Thankful for Our Donors
We extend our sincere appreciation to all donors and acknowledge the following individuals, foundations and corporations for their generous gifts made from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, in support of the Merola Opera Program.
DONORS
$30,000 & ABOVE
Barbara Bruser and Richard Clark*
Eloise Bouye Foundation
The Yvonne and Edgar Baker Fund
Frances K. and Charles D. Field Foundation
John L. Garfinkle*
Ms. Annie Nunan
Diane B. Wilsey* ◊
$15,000–$29,999
Sallie Waterman Arens
Robert H. Beadle ◊
Jennifer and Chris Brahm* ◊
Janet Cluff* ◊
Mrs. Annina R. Demmon
Ms. Amy Roth and Mr. Robert Epstein* ◊
Grants for the Arts
Mr. David Hugle and Mr. Haggai Niv*
Bernice Lindstrom
Sack Family Fund
Jack and Betty Schafer*
James S. and Gayle G. Tunnell
In Memory of Cameron Waterman
Mr. and Mrs. A. Lee Zeigler
$10,000–$14,999
Norby Anderson
Mr. Richard Bastoni
Ms. Camille Chan ◊
The Hon. Marie Bertillion Collins and Mr. Leonard Collins
Mr. Robert A. Ellis* §
Mary Foote §
Lauren Ito
Tim Dattels and Kristine Johnson
Mr. John Lee
Susan Anderson-Norby
Mr. Paul D. Nordine
Drs. Richard and Pamela Rigg
Bruce and Fran Walker ◊
The Henry W. and Nettie Robinson Foundation
$7,500–$9,999
Carlyn Clause and Alexander L. Brainerd
Betty Maddux*
James R. Meehan*
Anonymous
$5,000–$7,499
James Scott Bays
Amii Barnard-Bahn and Michael Bahn* ◊
David Bertoni*
Ms. Langley Brandt
Dr. James Cross and Mr. Charles Antonen
George Crow ◊
Peter and Jayne Davis
Valerie Crane Dorfman*
Ms. Jeanne Dorward* ◊
Miss Ursula Grunfeld
James Heagy, in memory of Janey Heagy
Anne and Jeffrey Katz*
Dr. and Mrs. John Lavorgna
Ms. Sylvia R. Lindsey*
Eve and Niall Lynch
Midge and Shireen Mansouri
David Miller
Bob and Terri Ryan*
Jeannie Sack and Jordan Sachs
Dr. David D. Stein and Dr. Phyllis A. Kempner
Ruth Uchimura
Moya Verzhbinsky
Hon. James and Elisabeth Warren ◊
Steven D. Goldby and Anita Weissberg*
Valerie Wheat
Susan York
Mr. and Mrs. Zderic §
Stephen and Connie Zilles ◊
$3,000–$4,999
Sara and Lars Borg
Mr. James Busterud*
Mr. Michael H. Kalkstein and Ms. Susan English
Beatrice and Paul Gomory
Ms. Theresa Hallinan
Mr. Fred Hartwick
Greer and Thayer Hopkins*
Karen J. Kubin*
Joan Shelbourne Kwansa
Ms. Marcia Leonhardt
Mr. Daniel J. Mardesich
Mr. Donald L. McGee
Mr. Robert B. Mison*
Cathy and Howard Moreland
Ms. Evamarie Doering and Mr. Robert Munday
Mrs. Pamela Murdock
San Francisco Opera Guild East Bay Chapter
Mr. Steven Shladover
Ms. Jean Shuler
Dr. § and Mrs. W. Conrad Sweeting
Ms. Mary True
William Karl Schwarze Trust
Myron Marx and Cora Yang
$2000–$2999
Mr. David N. Barnard*
Elizabeth Beitzel
Ms. Helen Berggruen
Jennifer Bienaime and Josh Fiedler ◊
Ms. Brooke Bourland
Raymond and Minnie Chinn*
Mr. Michael Colbruno
Mr. Hugh J. Coughlin
Peggy Dennis
Ms. Lenora Desmas
Keith Doerge*
Aaron Fan
Mr. Peter Felleman
Barbara B. Friede
Michael A. Harrison and Susan Graham Harrison
Mary Henderson
Wilma Horwitz
