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
The Yvonne and Edgar Baker Fund
Eloise Bouye Foundation
Jennifer and Chris Brahm*
Barbara Bruser and Richard Clark *
Frances K. and Charles D. Field Foundation
Mr. David Hugle and Mr. Haggai Niv*
Ms. Annie Nunan
$15,000–$29,999
Mrs. Annina R. Demmon
John L. Garfinkle*
Grants for the Arts
In Memory of Cameron Waterman
Bernice Lindstrom
Ms. Amy Roth and Mr. Robert Epstein*
Jack and Betty Schafer*
Diane B. Wilsey*
Mr. and Mrs. A. Lee Zeigler
$10,000–$14,999
AT&T
Richard Bastoni
Chan Family Fund of the Yolo Community Foundation*
The Hon. Marie Bertillion Collins and Mr. Leonard Collins
George Crow
Tim Dattels and Kristine Johnson
Mary Foote
Mr. John Lee
Norby Anderson
Mr. Paul D. Nordine
Bob and Terri Ryan*
The Henry W. and Nettie Robinson Foundation
Sack Family Fund
$7,500–$9,999
Carlyn Clause and Alexander L. Brainerd
Karen J. Kubin*
Betty Maddux*
James R. Meehan*
Anonymous
$5,000–$7,499
James Scott Bays
David Bertoni*
Mr. James Busterud*
Valerie Crane Dorfman*
Dr. James Cross and Mr. Charles Antonen
Peter and Jayne Davis
Mr. Robert A. Ellis*
Steven D. Goldby and Anita Weissberg*
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
Drs. Richard and Pamela Rigg
Dr. David D. Stein and Dr. Phyllis A. Kempner
Susan York
Mr. and Mrs. Zderic
Stephen and Connie Zilles
$3,000–$4,999
Robert H. Beadle
Sara and Lars Borg
Ms. Langley Brandt
Janet Cluff*
Keith Doerge*
Ms. Jeanne Dorward*
Beatrice and Paul Gomory
Ms. Theresa Hallinan
Mr. Fred Hartwick
Greer and Thayer Hopkins*
Mr. Michael H. Kalkstein and Ms. Susan English
Drs. Joan B. and James Kelly
Mr. Daniel J. Mardesich
Myron Marx and Cora Yang
Mr. Donald L. McGee
Mr. Robert B. Mison*
Cathy and Howard Moreland
Mrs. Pamela Murdock
San Francisco Opera Guild East Bay Chapter
William Karl Schwarze Trust
Mr. Steven Shladover
Ms. Jean Shuler
Dr. and Mrs. W. Conrad Sweeting
Ruth Uchimura
$2000–$2999
Mr. David N. Barnard*
Amii Barnard-Bahn and Michael Bahn*
Ms. Brooke Bourland
Raymond and Minnie Chinn*
Mr. Hugh J. Coughlin
Ms. Evamarie Doering and Mr. Robert Munday
Roberta and Mark Emerson
Mr. Peter Felleman
Michael A. Harrison and Susan Graham Harrison
Mary Henderson
Wilma Horwitz
Ms. Andrea G. Julian
Gretchen B. Kimball*
Kathe and Ben Lange
Miss Renee O. Leap
Mrs. Nancy Donnell Lilly
Ms. Maura Markus
Anne L. Morton
Carlos Penikis
Richard Reeder
Dr. Andrew Rombakis*
Miss Dorothy Schimke
Jessica Vapnek*
Mrs. Carol A. Weitz
Mr. Patrick Wilken and Mr. David Dickson
Ms. Ann L. Williamson
Ms. Faye Wilson
$1000–$1999
Ms. Linda Barrett
Jennifer Bienaime and Josh Fiedler
Ms. Lucia Bogatay
Dr. and Mrs. Peter Coffin
Mr. Michael Colbruno
Dr. Philip and Mrs. Elayne Dauber
Ms. Lenora Desmas
John P. and Cecelia G. Eurich
