SF Opera Celebrates 102nd Season with Sumptuous Soiree

San Francisco Opera’s Opera Ball 2024 welcomed guests to a party that was an homage to this season’s opening production: A Masked Ball. Verdi’s tragic love story, Un Ballo in Maschera, was reflected in the party’s decor and in the partygoers’ attire. 

Guests entered a scene set with elegant silver and white decor, accented with pops of blood red roses and lavish fruit centerpieces. Everyone was decked out in their finest formal attire, many with stunning matching custom masks. The night’s festivities began at City Hall with a reception and lavish dinner under the building’s beautiful rotunda. To accompany the feast, guests were treated to a surprise performance of the “Anvil Chorus” from Verdi’s Il Trovatore, performed by the San Francisco Opera Chorus on the steps of the rotunda. 

Next up was the short walk to the War Memorial Opera House for a special performance of Un Ballo in Maschera, starring tenor Michael Fabiano, soprano Lianna Haroutounian and baritone Amartuvshin Enkhbat in his Company debut. The new-to-San Francisco production is directed by Leo Muscato and led by Music Director Eun Sun Kim conducting the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. 

The fun didn’t stop there; after the performance, revelers returned to City Hall for an after-party featuring drinks, dancing and a performance by swing and blues legend Lavay Smith & her Red Hot Skillet Lickers. When the dust settled, lucky guests agreed that this year’s opera season is off to an exciting start.