Ms. Andrea G. Julian
Candace Kahn ◊
Gretchen B. Kimball*
Kathe and Ben Lange
Miss Renee O. Leap
Mrs. Nancy Donnell Lilly
Ms. Maura Markus
Diane Miller
Carlos Penikis
Richard Reeder
Dr. Andrew Rombakis*
Miss Dorothy Schimke
Mr. Roy Levin and Ms. Jan Thomson
Jessica Vapnek*
Mrs. Carol A. Weitz
Faye Wilson ◊
$1000–$1999
Ms. Linda Barrett
Mr. Martin S. Checov and Mr. Timothy J. Bause
Dr. Roy C. Bergstrom
Tapan Bhat
Steven Goldberg and Sandee Blechman*
Ms. Lucia Bogatay
Chengfen Chen
Charles and Janet Chiang
Dr. and Mrs. Peter Coffin
Dr. Philip and Mrs. Elayne Dauber
Roberta and Mark Emerson
John P. and Cecelia G. Eurich
William & Melinda Evers
Geoffrey and Marcia Green
Gregory Haines and Stacy Hoover Haines
Hunter P. Harris
Jane Hartley
Marlies Hensel
Dr. Hing On Hsu
Ronald T. Hughes
Judit Jackovics*
Ms. Judith Kahn*
Monique Kaufman
Ms. Jean Kellogg
Ms. Nelda Kilguss*
Scott Gable and Patti Kim
Mr. Sven Kjaersgaard
Richard and Cynthia Livermore
Patrick McCabe
John and Tessa Melvin
Rich Martini and Markham Miller
Anne L. Morton
Scott and Andrea Nagelson
Ms. Erika Nelson and Mr. Guy Cross*
Dr. and Mrs. Hans Orup*
Charlotte Phillips
Ms. Susan K. Prather
Ramchandra Rajeshinde
Mr. Kimberly M. Webb and Mr. Richard R. Rossi
Ms. Kathleen Rydar
San Francisco Opera Guild Marin Chapter
Carl Schaper
Ms. Dorothy Schimke
Pamela Tao
Umpqua Bank
Julie White
Mrs. Diana Wild
Mr. Patrick Wilken and Mr. David Dickson
Ms. Ann L. Williamson
Ms. Shirley Woo and Mr. David Rosenfeld
Yermack Family Fund
$500–$999
Mr. and Mrs. David Anderson
Ms. Michele C. Anderson
Miss Carol Benz
Michael McGinley and Donald Blais
Victoria Bukata
Anthony Chiu
Kim and Clay Clement
Katie Colendich
Ms. Carol Copperud
Karin Cordell
Mrs. Beverly Coughlin
Mrs. Antonia Cross
Glenn DeSandre
Daniel Rubin and Terry Desser
Arnold Dito
Ms. Barbara Dwyer
Karin Eames
Sean Waugh and Rey Faustino
Hugh and Ceseli Foster
Karen Gabrielson
Charles F. Hanes
Ms. Barbara E. Harms
Linda Hearne
Mr. Daniel Hersh
Mr. Jay L. Hoffman
Mr. Anthony C. Stagliano and Ms. Carol Hooker
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Houck
Ms. Marian Huntoon
Drs. Joan B. and James Kelly
Mr. Frank Kelly
Ms. Eiko Kikawada
Alfred and Diane Knoll
Ms. Margaret Korte
Adam Arthur Bier and Rachel Bier Lem
Janice Levy
Prof. Alan Smith and Dr. Helen Lew
Mrs. Lisa Lindelef
Kathie and Dexter Lowry
Carrie-Ann Matheson
Mr. Steven L. Mendoza
Arend Lijphart and Gisela Meyers
Mr. Donald and Marianne Michener
Alexandra and Guillaume Orliac
Suzanna Pollak*
Anna and Frank Pope
Mr. and Mrs. John Renard
Mr. and Mrs. Paul A. Renne
Ina Chun and Jefferson Rice
Jeffrey Ross
Ian Hinchcliffe and Marjorie Shapiro
Diana and Richard Shore
Alek Shrader
Ms. Theresa A. Stuart
Lee Taubeneck
Ms. Maggie Thompson
Judith Waterman
Daphne and Stuart Wells
Jace Wittig
Mr. Dennis Zhang
Anonymous/Unknown
Anonymous/Unknown
$250–$499
Steven Abbott
Norman Abramson and David Beery Charitable Fund of Horizons Foundation.