William & Melinda Evers
Barbara B. Friede
Scott Gable and Patti Kim
Steven Goldberg and Sandee Blechman*
Geoffrey and Marcia Green
Judit Jackovics*
Candace Kahn
Monique Kaufman
Ms. Nelda Kilguss*
Mr. Sven Kjaersgaard
Joan Shelbourne Kwansa
Mr. Roy Levin and Ms. Jan Thomson
Richard and Cynthia Livermore
Rich Martini
John and Tessa Melvin
Scott and Andrea Nagelson
Ms. Erika Nelson and Mr. Guy Cross*
Dr. and Mrs. Hans Orup*
Suzanna G. Pollak*
Ms. Susan K. Prather
Jeannie Sack and Jordan Sachs
San Francisco Opera Guild Marin Chapter
Carl Schaper
Ms. Cherrill Spencer and Mr. Rick Leder*
Umpqua Bank
Moya Verzhbinsky
Bruce and Fran Walker
Hon. James & Elisabeth Warren
Judith Waterman
Mr. Kimberly M. Webb and Mr. Richard R. Rossi
Julie White
Mrs. Diana Wild
Ms. Shirley Woo and Mr. David Rosenfeld
Yermack Family Fund
$500–$999
Ms. Michele C. Anderson
Anonymous/Unknown
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin
Miss Carol Benz
Dr. Roy C. Bergstrom
Mr. Tapan Bhat
Adam Arthur Bier and Rachel Bier Lem
Anthony Chiu
Katie Colendich
Mrs. Beverly Coughlin
Mrs. Antonia Cross
Glenn DeSandre
Arnold Dito
Ms. Barbara Dwyer
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh W. Foster
Gregory and Stacy Haines
Charles F. Hanes
Ms. Barbara E. Harms
Hunter P. Harris
Linda Hearne
Mr. Daniel Hersh
Ian Hinchcliffe and Marjorie Shapiro
Mr. Jay L. Hoffman
Ms. Judith Kahn
Ms. Jean Kellogg
Ms. Eiko Kikawada
Alfred and Diane Knoll
Janice Levy
Arend Lijphart and Gisela Meyers
Kathie and Dexter Lowry
Carrie-Ann Matheson
Patrick McCabe
Mr. Steven L. Mendoza
Mr. and Mrs. Donald G. Michener
Ramchandra Rajeshinde
Mr. and Mrs. John Renard
Mr. and Mrs. Paul A. Renne
Jeffrey Ross
Daniel Rubin and Terry Desser
Diana and Richard Shore
Alek Shrader
Prof. Alan Smith and Dr. Helen Lew
Mr. Anthony C. Stagliano and Ms. Carol Hooker
Ms. Theresa A. Stuart
Ms. Maggie Thompson
James S. and Gayle G. Tunnell
Sean Waugh
Daphne and Stuart Wells
Jace Wittig
$250–$499
Steven Abbott
Norman Abramson and David Beery Charitable Fund of Horizons Foundation.
Mrs. Eleanor Amend
Liz Barthe
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
Karin Eames
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
Mr. Stanley Michael and Mr. John Churchwell
Erie Mills and Thomas Rescigno
Brenna Moorhead
Gwen and James Neary
Betty Newman
Alexandra and Guillaume Orliac
Ms. Mitzi Palmer
Michael Peskin
Hiroko Prather
Lucca Rader
Richard Reeder
Ms. Nancy Reilly
Mr. Robert Ripps and Mr. Steven Spector
David Roe
Mr. Victor Rowley and Dr. Stanley K. Yarnell
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
Roger and Mary Ashley
Zachary Baker
Marc Barberis and Catherine Mikami
Mr. and Mrs. Kent T. Baum
Martha Nell Beatty
Mr. Stephen Bertram
Victor P. Bonfilio, JD, PhD.
