San Francisco Opera has outlined the programme for its 2026–27 season, opening on 12 September with Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra under Music Director Eun Sun Kim. The six-opera season continues the company’s long-term Verdi–Wagner trajectory while balancing core repertory with a significant return of Thea Musgrave’s Mary, Queen of Scots.
A season shaped by Eun Sun Kim’s Verdi–Wagner arc
At the centre of the season stands Eun Sun Kim, who conducts Simon Boccanegra, Massenet’s Manon and Wagner’s Das Rheingold, as well as an all–Richard Strauss concert. Framing the programme, Kim described the season as “a dialogue,” bringing together “enduring classics and modern masterpieces” while exploring opera as “a constantly evolving art form.”
Opening with Simon Boccanegra, Kim pointed to Verdi’s political drama as a defining statement: “The intense political drama will provide a gripping start to the season,” she said, before turning toward Wagner. Das Rheingold, presented in May–June 2027, marks “a pivotal step in the early phases of our 2028 Ring cycle,” laying the groundwork for full cycles the following summer.
Opening weekend: Opera Ball, Verdi and Opera in the Park
The season begins with the annual Opera Ball on 12 September, followed by Simon Boccanegra in a new-to-San-Francisco-Opera production by Claus Guth. The opening weekend concludes with the free Opera in the Park concert in Golden Gate Park, led by Kim with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and vocal soloists from the fall season.
Thea Musgrave returns with Mary, Queen of Scots
One of the season’s most distinctive offerings is the mainstage return of Thea Musgrave’s 1977 opera Mary, Queen of Scots (September–October 2026), presented in a co-production with English National Opera. Conducted by Clelia Cafiero in her company debut and starring soprano Heidi Stober, the work marks San Francisco Opera’s renewed engagement with an important late-20th-century opera.
For Musgrave, the return is deeply personal. “I have always felt it to be the cornerstone of my operatic repertoire,” the composer said, noting her close identification with the young Scottish queen. She described Mary as “an 18-year-old woman fighting to retain her agency against overwhelming odds,” a figure whose emotional journey she hopes will “continue to bring her valor, her strength and particularly her emotional journey to life in a meaningful way for today’s audiences.”
Repertory anchors: Manon, Figaro and Tosca
Alongside these larger arcs, the season is anchored by central works of the repertoire. Massenet’s Manon (October–November 2026) returns under Kim’s baton, with Amina Edris and Pene Pati as the ill-fated lovers. Mozart’s The marriage of Figaro follows in Michael Cavanagh’s production, directed by Shawna Lucey and conducted by Sebastian Weigle in his company debut. Summer 2027 brings Puccini’s Tosca, led by Clelia Cafiero, with Rachel Willis-Sørensen making her role debut as Floria Tosca opposite Quinn Kelsey’s Scarpia.
Concerts, chorus and community
Beyond staged opera, the season includes Strauss in concert in November 2026, featuring soprano Adela Zaharia, as well as a chorus concert, the annual Adler Fellows showcase and the return of the Pride Concert in June 2027.
Reflecting on the broader role of the company, General Director Matthew Shilvock emphasised opera’s social dimension. “It has never been more urgent to gather in our theatres and share the stories of our humanity,” he said, adding that even monumental works like the Ring are “at heart, stories of people struggling to find their place in the world.”
Looking ahead
The 2026–27 season also points toward the future, with confirmation that Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s The Galloping Cure will receive its company premiere in autumn 2027. Together with the ongoing Ring project, the programme outlines San Francisco Opera’s artistic priorities as it moves toward the end of the decade.
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