Since the year 2006, I have reviewed each of the opera productions mounted by the San Francisco Opera in the War Memorial Opera House, providing each with a letter grade.
Like the seminars associated with Ph.D. programs, I do not grade “on a curve”, but, instead expect that a San Francisco Opera performance of any opera, like a seminar grade for a doctoral student, should be an “A”. In those cases in which I believe the performance was of more than routine interest (and excellence) I give an A+. In previous calendar years, I have given grades as low as a “C”, but in the most recent years, “B” and “C” grades have been rare.
(I do not use the performance review to discuss whether the company’s management should have chosen a different opera, different director, or different cast, but review whatever opera performances the company has chosen to present.)
Year 2025 Grades
Grade A+
La Boheme (Puccini)
[Phoro: Rodolfo (Pene Pati, left) and Mimi (Karen Chia-Ling Ho, right) agree to make up and spend a few more months together; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francsico Opera.]
San Francisco Opera’s June season began with nine performances of Puccini’s “La Boheme”, brilliantly sung by casts of artists, almost all of whom had excelled in previous performances at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House.
Three leading parts, that of Rodolfo, Mimi and Musetta were divided between two trios of artists. In six of the performances Samoan tenor Pene Pati was Rodolfo, Taiwanese soprano Karen Chia-Ling Ho was Mimi and Maryland lyric soprano Andrea Carroll was Mimi. For the other three performances, those three roles were performed respectively by Minnesota tenor Evan Leroy Johnson, Australian soprano Nicole Car and Minnesota soprano Brittany Renee.
Those trios were joined by the Marcello of North Carolina baritone Lucas Meachem, the Schaunard of Michigan bass-baritone Samuel Kidd and the Colline of the debuting Romanian bass Bogdan Talos. Spanish Maestro Ramon Tebar conducted.
John Caird’s beautifully conceived production was revived by the San Francisco Opera for the third season, with innovations in staging introduced by debuting New York director Katherine M. Carter.
For my performance reviews, see: Review: A Superbly Performed “Boheme”, Starring Pene Pati, Karen Chia-Ling Ho, Andrea Carroll and Lucas Meachem – San Francisco Opera, June 15, 2025
Grade A+
Idomeneo (Mozart)
[Photo: Idomeneo (Matthew Polenzani, right) comforts the Trojan princess Ilia (Ying Fang, left); edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
Mozart’s earliest operatic masterpiece, the post-Trojan war drama “Idomeneo” was mounted by the San Francisco Opera for the fifth time in the past 48 years. The cast was led my a powerful perfromance by Illinois tenor Matthew Polenzani, joined by superb singing by Chinese soprano Ying Fang as Ilia and South African soprano Elza van den Heever.
The production, by Austraian director Lindy Hume, emphasized a scenic design employing projections of scenery meant to represent the land of Crete and its surrounding seas. The San Francisco Opera Chorus had a central role, impressively performing as both Trojans and Cretans.
For my performance review, see: Review: A Colorful Production of Mozart’s Melody-Rich “Idomeneo” – San Francisco Opera, June 14, 2025
Grade A+
Rigoletto (Verdi)
[Photo: Rigoletto (Amartuvshian Enkhbat, right) tries to comfort the dying Gilda (Adela Zaharia, left); edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
Powerful vocal and dramatic performances from Mongolian baritone Amartuvshian Enkhbat’s RIgoletto and Romanian soprano Adela Zaharia’s Gilda. The strong cast included Chinese tenor Yongzhao Yu as the Duke of Mantua, Texas bass Peixin Chan as Sparafucile and Washington State soprano J’Nai Bridges as Maddalena..
THe opera was staged persuasively by Argentine-born director Jose Maria Condemi, who himself had participated in San Francisco Opera’s Adler Fellowships for young artists two decades earlier. Condemi’s insightful staging took place in Michael Yeargan’s scenic design, inspired by the pairings of Itlaian artist Giorgio di Chirico.
For my performance review, see: Review: Immensely Satisfying “Rigoletto” Performance Led by Amartuvshin Enkhbat and Adela Zaharia – San Francisco Opera, September 13, 2025
Grade A+
Dead Man Walking (Heggie)
]Photo: Sister Helen (Jamie Barton, left) has been appointed spiritual advisor to the condemned Joseph de Rocher (Ryan McKinny, right); edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
“Dead Man Walking”, Jake Heggie’s most successful opera to date, premiered at the San Francisco Opera in 2000. The company revived the opera to celebrate its 25th anniversary, under the baton of its origiinal conductor, Maestro Patrick Summers.