Ellen Boyle
Mrs. Kathleen M. Brown
Zach Burgess
Donato Cabrera
Dr. James Marvin Campbell
Betty Carmack
Ms. Diane Daniels and Mr. Leonard Heil
Ms. Francine S. Davis
Mr. and Mrs. Harry L. E. Dennis
Ann Dey
Ms. Irene Dietz
Judith Donahue
Rose Mary Dougherty
Joyce Dubay
Ms. Janice Elvee
Mr. Ed Eng
Shinji Eshima
Mr. Frederick S. Fields and Ms. Roxanne Holmes
Joseph and Barbara Fredrick
Frederick Gabali
Anonymous
Mr. Francis Garcia
Ms. Ruth Geos
Linda Glynn
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Gordon
Mr. John Gosselin
Mr. Barry Graynor
Mr. Ronny Michael Greenberg and Elizabeth Castro Greenberg
Ms. Crystal Gromer and Mr. Geoffrey Smith
Ms. Sara Haber
Mrs. Bronwyn H. Hall
Mr. Larry Hanover
Joel Harris
Dr. John L. Herbert
Mr. and Mrs. Melvyn Hetzel
Mrs. Nadine Hubbell
Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Hume
Mr. Luther Jackson and Ms. Cecilia Deck
Hermia James
Ms. Ludmila Kisseleva-Eggleton and Mr. Peter Eggleton
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Kohs
Margaret Korte
Laura Krumm and Jamie Niebuhr
Judith A. Lamberti
Mr. Steven Langer
Thomas A. Larsen
Ms. Alice Lehmann
Ms. Donna Lim
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Lin
Mr. and Mrs. Laurence R. Lyons
Mrs. Charlotte McMinn
Ms. Edith Mendez
Patricia Mitchell
Mr. Charles Moody
Rayma Mui
Mr. Howard R. Neckel
Mr. and Mrs. D. Warner North
Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen
Tim and Kara O’Leary
Beth Ohanneson-Kellenberger
Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Oliver
Jeraldine Palazzi
Ms. Eithne Pardini
Hilary Power
Mrs. Helen C. Prather
Ms. Judith L. Reynolds
Carla Rodrigues
Mr. Ronald Rogness
Ms. Kathleen Rydar
Mr. David Salem
Ms. Cecile Scandone
Lea Scarpelli
Mrs. Hanne Schultz
Mr. Stephen Silberstein
Mr. Hiram Simon
Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence Slayen
Ms. Gwen Sobolewski
Jake Stensberg
Mr. Ian E. Stockdale
The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. David Stohlmann
Mr. Stephen Suzman
Salvatore Tavormina
Ms. Roseanna Torretto
Thomas Tragardh and David Cortez
Mr. Albert J. Vizinho
Mary and Terry Vogt
Dr. and Mrs. David Werdegar
James and Aubrey West
Anonymous
$1–$99
Ms. Joan M. Allen
Mrs. Linda Beidleman
Mr. Edgar A. Benhard
Veronica Breuer
Leah Coffin
Rosalind Colver
Stephen and Vivien D’Andrea
John Gravell
Leah Coffin
Ronald T. Hughes
Margaret Jones
Ms. Anna Lamothe
Dale Lukan
Mr. William Martin
Dennis Mullen
Mr. and Mrs. Norman Petermeier
Mr. Thomas C. Robinson
Gail I. Rubman
Janice Salinad-Straw
Fred Setterberg
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Skylor
Peter Spencer
Cathy Sweetman
Miss Carol Tomlinson
Jane Totten
Ms. Virginia Vida
Betty Woo
* North Star Circle Member
BENEFIT GALA SPONSORS
MAGNUM OPUS | EXCLUSIVE EVENT SPONSOR
Diane B. Wilsey
OVERTURE
Robert H. Beadle
Jennifer and Chris Brahm
Janet Cluff
Amy Roth and Robert Epstein
ENSEMBLE
Gretchen B. Kimball
DUET
Camille Chan
Steven D. Goldby and Anita Weissberg
Umpqua Bank
ARIA
The Hon. Marie Bertillion Collins
Angeles Investments
Jeanne Dorward
Candace Zander Kahn
Ramchandra Rajeshinde
Drs. Pamela Zell Rigg and Richard Rigg
Carol Weitz
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
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