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 2 PM and 7:30 PM. Performed in English with English text above the stage.

Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe in Concert
The Balboa Theatre
dētour Series
Saturday October 23, 2021 7:30pm

Hear her sing “Re dell’abisso, affrettati” from San Diego Opera’s Un Ballo in Maschera by Verdi — with the last impressive low note inexplicably missing!

Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe. Photo courtesy San Diego Opera,

Michelle Bradley. Photo San Diego Opera.

Soprano Michelle Bradley in Concert
The Conrad Performing Arts Center, Baker Baum Recital Hall
dētour Series
Saturday November 20, 2021 7:30pm

Hear her sing “Ritorna vincitor” from San Diego Opera’s  Aida

Tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz in Concert
California Center for the Performing Arts, Escondido
dētour Series
Friday December 3, 2021 7:30pm

Hear him sing “Amaro sol per te m’era il morire” from Puccini’s Tosca  — with soprano Ekaterina Metlova.

Baritone baritone Yunpeng Wang (Mercutio). Photo SD Opera.

Roméo et Juliette
Charles Gounod
San Diego Civic Theatre
Main Stage Series
Lead Production Sponsor Darlene Marcos Shiley
Saturday March 26, 2022 7:30pm
Tuesday March 29, 2022 7:30pm
Friday April 1, 2022 7:30pm
Sunday April 3, 2022 2:00pm

Aging Magician
The Balboa Theatre
dētour Series
Friday May 13, 2022 7:30pm
Saturday May 14, 2022 2:00pm
Saturday May 14, 2022 7:30pm