The principal leads, the nun Sister Prejean and the condemned murderer Joseph de Rocher were powerfully performed by Georgia mezzo-soprnao Jamie Barton and California baritone Ryan McKinny.
Several artists associated with recent performances of the opera assumed principal and comprimario roles. New Mexico mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, who was Sister Helen for the world premiere returned to San Francisco Opera as de Rocher’s Mother.
For my performance review, see: Review: Jamie Barton and Ryan McKinny Excel in 25th Anniversary Revival of Jake Heggie’s “Dead Man Walking” – San Francisco Opera, September 14, 2025.
Grade A+
Parsifal (Wagmer)
[Photo: Parsifal (Brandon Jovanovich) kneels at the altar which holds the Grail; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
Director Matthew Ozawa created an elegant new production of Wagner’s final opera. Ozawa’s “Parsifal” vision is richly influenced by the medieval sources of the legends of King Arthur, his knights, and the quest for the Holy Grail.
Montana heldentenor Brandon Jovanovich leads a vocally resplendent cast of singers, including New York baritone Brian Mulligan as Amfortas, Kwangchul Youn as Gurnemanz, Swiss soprano Tanja Ariane Baumgartner as Kundry, and German bass-baritone Falk Struckmann as Klingsor.
For my performance review, see: Review: Brandon Jovanovich Leads Outstanding Cast in Matthew Ozawa’s Attractive “Parsifal” Production
Grade A+
The Monkey King (Ruo and Hwang)
[Photo: The Monkey King (Monkey King Puppet) emerges from the rock in which he long has been imprisioned; edited image, based on a Cory Weaver photograph, courtesy of the San Francisco Opera.]
Chinese composer Huang Ruo and California librettist David Henry Hwang have created a masterful operatic treatment of episodes from the Chinese Ming Dynasty classic novel “The Journey to the West”.
The opera’s lead character in Sun Wukong, named the Monkey King, sung by Chinese tenor Kang Wang and danced by Chinese-born dancer Huiwang Zhang.
The prinipal cast mambers include Chinese soprano Mei Gui Zhang, Chinese mezzo-soprano Hongni Wu, South Korean baritone Jusung Gabriel Park, South Korean baritone Joo Won Kang, South Korean tenor Konu Kim, and Chinese-born bass Peixin Chen. The conductor is Taiwanese-born Maestra Carolyn Kuan, an expert in Huang Ruo’s operatic music.
New York designer Diane Paulus directed a lively production, greatly enhanced by the puppetry of California puppeteer Basil Twist and the projections of South Korean designer Hana S. Kim.
The musical performance and physical production is unlike anything ever presented on the San Francisco Opera stage, and heralds new ways of enhancing the operatic experience.
For my performance review, see: World Premiere Run Review: A Visually Spectacular, Musically Brilliant Production of Huang Ruo’s and David Henry Hwang’s “The Monkey King” – San Francisco Opera, November 16, 202
For my performance grades of San Francisco Opera seasons beween 2006 and 2024, see:
Grading San Francisco Opera Performances for Calendar Year 2024
Grading San Francisco Opera Performances for Calendar Year 2023
Grading San Francisco Opera Performances for Calendar Year 2022
Grading San Francisco Opera Performances for Calendar Years 2020 and 2021
Grading San Francisco Opera Performances for Calendar Year 2019,
Grading San Francisco Opera Performances for Calendar Year 2018,
Grading San Francisco Opera Performances for Calendar Year 2017,
Grading San Francisco Opera Performances for Calendar Year 2016.
Grading San Francisco Opera Performances for Calendar Year 2015,
Grading San Francisco Opera Productions for Calendar Year 2014,
Grading San Francisco Opera’s Productions Of Calendar Year 2013,
Grading San Francisco Opera’s Productions Of Calendar Year 2012,
San Francisco Opera’s Calendar Year 2011 – Another Year of High Caliber Performances,
San Francisco Opera’s Calendar Year 2010 – Straight “A” Average Trending Higher
Grading Gockley’s San Francisco Opera 2009: Another Straight A Average,
Gockley’s San Francisco Opera in 2008 – A Straight “A” Average,
Gockley’s San Francisco Opera in 2007 – Improving Already High Grades,