San Francisco Opera General Director David Gockley announced the ambitious line-up for the company's 2009-10 season earlier today, and it's chock full o' star power for their upcoming 87th season. We can expect gorgeous appearances from Diana Damrau, Nadja Michael, Sondra Radvanovsky, Patricia Racette, Nina Stemme, Deborah Voigt, Stephanie Blythe, Juan Diego Flórez, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky.
Incoming Music Director, Puccini man Nicola Luisotti (taking over this summer from Donald Runnicles's 17-year-reign), has been saddled with the company's new agenda to return to an Italian opera repertory, and will inaugurate it with an auspicious David McVicar production of Verdi's Il Trovatore on September 11, 2009.
More plans include three commissions by American composers Christopher Theofanidis, Mark Adamo and Jennifer Higdon, a June 2011 Wagner Ring Cycle, and two free simulcasts (Tosca and Il Trovatore) in the San Francisco Giants's baseball stadium. Visit the site for more details.