From “Simon Boccanegra” to “The Marriage of Figaro”: San Francisco Opera’s Fall Season

As Matthew Shilvock begins his third term as general director of San Francisco Opera, he spoke with San Francisco Classical Voice about the company's fall lineup and the growing interest in opera among younger audiences. The company's 104th season opens September 12 with Verdi's Simon Boccanegra, conducted by Music Director Eun Sun Kim, a work Shilvock admires for the way it intertwines politics and family. It will be followed by Thea Musgrave's Mary, Queen of Scots, presented in a new co-production with English National Opera. Musgrave, now 98 and still composing, first saw the work staged by San Francisco Opera in 1979. The fall continues with Massenet's Manon, starring husband-and-wife singers Pene Pati and Amina Edris, followed by Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. Shilvock says both traditional and contemporary operas have recently drawn strong audiences, alongside growth in subscriptions and philanthropy. He is particularly encouraged by Gen Z audiences discovering opera, arguing that people are increasingly seeking experiences that are deep, emotional, tactile, and shared with others in a live community.