Inside the Centennial Celebration of the San Francisco Opera

On September 9, the San Francisco Opera celebrated its 100th anniversary with a cocktail reception and black-tie dinner at City Hall, followed by a 17-act performance at the War Memorial Opera House and post-performance party.

One of only three American opera companies to reach the century mark, its much-anticipated Opera Ball: The Centennial Celebration welcomed patrons and aficionados for a 1920s themed soirée—complete with a flock of sequin-and-feather-clad flappers beckoning them into City Hall—designed by Blueprint Studios. A pair of over-sized trees plumed with pink feathers flanked each side of the grand Charlotte Maillard Shultz staircase, and more divinely decorated dinner tables than the eye could see were at the ready for a fortifying pre-concert meal by McCalls Catering.

After dinner, a stream of black tuxedos and colorful ball gowns flowed lithely from one venue to the next for the nearly two-hour vocal extravaganza. Conducted by Eun Sun Kim, the Caroline H. Hume Music Director, the opera orchestra accompanied soprano Nadine Sierra, tenors Michael Fabiano and Pene Pati, and baritone Lucas Meachem in an operatic mash-up that included everything from La Bohème’s “Che gelida manina” and La Fille du Régiment’s “Ah, mes amis!” to “Tonight” from West Side Story and a rousing ensemble rendition of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.”

Founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola, the company’s first season opened at the Exposition Auditorium with La Bohème and featured some of opera’s most notable stars, like baritone Alfredo Gandolfi, bass singer Adamo Didur, and tenor Giovanni Martinelli who all had long careers at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. It wasn’t until 1932 that the existing opera house was completed and opened with a national news-making live broadcast of Tosca. The 2022–23 centenary season was ushered in this past weekend with the world premiere of John Adams’ Antony and Cleopatra, a work commissioned expressly for the occasion.

It’s been estimated that the ball raised almost $3 million to benefit a variety of artistic opera initiatives, as well as the Opera Guild education programs. Guests included president of the San Francisco Opera Association Keith Geeslin and general director Matthew Shilvock, co-chairs Maryam Muduroglu and Jack Calhoun, Diane B. Wilsey (who has been the opening weekend grand sponsor for 16 years), Maria Manetti Shrem, Mayor London Breed, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Denise Hale, Richard and Cynthia Livermore, Lisa Zabelle, Komal Shah, David and Mary Beth Shimmon, Bronwyn Newport Bradley, Carl and Yuri Pascarella, Pam Preston, Brandi Hudson, Krista Giovara, Karen Caldwell, Christine Suppes, Suzanne Tucker, Dianne Taube, Timothy and Athena Blackburn, Bill and Mary Poland, Sanna Rytil?, and Dagmar Dolby.