Mrs. Eleanor Amend
Ms. Jodie Beyer
Cynthia Birmingham
Linda Blum
Mr. Bruce Bowen and Ms. Junona Jonas
Mr. and Mrs. Robert V. Brody
Karen Burtness Prak and Jan Willem Prak
Eugene Celillo
David Cobb
Mr. Clifford Colvin
Mr. Robert Cook and Ms. Blanca Haendler
Mrs. Louise Costigan-Kerns
Professor Sandra Ferrari Disner
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Edelman
Dave Gomberg and Diana Lum
Mr. William Hamilton
Ms. Julie Harris
Ms. Peggy Hill
Mr. Cliff Jarrard
Susan Landreth
Norman and Helen Ann Licht
Deborah Marion, Tax CPA, EA
Mr. Stanley Michael and Mr. John Churchwell
Erie Mills and Thomas Rescigno
Brenna Moorhead
Gwen and James Neary
Betty Newman
Ms. Mitzi Palmer
Michael Peskin
Hiroko Prather
Lucca Colombelli
Ms. Nancy Reilly
Mr. Robert Ripps and Mr. Steven Spector
David Roe
Mr. Victor Rowley and Dr. Stanley K. Yarnell
Margaret V. Sheehan
Natalie O. Shuttleworth
Kandice Straw
Ms. Kimberly Twesme
Nadine Weil
Dr. Ronald Wing
Eugenie Yaryan
Frank Zepeda
Carl and Betty Zlatchin
$100–$249
Kenneth Adams
Ms. Joan Adler
Alan Almquist
Derik Aoki
Roger and Mary Ashley
Zachary Baker
Mr. and Mrs. Kent T. Baum
Martha Nell Beatty
David and Marcia Benjamin
Mr. Stephen Bertram
Joel Birdwell
Claire and Jared Bobrow
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Boeckmann
Ellen Boyle
Mrs. Kathleen M. Brown
Zach Burgess
Donato Cabrera
Dr. James Marvin Campbell
Betty Carmack
Joseph Cecere
Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen
Thomas Tragardh and David Cortez
Ms. Francine S. Davis
Mr. Luther Jackson and Ms. Cecilia Deck
Mr. and Mrs. Harry L. E. Dennis
Ann Dey
Ms. Irene Dietz
Judith Donahue
Rose Mary Dougherty
Joyce Dubay
Ms. Ludmila Kisseleva-Eggleton and Mr. Peter Eggleton
Ms. Janice Elvee
Mr. Ed Eng
Shinji Eshima
Pat and Richard Farnsworth
Roland and Lois Feller
Georgia Finnigan
Joseph and Barbara Fredrick
Frederick Gabali
Mr. Francis Garcia
Ms. Ruth Geos
Linda Glynn
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Gordon
Mr. John Gosselin
Mr. Barry Graynor
Andrew Greenberg
Mr. Ronny Michael Greenberg
Ms. Sara Haber
Mrs. Bronwyn H. Hall
Mr. Larry Hanover
Joel Harris
Ms. Diane Daniels and Mr. Leonard Heil
Dr. John L. Herbert
Mr. and Mrs. Melvyn Hetzel
Mr. Frederick S. Fields and Ms. Roxanne Holmes
Mr. Barry D. Hovis
Mrs. Nadine Hubbell
Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Hume
Hermia James
Beth Ohanneson-Kellenberger
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Kohs
Betty Kolotkin
Margaret Korte
Ms. Nancy Kraus
Judith A. Lamberti
Dr. Kip Cranna and Mr. Bruce Lamott
Mr. Steven Langer
Thomas A. Larsen
Ms. Cherrill Spencer and Mr. Rick Leder*
Ms. Alice Lehmann
Kathleen and John Leones
Ms. Donna Lim
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Lin
Mr. and Mrs. Laurence R. Lyons
Mrs. Charlotte McMinn
Dr. Michael Melewicz
Ms. Edith Mendez
Marc Barberis and Catherine Mikami
Patricia Mitchell
Mr. Charles Moody
Rayma Mui
Howard R. Neckel
Laura Krumm and Jamie Niebuhr
Mr. and Mrs. D. Warner North
Tim and Kara O’Leary
Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Oliver
Jeraldine Palazzi
Ms. Eithne Pardini
Jeffrey Peters
Victor P. Bonfilio, JD, PhD.
