Catch opera's rising stars at the Merola Summer Festival!
Each summer, Merola Opera Program brings a diverse international group of opera artists on the cusp of their careers to San Francisco for an intensive tuition-free training program. As part of their training, the artists work with esteemed faculty, including world-renowned conductors and stage directors to produce the Merola Summer Festival of concerts, a recital, and a fully staged opera. Merola alumni go on to grace the stages of opera houses across the globe.
Tickets Now Available to the Public – Join Us This Summer!
Join us for a summer of drama, excitement, and discovery as you meet the artists who are shaping the future of opera! Tickets are now on sale to the general public for the 2025 Merola Summer Festival.
Want more? Consider becoming a Merola member to unlock exclusive access to behind-the-scenes experiences, artist master classes, and special invitations that bring you closer to the heart of the Merola Opera Program. Members enjoy unique opportunities to witness the artistry, training, and transformation of emerging opera talent.
Membership is your backstage pass to one of the world’s finest opera training programs—and the chance to say, “I knew them when.”
Hurry! Tickets going fast!
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 7:30PM
Saturday, July 12, 2025, 2:00PM
Concert Hall, San Francisco Conservatory of Music • 50 Oak St
Tickets • $68/$38/$18 (25 & under)
Conducted by William Long and directed by Omer Ben Seadia (Merola ’14) and Elio Bucky (Merola ’25).
Revel in the sheer joy of opera as the 2025 Merola artists deliver a breathtaking evening of vocal fireworks and lush melodies accompanied by the San Francisco Opera Center Orchestra. Featuring extended scenes from beloved operas by Donizetti alongside Puccini and Verdi, this concert is a feast for the ears, celebrating the expressive power of the human voice with passion, elegance, and undeniable flair.
Performed with English supertitles.
This concert is named in memory of Merola’s late Chairman, James Schwabacher, and is generously underwritten, in part, by the Grace A. Diem and Alice E. Siemons Foundation and the Frances K. And Charles D. Field Foundation.
Cast
William Long
Conductor
Omer Ben Seadia
Director
Elio Bucky
Director
Sadie Cheslak
Mezzo-Soprano
Ariane Cossette
Soprano
Ruby Dibble
Mezzo-Soprano
Alexa Frankian
Soprano
Chea Kang
Soprano
John Mburu
Bass-Baritone
Gabriel Natal-Báez
Baritone
Joeavian Rivera
Baritone
Charlotte Siegel
Soprano
Tristan Tournaud
Tenor
Anna Maria Vacca
Mezzo-Soprano
Justice Yates
Bass-Baritone
Jin Yu
Tenor
Thursday, July 31, 2025, 7:30PM
Saturday, August 2, 2025, 2:00PM
Concert Hall, San Francisco Conservatory of Music • 50 Oak St
Tickets • $68/$38/$18 (25 & under)
Tickets are currently sold out.
Please check back soon or call the San Francisco Opera Box Office at 415-864-3330 for updated availability and last-minute ticket releases.
Conducted by Pierre Vallet and directed by Garnett Bruce.
Rossini’s delightful comedy bursts with laughter, romance, and mischief as Count Ory stops at nothing—disguising himself in increasingly ridiculous ways—to win the heart of Countess Adèle. However, he’s not the only one scheming for her affection; his clever page is also in love with the Countess, and the two of them are hatching a plan of their own. Featuring a whirlwind of mistaken identities, gender-bending disguises, and Rossini’s effervescent melodies, this joyful adventure is a celebration of wit, charm, and dazzling vocal fireworks. Don’t miss this sparkling and hilarious, rarely seen gem!
Performed in French with English supertitles.
This opera is generously underwritten, in part, by the Grace A. Diem and Alice E. Siemons Foundation and the Frances K. And Charles D. Field Foundation.
Cast
Pierre Vallet
Conductor
Garnett Bruce
Director
Minghao Liu
Comte Ory
Eva Rae Martinez
Comtesse Adèle
Meg Brilleslyper
Isolier
Wanchun Liang
Gouverneur
Benjamin Dickerson
Raimbaud
Ariana Maubach
Ragonde
Sofia Gotch
Alice
Alexa Frankian
Comtesse's Ensemble
Chea Kang
Comtesse's Ensemble
Anna Maria Vacca
Comtesse's Ensemble
John Mburu
Comte's Ensemble
Joeavian Rivera
Comte's Ensemble
Jin Yu
Comte's Ensemble
Saturday, August 16, 2025, 7:30PM
War Memorial Opera House • 301 Van Ness Ave
Tickets • $95/$68/$38/$28/$18/$10 (25 & under)
Conducted by Kelly Kuo and directed by Elio Bucky (Merola ’25)
Experience the electrifying culmination of an extraordinary summer as all 2025 Merolini take the stage for one final, unforgettable night. Performed in the grandeur of the War Memorial Opera House, this thrilling concert showcases opera’s rising stars in a breathtaking program of arias and ensembles. Audiences are invited to witness the next generation of operatic talent before their careers soar to the world’s greatest stages at this joyous celebration of artistry, passion, and the future of opera.
Performed with English supertitles.
This concert is generously underwritten, in part, by the Blanche Thebom Trust.
Tickets for the Merola Grand Finale Reception are available for $85 and must be purchased separately.
Cast
Kelly Kuo
Conductor
Elio Bucky
Director
Meg Brilleslyper
Mezzo-Soprano
Sadie Cheslak
Mezzo-Soprano
Brian Cho
Pianist/Coach
Ariane Cossette
Soprano
Ruby Dibble
Mezzo-Soprano
Benjamin Dickerson
Baritone
Alexa Frankian
Soprano
Sofia Gotch
Soprano
Chea Kang
Soprano
Wanchun Liang
Bass-Baritone
Minghao Liu
Tenor
Eva Rae Martinez
Soprano
Ariana Maubach
Mezzo-Soprano
John Mburu
Bass-Baritone
Brian McCann
Pianist/Coach
Gabriel Natal-Báez
Baritone
Joeavian Rivera
Baritone
Deven Shah
Pianist/Coach
Charlotte Siegel
Soprano
Tzu Kuang Tan
Pianist/Coach
Tristan Tournaud
Tenor
Anna Maria Vacca
Mezzo-Soprano
Justice Yates
Bass-Baritone
Dain Yule Yoon
Pianist/Coach
Jin Yu
Tenor
