Summer Festival includes recital featuring works by women and people of color, Merola Grand Finale, and Digital Project

The Merola Opera Program, one of the most prestigious and selective opera training programs in the world, has announced its 2021 season, presenting performances by the rising opera stars of tomorrow. After the recent retirement of Sheri Greenawald, this is Merola’s first season under the new San Francisco Opera Center leadership of Carrie-Ann Matheson (Artistic Director) and Markus Beam (General Manager). Responding to today’s pandemic circumstances, the pair have worked to create a safe program that will enable the public to enjoy a first look at future stars, while allowing the selected artists to receive the coveted training offered by the renowned Merola Opera Program. The 2021 Merola Summer Festival welcomes 27 Merola artists selected from more than 800 international applicants. The majority of this season’s young artists were invited to participate in last year’s program but were unable to attend in person due to pandemic restrictions. The artists, most of whom are currently studying in the United States, originally come from as far away as China, Colombia, Germany, and Russia, as well as across the U.S. and Canada. The Merola artists will perform in a special recital July 3rd titled What the Heart Desires, featuring works by women and people of color, and will conclude the season July 31st with the Merola Grand Finale. Under consideration are both outdoor and indoor locations, as well as potential live streaming of the performances, with details to be announced in the coming weeks. This year for the first time ever, Merola artists will also be featured in an exciting digital program of operatic highlights, titled Back Home: Through the Stage Door, conceived for film and released online July 30th.