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About OPERA America
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Ambassador Travel Programs
Become an OPERA America Ambassador Circle member and receive invitations
for U.S. and international group travel featuring performances, lectures, panel discussions and special events with artists and fellow patrons. These exclusive travel opportunities are offered to donors who make an annual gift to OPERA America of $1,000 or more.
OPERA America’s Ambassador trips are a popular way to see new and interesting productions while exchanging ideas and best practices with trustees from opera companies across the country. The Ambassador travel program also provides the opportunity to make new friends and renew acquaintances among opera fans like you.
San Francisco Opera
Ambassador Circle Activities: November 11 – 13, 2010
You are cordially invited to join us for an Ambassador Circle trip to to San Francisco from November 11 – 13, 2010. The weekend will feature two very special performances at San Francisco Opera — Franco Alfano’s Cyrano de Bergerac starring Plácido Domingo and Leoš Janáček’s The Makropulos Case.
You will likely agree that San Francisco is a unique and breathtaking metropolis. From the famous icon of the Golden Gate Bridge to the exquisite art galleries and world-renowned restaurants, the city takes pride in its unrivaled attractions and neighborhoods. Our itinerary will capture the vibrancy of the city and will feature a private tour of the de Young Museum’s exhibition Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and Beyond: Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay, as well as the historic War Memorial Opera House. We will enjoy locally and internationally inspired cuisines created by award-winning chefs at some of San Francisco’s most popular restaurants. Additionally, we will take a special day-trip to Napa Valley where we will enjoy a private wine and cheese tasting followed by lunch.
We hope you will join us, and if so, we encourage you to return your registration form by October 11. A summary of the weekend’s events has been included for your perusal. Please accompany us as we reunite with friends and make new ones during this exciting weekend!
OPERA America has arranged a special rate, available only until October 11, at The Fairmont San Francisco Hotel.
Please return registration your form by October 11, 2010 by e-mail, mail or by fax to:
Jonah Nigh, Assistant Director of Development
OPERA America
330 Seventh Avenue, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Telephone: 212-796-8620, ext. 222
Fax: 212-796-8631
E-mail: JNigh@operaamerica.org
Click here to access the order form.
Ambassador Circle Itinerary
Thursday, November 11
Upon arrival, we will check in to The Fairmont San Francisco Hotel where we have arranged a special OPERA America rate. Centrally located, The Fairmont San Francisco luxury hotel is a short cable car trip from bustling Downtown, Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf.
Our weekend will officially begin with a dinner with fellow Ambassadors at The City Club of San Francisco. Chef Michael Munoz’s imaginative menus will reflect seasonal, regional American cuisine incorporating market fresh delicacies and sustainable organically-farmed products.
Friday, November 12
Friday morning begins with a tour of North America’s second largest opera company, San Francisco Opera. San Francisco Opera staff will lead us through the War Memorial Opera House describing its architecture, construction, recent renovations, colorful history and performance highlights. Following the tour, we will enjoy lunch at the Hayes Street Grill, conveniently located across the street from the Performing Arts Center.
Our afternoon will continue with a private tour of the de Young Museum’s exhibition Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and Beyond: Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay. This unique exhibition will present 120 works exploring late Impressionist paintings including those by Monet and Renoir, followed by the more individualistic styles of the early modern masters including Cézanne, Gauguin, Lautrec and van Gogh, and the Nabis painters, Bonnard and Vuillard. The exhibition will also provide a unique look at a spectacular collection of Pointillist painters including work by Seurat and Signac.
We will reconvene for a pre-performance dinner at Jardinière. Housed in a beautiful landmark building in San Francisco’s Civic Center, Jardinière features the award winning French-California cuisine of chef Traci des Jardins in a warm, elegant two-story interior designed by Pat Kulelo.
Following dinner we will enjoy a performance of Cyrano de Bergerac at San Francisco Opera. Legendary tenor Plácido Domingo will make his long-awaited return to San Francisco Opera portraying one of the noblest characters ever to grace the stage. This will be a rare opportunity to see this beautifully bittersweet saga set to Franco Alfano's music of soaring lyricism.
Saturday, November 13
Saturday begins with a late-morning trip across the Bay Bridge to Napa Valley where we will enjoy a wine and cheese tasting followed by a casual lunch. After an afternoon at your leisure, we will reconvene for a reception in the home of Roger and Sloan Lindemann Barnett. Ms. Barnett — author, journalist and consumer advocacy expert — is the daughter of OPERA America Board Vice Chairman Frayda Lindemann.
The reception will be followed by a performance of The Makropulos Case. Karita Mattila will make her role debut as the mysterious Emilia Marty in this powerful and provocative production. The charismatic and vocally gleaming Finnish soprano will reunite with Olivier Tambosi, director of her triumphant San Francisco Opera Manon Lescaut. The outstanding cast will be conducted by the BBC Symphony’s Jiři Bělohlávek, an authoritative interpreter of Janáček’s music. We will end the weekend with a post-performance reception back at The Fairmont San Francisco Hotel where we will say goodbye to our fellow travelers.
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