FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TWENTY-NINE ARTISTS FROM TEN COUNTRIES TO PARTICIPATE IN TWELVEWEEK INTENSIVE MEROLA OPERA PROGRAM Conductors

Mar Moras!" Er#c M$%$ar" Mart#n Kat& and Ar# P$%to L$ad P$r'or(anc$s t!#s Su(($r" Inc%ud#n) Andr* Pr$+#n,s A Streetcar Named Desire, Sc!-a.ac!$r Su(($r Conc$rt" Mo&art,s Don Giovanni and M$ro%a Grand F#na%$ SAN FRANCISCO" Marc! /0" 12/3 Twenty-three singers, five apprentice coaches and one apprentice stage director, representing ten countries, will participate in the 57th season of the Merola Opera Program from June to !ugust "7# More than $%% artists vied for the $ coveted spots in the %"& summer program# Offered free of charge for all participants, the prestigious Merola Opera program is uni'ue in the industry in many ways# Merola is the only young artist program to provide financial support to developing artists for five years following participation# (n the past year alone, more than )"5%,%%% was distri*uted to more than "%% artists supporting varied needs from coaching to language classes to audition travel# (n addition, only Merola graduates are considered for participation in the +an ,rancisco Opera-s !dler ,ellowship program# +elected through an e.tensive world-wide audition and application process, nearly one third of this season-s artists come from countries outside the /nited +tates, including0 1anada, 1hina, Taiwan, (taly, +outh 2orea, 3ussia, (ran, Poland and (srael# This year, the program will have three returning Merola artists, 1asey 1ande*at 4Merola %" 5, +ahar 6ouri and 3hys 7loyd Tal*ot 4*oth Merola %"85# The %"& Merola artists will participate in an intensive ""-wee9 training program:" wee9s for the apprentice coaches and the apprentice stage director:which will include master classes with opera luminaries ;arren Jones, Jane <aglen, <ric Owens, +teven =lier and 1arol >aness# ?uest teachers Patric9 1arfi@@i, <ric ;eimer, !lessandra 1attani, Ae*orah =irn*aum and 1huc9 Budson provide training in voice, foreign languages, operatic repertory, diction, acting and stage movement# Merola mem*ers will enCoy the opportunity to sit in on select master classes for a *ehind-the-scenes loo9 at the training process# Performance is a 9ey element of the program throughout the summer# Participants will appear in pu*lic performances during the Merola Opera Program summer festival, which includes two staged operas, a scenes program and a concert# The %"& festival opens with !ndrD Previn-s A Streetcar Named Desire, with a new reduction of the orchestral score *y Peter ?run*erg commissioned *y Merola, directed *y Jose Maria 1ondemi 4Merola "$$$, %%%5 and conducted *y Mar9 Morash 4Merola "$E75 at 708% p#m#

Thursday, July "%, and p#m# +aturday, July " , at <verett !uditorium# The season continues with the +chwa*acher +ummer 1oncert, conducted *y <ric Melear 4Merola %% 5 and directed *y 3oy 3allo at 708% p#m# Thursday, July "7 at <verett !uditorium and p#m# +aturday, July "$ in a free outdoor concert at Fer*a =uena ?ardens# Mo@art-s Don Giovanni, led *y director, production designer and visual artist James Aarrah and conducted *y world-renowned pianist and conductor Martin 2at@, will *e presented at 708% p#m# Thursday, July 8" and p#m# +aturday !ugust at <verett !uditorium# The festival concludes with the annual Merola ?rand ,inale with the orchestra led *y internationally acclaimed conductor !ri Peltothe and directed *y apprentice stage director Omer =en +eadia at 708% p#m# +aturday, !ugust "G on the main stage of the magnificent ;ar Memorial Opera Bouse# One of the world-s most prestigious young artist training programs, the Merola Opera Program was founded in "$57 and has since served as a proving ground for thousands of artists# Ten of these internationally acclaimed alumni:nine singers and one stage director :will appear with the +an ,rancisco Opera this summer and fall0 +usan ?raham 4Merola "$E75, Patricia 3acette 4Merola -EE5, Aolora HaCic9 4Merola "$E85, Thomas Bampson 4Merola "$E%5, Mar9 Aelavan 4Merola "$E55, Aaniela Mac9 4Merola %%75 and !le9 +hrader 4Merola %%75# Tic9ets for all performances may *e purchased starting May 5 *y calling +an ,rancisco Opera =o. Office at 4&"55 EG&-888%# The *o. office is open Monday, "% a#m# to 5 p#m# and Tuesday through ,riday, "% a#m# to G p#m# This season, Merola is proud to announce its new +tudent Mem*ership Program, which will provide up to &% full mem*erships to =ay !rea high school upperclassmen and college students# <ach mem*ership includes tic9ets to Merola-s productions, master classes and special events# (nterested students can find the application on line *y visiting www#merola#org# Aeadline to apply is !pril "E# ,or more information a*out Merola, please visit www#merola#org or call 4&"55 55"-G $$# ! full season calendar follows the artist announcement *elow# To download artist pictures, visit www#*o.#netImerola# ARTIST LISTING4 +opranos Julie !dams, =ur*an9, 1alifornia !delaide =oedec9er, +arasota, ,lorida Maria ,asciano, 6iagara ,alls, 6ew For9 2aren 1hia-7ing Bo, Taipei, Taiwan FuCin 2im, AeaCeon, +outh 2orea Talya 7ie*erman, ,orest Bills, 6ew For9

