Photo Flash: Julian Wachner Makes San Francisco Opera Debut in PARTENOPE, 10/15

San Francisco Opera today announced that Grammy-nominated American conductor Julian Wachner will make his San Francisco Opera debut conducting George Frideric Handel's Partenope, presented October 15-November 2, 2014 at the War Memorial Opera House. Mr. Wachner replaces British conductor Christian Curnyn, who has withdrawn from the production for personal reasons. Check out a look at the cast below!

Julian Wachner will lead the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Partenope's renowned cast of singers, including soprano Danielle de Niese in the title role, countertenor David Daniels (Arsace), mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack (Rosmira), countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo (Armindo) and tenor Alek Shrader (Emilio). Winner of the 2009 Olivier Award for "Best New Production,"Partenope is directed by Christopher Alden with sets designed by Andrew Lieberman. This production marks the San Francisco Opera premiere of Handel's Partenope.

In 2011, Wachner was named Director of Music and the Arts at New York City's Trinity Wall Street, where he serves as principal conductor of NOVUS NY (Trinity's resident contemporary music orchestra), the Trinity Baroque Orchestra and the Choir of Trinity Wall Street (nominated for a 2012 Grammy Award for Handel's Israel in Egypt). He is also Music Director of the Washington Chorus, with whom he won ASCAP's Alice Parker Award for adventurous programming in 2011. A Baroque specialist, he was the founding music director of the Boston Bach Ensemble and the Bach Académie de Montréal, besides serving as artistic director of International Bach Festivals in Boston and Montreal. Wachner created several new programs at Trinity Wall Street, including the Twelfth Night Festival of Early Music, presented in collaboration with Gotham Early Music Society (GEMS) and featuring many of New York's leading baroque and renaissance ensembles. In addition to many concerts at Trinity Wall Street, upcoming performances include Wachner leading two 20th century masterworks-Ives's Symphony No. 4 and Alberto Ginastera's Turbae ad Passionem Gregorianam-at Carnegie Hall. Recent engagements include performances with the Lincoln Center Festival (Auerbach's The Blind), BAM Next Wave Festival (Liederabend Festival 2013), Juilliard Opera Theatre (Handel'sRadamisto), New York City Opera, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Portland Baroque, and at Carnegie Hall (Pärt's Passio). His most recent recordings on the Musica Omnia label are Ralf Yusuf Gawlick's Missa gentis humanae and a compilation of Wachner's own compositions. Other releases can be found on the Chandos, Naxos, Atma Classique, Arsis, Dorian, Musica Omnia, and Titanic labels.

Tickets for performances of Handel's Partenope at the War Memorial Opera House are priced from $25 to $370 and may be purchased at sfopera.com or through the San Francisco Opera Box Office [301 Van Ness Avenue (at Grove Street), or by phone at (415) 864-3330]. Standing Room tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on the day of each performance; tickets are $10 each, cash only.

The War Memorial Opera House is located at 301 Van Ness Avenue at Grove Street. Patrons are encouraged to use public transportation to attend San Francisco Opera performances. The War Memorial Opera House is within walking distance of the Civic Center BART station and near numerous bus lines, including 5, 21, 47, 49 and the F Market Street. For more public transportation information, visit bart.gov and sfmuni.com.

Casting, programs, schedules and ticket prices are subject to change. For further information about Partenope and San Francisco Opera's 2014-15 Season, please visit sfopera.com.

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