KQED to Air San Francisco Opera Performances of Verdi's 'Attila' and Boito's 'Mefistofele' in August

San Francisco Opera and KQED Public Television will join forces to bring the spectacle and power of grand opera into the homes of Bay Area residents with two telecast events that combine theater, stage craft, and exhilarating musical performances. Attila, Giuseppe Verdi's 1846 masterpiece about a legendary warrior who is tormented by internal doubts, will air on Thursday, August 3 on KQED 9. Three weeks later, Arrigo Boito's exuberant retelling of the Faust legend, Mefistofele, will be telecast on Thursday, August 24 on KQED 9. Celebrated mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade and San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock will host the telecasts, which feature international casts led by San Francisco Opera Music Director Nicola Luisotti.

"We are excited to partner with the San Francisco Opera again to showcase Attila and Mefistofele to an audience that might not have an opportunity to enjoy these tremendous performances otherwise," says David Markus, Executive in Charge, KQED Arts, Food, and Education. "The richness and quality of the performing arts in the Bay Area are world class, and these performances are emblems of that proud tradition."

San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock remarked, "As we enter the 2017-18 opera season, Nicola Luisotti's last as music director, we are thrilled to work with KQED in celebrating the Maestro's distinguished tenure with public television viewers all around the region. The Italian operatic repertory has enjoyed a glorious resurgence at San Francisco Opera under Nicola's watch and these performances-a gripping Attila from 2012 and the spectacular Mefistofele that opened our 2013 season-are benchmarks of artistic and musical excellence. We are grateful to Nicola and to KQED and look forward to these summer telecasts with great anticipation."

Since his Company debut in 2005 leading Verdi's La Forza del Destino and 2009 appointment as music director, Italian conductor Nicola Luisotti has conducted over 40 operas and concerts with San Francisco Opera. 2017-18 marks Luisotti's final season as music director and the telecasts, in partnership with KQED, mark the beginning of a season-long celebration of his tenure. Luisotti will conduct Puccini's Turandot, Opera in the Park and Verdi's La Traviata at San Francisco Opera during the coming season and will also be the official honoree at the Company's annual Opera Ball on Friday, September 8.

The telecasts of Attila and Mefistofele were recorded live in high-definition at the War Memorial Opera House and feature the acclaimed San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus.

Attila - Giuseppe Verdi

Thursday, August 3 at 9 pm

KQED 9

In popular culture, Attila the Hun was a ruthless barbarian, but to Verdi, he was a far more complex and compelling figure: a brave, ambitious warrior tormented by fierce internal doubts. This San Francisco Opera/Teatro alla Scala co-production features a distinguished cast, including legendary Italian bass Ferruccio Furlanetto in the title role and Hawaiian baritone Quinn Kelsey as the Roman general Ezio. The cast also features Lucrecia Garcia (Odabella), Diego Torre (Foresto), Samuel Ramey (Leone) and Nathaniel Peake (Uldino). Nicola Luisotti conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus. The performance was recorded in June 2012.

Mefistofele - Arrigo Boito

Thursday, August 24 at 9 pm

KQED 9

This monumental work of "choral grandeur and melodic richness" (The New York Times), a reimagining of Goethe's Faust, is one of the most impressive productions ever seen at the War Memorial Opera House. The title role of Mefistofele is sung by Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov in his staged role debut. The cast also features Ramón Vargas (Faust), Patricia Racette (Margherita/Elena), Chuanyue Wang (Wagner/Nereo), Erin Johnson (Marta), Renee Rapier (Pantalis), Luke Lazzaro (Adam) and Brook Broughton (Eve). Maestro Nicola Luisotti conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus in the bold San Francisco Opera production by director Robert Carsen. The performance was recorded in September 2013.

ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO OPERA

San Francisco Opera is one of the world's leading producers for the Lyric Stage and is heralded for its roster of international opera stars, innovative productions and critically acclaimed resident orchestra and chorus. Founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola, the Company presents annual fall and summer seasons at the historic War Memorial Opera House ranging from classic to world premiere repertoire, in addition to numerous concerts, recitals and free state-of-the-art community engagement events. Since 1955 the Company has been an industry leader in the training of young professional singers by way of the Merola Opera Program and the San Francisco Opera Center Adler Fellowship program. In 2008, San Francisco Opera created a new education division to expand upon the popular education and community partnership programs of the San Francisco Opera Guild. Together, these activities annually bring music education offerings to more than 65,000 students throughout Northern California, in addition to providing meaningful on-going education opportunities for all ages. The Company's performances are further enjoyed throughout the nation and abroad via radio broadcasts, high-definition cinema screenings, and on public television. Matthew Shilvock became San Francisco Opera's seventh general director in August 2016, and Italian conductor Nicola Luisotti, who made his Company debut in 2005, has been the Company's music director since September 2009. Visit sfopera.com for more information.

ABOUT KQED

KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS affiliate based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st-century classrooms. A trusted news source and leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration - exposing them to new people, places and ideas.

Photo credit: Cory Weaver

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