Hilary Power
Mrs. Helen C. Prather
Wendy Quan
Ms. Judith L. Reynolds
Carla Rodrigues
Jane Rogers
Mr. Ronald Rogness
Mr. David Salem
Jack Saroyan
Ms. Cecile Scandone
Lea Scarpelli
Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Schroeder
Mrs. Hanne Schultz
John Paul Scott
Patricia and Merrill Shanks
Mr. Stephen Silberstein
Mr. Hiram Simon
Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence Slayen
Ms. Crystal Gromer and Mr. Geoffrey Smith
Ms. Gwen Sobolewski
Jake Stensberg
Mr. Ian E. Stockdale
The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. David Stohlmann
Mr. Stephen Suzman
Salvatore Tavormina
Ms. Roseanna Torretto
Mr. Albert J. Vizinho
Mary and Terry Vogt
Dr. and Mrs. David Werdegar
James and Aubrey West
Mr. James Gabbard and Ms. Yana Zimmerman
Anonymous
$1–$99
Ms. Joan M. Allen
Stephen and Vivien D’Andrea
Ms. Diane Ayerdi
Mrs. Linda Beidleman
Mr. Edgar A. Benhard
Mr. and Mrs. Allen Bertillion
Sandra Betzina
Nancy Bissell
Ms. Sara and Lars Borg
Mr. William Boyd
Veronica Breuer
Diane Bunce
Ms. Jessica Burton
Leah Coffin
Mr. Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen
Rosalind Colver
Mr. Luther Jackson and Cecilia Deck
John Gravell
Ms. L Halsteen
Beverly Hom
Elizabeth Huchberger
Margaret Jones
Ms. Anna Lamothe
Peggy Lewis
Dale Lukan
Mr. William Martin
Mrs. Sabine McCarthy
Patrice Mcelroy
Mr. Stephen Van Meter
Dennis Mullen
Carol Patel
Mr. and Mrs. Norman Petermeier
Mr. Thomas C. Robinson
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Rosenberg
Gail I. Rubman
Judith Schiller
Sigrid Selle
Fred Setterberg
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Skylor
Peter Spencer
Janice Salinad-Straw
Cathy Sweetman
Emese Tivadar
Miss Carol Tomlinson
Jane Totten
Danielle Troy
Ms. Virginia Vida
Betty Woo
Elyza Yanowits
◊ 2026 Gala Sponsor
* North Star Circle Member
IN-KIND DONORS
CORPORATE DONORS
Bay Area Graphics
FitnessSF
Piedmont Piano
Rigg Estate Vineyards
Southwest Airlines
United Airlines
White Rock Vineyards
INDIVIDUAL DONORS
Jennifer & Chris Brahm
James Busterud
John Churchwell
Antonia Cross
James Cross & Charles Antonen*
Susan Graham
Greer & Thayer Hopkins
Jean Kellogg
Patti Kim & Scott Gable
Ronny Michael Greenberg
Jana McIntyre
Lucas & Irina Meachem
Robert Mollicone
Betty Newman
Aryeh Nussbaum-Cohen
Pene Pati
Matthew Piatt
Bob & Terri Ryan
Elza van den Heever
Carol Weitz
MEROLA LEGACY
SOCIETY
Ken & Barbara Adams
Mr. & Mrs. David Anderson
Kathleen H. Barr §
Mr. James Bays
Robert H. Beadle
Maurice & Mary Sue Bizzarri
Donna Blacker §
Joanne R. Bourland §
Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Bowen
Ms. Agnes Chen Brown
Mr. Donald Buhman & Mr. Wray Humphrey §
Russell P. Chappell
Donna Chazen
Barbara Bruser and Richard Clark*
Maureen Clarke §
Carlyn Clause & Alexander L. Brainerd
Janet Cluff
Mr. Michael Colbruno
Jose Maria Condemi
Dr. James Cross & Mr. Charles Antonen
Mr. & Mrs. George L. Crow Jr.
