San Diego Opera Announces 2014-15 Season After Rescue

Seats at San Diego Civic Theatre
wait to be filled with opera fans.

"San Diego Opera’s Board of Directors voted today to rescind the decision to close the Company after nearly two months of careful analysis, deliberation and fundraising. The Company originally announced its closure and the sale of its assets on March 19, 2014. The original closure date was scheduled to occur on April 14, 2014, the day after the Company’s final sold-out performance of Don Quixote. A vote by the Board on March 31, 2014, delayed that closure by two weeks until April 29, 2014. Another vote by the Board on April 18, 2014, extended that closure date to at least May 19, 2014. Today’s vote on May 16, 2014, overturns the original decision to close. 'The public spoke, we listened, and we’re open for business,' shares Board President Carol Lazier, 'and do we have some great news to share with you!' In light of this news, San Diego Opera is announcing its 2015 season, the Company’s 50th. La bohème, Don Giovanni, and Nixon in China are the three operas being performed at the San Diego Civic Theatre. The Company will also celebrate its 50th anniversary with special Gala Concerts of favorite arias, duets, ensembles and choruses with the San Diego Symphony at Copley Symphony Hall. Additional events and performances are in the works, and will be announced shortly. The Company has also announced that the ongoing crowd funding effort has resulted in a total of $2,116,376 in donations from 2461 of donors as of midnight Sunday, May 18, 2014. 48% of these donors have never given before and represent gifts from six countries – Austria, Australia, Canada, England, Italy, Mexico & 36 States. The gifts range from $10 – $50,000 with a median gift of $100. Now that the $1 million goal has been reached, and the Company has announced a 2015 season, both triggers of the escrow account have been met and donations will be moved from the escrow account into the Company’s 2015 fund to be used for the just-announced season." [Source] See details of the season, including artists performing, after the jump.

San Diego Opera pays tribute to the first opera it produced in 1965, Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème, with a production new to San Diego audiences. Featuring the important house debuts of tenor David Lomelí as Rodolfo, soprano Alyson Cambridge as Mimì and soprano Sara Gartland as Musetta. San Diego Opera’s resident conductor Karen Keltner conducts.

January 24, 27, 29 and February 1 (matinee), 2015 – San Diego Civic Theatre Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Don Giovanni makes a welcome return to the San Diego Opera in a production new to the Company. Making his house debut in one of his signature roles as the titular Don Giovanni is bass-baritone Ildebrando D’Arcangelo. Soprano Ellie Dehn returns as Donna Anna. Also making a notable Company debut is soprano Myrtò Papatanasiu as Elvira. Conductor Daniele Callegari returns to conduct.

February 14, 17, 20 and 22 (matinee), 2015 – San Diego Civic Theatre John Adams’ Nixon in China makes its San Diego Opera debut in a stunning multimedia-heavy production. Making Company debuts are baritone Franco Pomponi as Richard Nixon, soprano Maria Kanyova as Pat Nixon, baritone Chen-Ye Yuan as Chou En-Lai and tenor Alfred Kim as Mao Tse-Tung. Baritone Richard Paul Fink returns to sing Henry Kissinger and Joseph Mechavich returns to conduct.

March 14, 17, 20 and 22 (matinee), 2015 – San Diego Civic Theatre San Diego Opera celebrates 50 years with special Gala Concerts featuring favorite arias, duets, ensembles from operas with an all-star cast including Lise Lindstrom as well as special surprise guests. Karen Kamensek returns to conduct.

April 18 and 19 (matinee), 2015 – Jacobs Music Center – Copley Symphony Hall Tickets start at $35 for subscribers. Subscriptions begin at only $105 for the three opera season and $140 for a full series including the 50th Anniversary Gala Concert.