Since 1977, San Francisco Opera’s Adler Fellowship program has prepped nearly 200 young artists who have become opera singers, conductors, stage directors, vocal coaches and other performing arts professionals and educators.
This week, for the 20th time on Nov. 15 in Herbst Theatre, the Adler Fellows’ season will culminate with the display of their performance skills in “The Future is Now: Adlers in Concert” featuring classics by Mozart, Handel and Verdi as well as an excerpt from Kevin Puts’ modern “The Hours.”
“This concert is a wonderful opportunity for our Adler Fellows to showcase their progress and connect with their supporters,” says San Francisco Opera Center Artistic Director Carrie-Ann Matheson. (The SFOC has overseen the operation and administration of the opera’s education and training programs since 1982.) “The only surprises I’ve encountered have been pleasant ones — moments when the Adlers brought something extra special to their performances, things I hadn’t seen in previous rehearsals. It’s always a joy when they elevate a piece even beyond expectations.”
Alumni of the two-year Adler Fellowship program—named after Kurt Herbert Adler (1905-1988), San Francisco Opera’s general director from 1953 to 1981—have gone on to bring something extra special to the War Memorial Opera House. Those notable singers include sopranos Amina Edris, Elza van den Heever, Patricia Racette, Nadine Sierra, Ruth Ann Swenson and Deborah Voigt; mezzo-sopranos Daniela Mack and Dolora Zajick; tenors Brian Jagde and Pene Pati; baritones Alfredo Daza, Mark Delavan and Lucas Meachem; and bass-baritone John Relyea.
While Matheson took the lead in curating the Adler concert program, she says the process is always collaborative.
“We work so closely together that I know their vocal strengths and preferences, but I always encourage them to share their dream repertoire with me,” she says. “Often, they’ll drop hints during our regular coachings—sometimes more than a year in advance. I love receiving unexpected text messages with a YouTube link to an aria or ensemble, often accompanied by a heart or praying hands emoji. It’s a fun and personal way for them to express their excitement about a particular piece.”
Presenting the concert can be a bit of a logistical challenge because it happens during San Francisco Opera’s mainstage season, which features many Adler Fellows in performance. Matheson says coordinating their availability can be “quite the puzzle.”
This season, eight of the 11 Adler fellows, and conductor Benjamin Manis, are participating in “Carmen” (Manis makes his company debut leading the popular Bizet opera), which has been in intensive rehearsals and opens Nov. 13. Matheson and the company created the Adler program taking that into account.
“Many of the pieces on this year’s concert are part of the standard audition repertoire for the Adlers, and throughout the season, they’ve been working on them dramatically with Omer Ben Seadia, their regular acting coach,” she explains. “Only a few selections are entirely new to the singers.”
Although Matheson, SFOC artistic director since 2021, typically includes larger ensemble scenes in the Adler concert, that wasn’t feasible this year due to complexities posed by the rehearsal schedule. In contrast to previous years, the upcoming program focuses on arias rather than group pieces.
“Historically, I’ve featured major arias for those who are concluding the program, but this year I’ve made an effort to balance the spotlight more equally,” Matheson says. “Each Adler Fellow will be featured in at least two selections. I also enjoy incorporating repertoire that displays a range of instrumentation, so there are opportunities for our two talented Adler pianists to play the piano, celeste, and/or harpsichord within the orchestra.”
The Adler Fellows are trained in musical technique and preparation, foreign language skills, acting technique and movement, mental and emotional resilience and other skills helpful or necessary for a musical career. In addition, Adler singers are offered opportunities to understudy principal roles and perform secondary roles at San Francisco Opera. Adler pianists may work with the company’s music staff to help prepare mainstage operas.
“The company is deeply committed to the singers’ artistic development, and gaining stage experience is a vital component of their training,” Matheson says. There have been Adler Fellows who were prepared to take on the challenge of stepping into major roles, and San Francisco Opera has given them that opportunity. I must say the Adlers are very fortunate to have the unwavering support of the entire company as they continue to refine their craft.”
“The Future is Now: Adlers in Concert” is at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. For tickets ($34 to $69, with discounts for students) call (415) 864-3330 or visit sfopera.com.
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