Mr. Gerald F. Currier & Mr. Cleveland M. Smith
Peter & Jayne Davis
Mr. Cesar L. De Joya, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. James F. Dean
Mr. Stephen Drewes
Mr. & Mrs. Vernon Dwelly
Dr. Ranveig N. Elvebakk & Mr. Thomas Farren
Roberta & Mark Emerson
Mary & Tom § Foote
Mr. Milton J. Mosk § & Mr. Thomas E. Foutch
Mario Fracchia
Barbara B. Friede
Joseph & Antonia Friedman
Magda Gabali
Mr. John Garfinkle
Ms. Pamela George
Elaine Gerstler & Booker Holton
Mrs. Rolf Gille
Diana Lum & Dave Gomberg
Beatrice & Paul Gomory
Ms. Tracy Grant & Ms. Mélanie Grant
Ursula Grunfeld
Dr. & Mrs. John G. Gurley
Mr. James Heagy
Mr. David Hugle & Mr. Haggai Niv
Ms. Marian Huntoon
Dagmar L. Jamison §
Joanie Juster
Mrs. Jeannie Kaufman
Ms. Jean Kellogg
Drs. Joan B. & James Kelly
Eiko Kikawada
Ms. Ludmila Kisseleva-Eggleton & Mr. Peter Eggleton
Ken Kolby
Ms. Barbara F. Kral
Mrs. Barbara Graham Kreissler
Mr. Eric W. Kritz §
Joan Shelbourne Kwansa
Olive Lawton
John Lee
Ms. Marcia Leonhardt
Bernice Lindstrom*
Jean & Lindsay MacDermid §
Betty Maddux
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel J. Mardesich
Deborah Marion, Tax CPA, EA
Myron Marx & Cora Yang
Ms. Denise E. Mauldin
Chris McCrum
Bill Medigovich
Ms. Christine Miller & Mr. Gary Glaser
J. Sanford Miller
Mr. Robert B. Mison
D. G. Mitchell
Cathy & Howard Moreland
Ms. Camille Morishige
Thelma Morris
Albert L. Mosher
Mr. & Mrs. Michael A. O’Hanlon §
Brenda Osborne
Frances Quittel
Mr. Glenn H. Reid §
Mr. Robert Robertson
Dr. Andrew Rombakis
Peter & Bettina Rosenbladt
Louise A. Russell
Kenneth Ruta §
Bob & Terri Ryan
Jeannie Sack & Jordan Sachs
Debra R. Schoenberg
Ms. Marilyn G. Seiberling
Jean A. Sherlin
Natalie O. Shuttleworth
David L. & Barbara G. Sloss
Ms. Sue Sommer §
Nancy Soper §
Dr. David D. Stein & Dr. Phyllis A. Kempner
Ms. Blanche Germain Streeter §
Dr. Sam Thal §
Miss Carol Tomlinson §
Mr. & Mrs. James S. Tunnell
Mr. & Mrs. Herman Victor
Mr. Albert J. Vizinho
Doug & Dawn Von Qualen
Ms. Gladys Wagman §
Bruce & Fran Walker
Mrs. Barbara Wanvig
Mr. Kimberly M. Webb & Mr. Richard R. Rossi
Mr. Patrick Wilken
Ms. Ann L. Williamson
Susan York
Ms. Heather Young
Mrs. John A. Zderic
Mr. & Mrs. A. Lee Zeigler
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Zilles
Anonymous
MEROLA OPERA PROGRAM ENDOWMENT
Kurt Herbert Adler—Merola Endowment Fund
Amici di Merola Fund
The Anthony I. Balestrieri Endowment Fund
Richard J. Bartlett Memorial Fund