!manda ;ood*ury, Aallas, Te.as Me@@o-sopranos <li@a =onet, !tlanta, ?eorgia +hirin <s9andani, >ancouver, =ritish 1olum*ia, 1anada 6ian ;ang, 6anCing, Jiangsu, 1hina Tenors 1asey 1ande*at, 6ew Orleans, 7ouisiana MingCie 7ei, Bengyang, Bunan, 1hina 1hong ;ang, +hiCia@huang, Be*ei, 1hina =enCamin ;erley, Pitts*urgh, Pennsylvania =aritones ?ideon Aa*i, Bighland Par9, 6ew Jersey !le.ander <lliott, ,lorence, +outh 1arolina Thomas ?unther, Muscatine, (owa <dward 6elson, +anta 1larita, 1alifornia =ass-*aritones Matthew +tump, ?oshen, (ndiana 3hys 7loyd Tal*ot, 1edar ,alls, (owa +@ymon ;ach, 7u*lin, Poland =asses !nthony 3eed, !le.andria, Minnesota +cott 3ussell, 3oano9e, >irginia !pprentice 1oaches <doardo =arsotti, 7ucca, Tuscany, (taly 3onny Michael ?reen*erg, Montreal, Jue*ec, 1anada 2irill 2u@min, Moscow, 3ussia +ahar 6ouri, Tehran, (ran =lair +alter, +t# 1atharines, Ontario, 1anada !pprentice +tage Airector Omer =en +eadia, Tel-!viv, (srael CALENDAR EDITORS" PLEASE NOTE4 12/3 M$ro%a Su(($r F$st#+a% Ca%$ndar o' P$r'or(anc$s M$ro%a O5$ra Pro)ra( A Streetcar Named Desire !ndrD Previn +ung in <nglish with <nglish supertitles 708% p#m# Thursday, July "%

p#m# +aturday, July " <verett !uditorium, &5% 1hurch +treet, +an ,rancisco Tic9ets0 )G%I)&%I) 5 M$ro%a O5$ra Pro)ra( Sc!-a.ac!$r Su(($r Conc$rt 708% p#m# Thursday, July "7 <verett !uditorium, &5% 1hurch +treet, +an ,rancisco Tic9ets0 )&%I) 5 M$ro%a O5$ra Pro)ra( Sc!-a.ac!$r Su(($r Conc$rt p#m# +aturday, July "$ Fer*a =uena ?ardens, Mission +t# *etween 8rd and &th +treets ,3<< M$ro%a O5$ra Pro)ra( Don Giovanni ;#!# Mo@art +ung in (talian with <nglish supertitles 708% p#m# Thursday, July 8" p#m# +aturday, !ugust <verett !uditorium, &5% 1hurch +treet, +an ,rancisco Tic9ets0 )G%I)&%I) 5 M$ro%a Grand F#na%$ and R$c$5t#on 708% p#m# +aturday, !ugust "G ;ar Memorial Opera Bouse Tic9ets0 )&5 Orchestra Premium K ?rand Tier PremiumI)85 OrchestraI) 5 Aress 1ircle 3eception *egins at "% p#m# in the ;ar Memorial Opera Bouse 7ower 7evel 1afD 43eception tic9ets are an additional )5% each5 TICKETS Tic9ets for all performances may *e purchased *y calling +an ,rancisco Opera =o. Office at 4&"55 EG&-888%# The *o. office is open Monday, "% a#m# to 5 p#m# and Tuesday through ,riday, "% a#m# to G p#m# P6OTO CREDIT 1asey 1ande*at in MerolaLs 7a finta giardiniera %" I 2risten 7o9en +ahar 6ouri in Martin 2at@ Master 1lass %"8 I 2risten 7o9en 3hys 7loyd Tal*ot in MerolaLs +chaw*acher +ummer 1oncert %"8 I 2risten 7o9en PRESS AND MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACT

2aren !mes 1ommunications 2aren !mes 9arenM9arenames#com 2ristin +chellinger 9ristinM9arenames#com 4&"55 G&"-7&7& Merola Mar9eting, P3 and <vents !ssociate 2elly +epich 9sepichMsfopera#com 4&"55 55"-G $$ NNN 7ed artistically *y +an ,rancisco Opera 1enter Airector and internationally acclaimed soprano +heri ?reenawald, the Merola Opera Program is an independent nonprofit organi@ation which operates in colla*oration with the +an ,rancisco Opera# ,ounded in "$57 and named for +an ,rancisco Opera-s founder, ?aetano Merola, the Program is recogni@ed as one of the most prestigious operatic training programs in the world# The Merola Opera Program typically receives more than E%% applications for appro.imately $ positions# Throughout the summer, the Merola artists participate in master classes and private coachings with opera luminaries# Participants who include singers, apprentice coaches and an apprentice stage director also receive training in operatic repertory, foreign languages, diction, acting and stage movement#