Merola Opera Program

Merola Opera Program is a San Francisco based training program for opera singers, coaches, and stage directors.

Merola Opera Program is a world-renowned opera training and performance program for promising young artists and closely associated with San Francisco Opera. Named for San Francisco Opera's first general director, Gaetano Merola, the Merola Opera Program began during the 1954-55 season and established its full training program in 1957.

Merola has served as a proving ground for hundreds of artists, including Brian Asawa, Gregory Carroll, Mark Delavan, Julianna Di Giacomo, Susan Graham, Thomas Hampson, Bryan Hymel, Gary Lakes, Joyce DiDonato, Sylvia McNair, Anna Netrebko, Patricia Racette, Kurt Streit, Fernando del valle, Patrick Summers, Ruth Ann Swenson, Jess Thomas, Riki Turofsky, Ricardo Bernal, Carol Vaness, Rolando Villazón, Deborah Voigt, and Dolora Zajick.

The Program annually offers approximately 30 artists the opportunity of studying, coaching, and participating in master classes with established professionals for eleven and twelve weeks during the summer (12 weeks for apprentice coaches and 11 weeks for singers). Participants also perform in two complete opera productions with orchestra and the Schwabacher Summer Concert. The program incorporates intensive training in operatic repertory languages, diction, acting and movement and culminates with the Merola Grand Finale, a concert with full orchestra at the War Memorial Opera House. Merola also enables young coach accompanists and stage directors of exceptional talent to develop skills through the apprentice coach and stage director programs. The Merola Opera Program is a financially independent 501(c)3 organization that operates in collaboration with the San Francisco Opera Center and San Francisco Opera.

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