Jean E. Bennett, Jr. Fund
Blair Scholarship Fund
John S. Brooks Memorial Fund
Florence Bruce Fund
Bruser Family Fund
Carlton F. Bryan Fund
Betty Cable Fund
Annette Campbell-White, in honor of Zheng Cao
Zheng Cao Opera Fund
Cooper Endowment Fund
Darwin Memorial Fund
Reid and Peggy Dennis Endowment Fund
Grace A. Diem and Alice E. Siemons Endowment Fund
Oreste J. di Muro Endowment Fund
In memory of Jean Donnell Fund
The Philip L. Eaton Endowment Fund
Querita Eybel Endowment Fund
Mr. and Mrs. A. Barlow Ferguson Endowment Fund
I. P. Patrick Gallagher Fund
Gerard Gagnon Endowment Fund
Nicholas and Mary Ann Gannam Endowment Fund
L. Henry Garland Memorial Fund
John L. Garfinkle
Al Garren Fund
Richard and Rhoda Goldman Study Grant Support Fund
Donna Lee Grassman Memorial Fund
Gary Griffith Memorial Endowment Fund
Gropper Memorial Fund
Anneliese Gruenberg-Bremer Fund
Otto Guth Fund
Mark Haffner Apprentice Coach Fund
In memory of James T. Heavey Fund
Elaine Henderson Endowment Fund
George Hoffman Endowment Fund
David S. Hugle and Haggai Niv Endowment Fund
The Jacobs Family Trust
In memory of Peter G. Kavantjas Endowment Fund
Drs. Phyllis A. Kempner and David D. Stein Endowment Fund
Leona Gordon Lowin Memorial Fund
Lotfi Mansouri Apprentice Director Fund
Sandra McCabe Fund
Meltzer Family Memorial Fund
Merola Members Endowment Fund
The Vivienne E. Miller Scholarship Fund
Albert L. Mosher and John E. McCormick AIDS Memorial Fund
Milton J. Mosk and Thomas E. Foutch Endowment Fund
Vija Hovgard Nadai Endowment Fund
Verna Osborne Fund
The Bernard Osher Foundation Career Grant Endowment
Mary A. Powell Career Grant Fund
In Honor of Leontyne Price Endowment Fund
Rusty and Mike Rolland Fund
Charles Rolle, M.D. Endowment Fund
Marie Louise Rosenberg Memorial Endowment Fund
Gerald B. Rosenstein Fund
Mary Roy Fund
Schick Memorial Fund
James H. Schwabacher, Jr. Fund
The Shenson Family Fund
Richard Strauss Endowment Fund
Blanche Germain Streeter Fund
Margery Tede Endowment Fund
Sam H. Thal Trust Fund
Blanche Thebom Trust Fund
Dickson Titus III Fund
Suzanne Turley Fund
Alma Brooks Walker Memorial Fund
Bruce Walker and the Chisholm Foundation,
in honor of Leontyne Price
Frank W. and Matilda O. Weymouth Living Trust Fund
In memory of Patricia Yakutis Endowment Fund
§ deceased
LIFETIME HONORARY
MEMBERS
In recognition of their invaluable contributions to the Merola Opera Program
Chris Bragg
Sheri Greenawald
Mark Morash