San Francisco Classical Voice

To the editor:

Pamela Rosenberg's first priority at San Francisco Opera is to offer audiences the best singers and finest productions available and to deliver on her publicly announced plans. Her reputation for delivering world-class opera preceded her appointment by the San Francisco Opera Board. Under her general directorship, The Stuttgart Opera was awarded on four separate occasions "Best Opera Company of the Year" by a consortium of international journalists polled by the esteemed opera magazine, Opernwelt. Janos Gereben's column during the past two weeks has included several incorrect statements regarding the future artistic plans at San Francisco Opera under Pamela Rosenberg's tenure as the new general director due to commence on August 1, 2001.

Mr. Gereben is clearly unfamiliar with the leadership hierarchy at The Stuttgart Opera, or he would have known that the opera house serves as a kind of performing arts center, where Ms. Rosenberg served as co-general director of the opera. Together, she and her colleague were listed (by way of an American transliteration) as co-general directors. Ms. Rosenberg however was completely responsible for all casting, budgeting and future planning for the opera company.

Mr. Gereben lists several singers and productions in his column as having been "bought out" by San Francisco Opera when there has been no Company announcement regarding these artists or operas. This is an extremely misleading and premature assessment of how opera companies plan their seasons. Announcements are made at San Francisco Opera when casting is completed. The artists listed by Mr.Gereben have been offered roles by Ms. Rosenberg, who is currently in discussion with their agents. It is not at all uncommon that over the course of several years, and particularly with a change of general directorship, that the roles in discussion may change. All of the so-called financial "figures" listed are incorrect and inflated and none of them should be considered "buyouts." In fact, Mr. Gereben attended a press conference at San Francisco Opera in January where it was quite clearly stated by Ms. Rosenberg, and reported widely in the local press, that Deborah Voigt would be returning to San Francisco Opera, along with Thomas Hampson and Dolora Zajick.

Many people are unaware that due to the complex nature of producing opera, discussions between opera companies, singers and agents begin three to five years in advance of a proposed production. The reason there is such an enormous time lag is because of several factors: a singer may change repertoire, the nature of the sets and costumes may create problems for the director or the stage configuration, coordinating the schedules of the over 100 people necessary to mount a production may prove impossible, etc. Therefore, over the course of time, opera management often puts together "model seasons" for discussion and the operas or singers may alternate due to the before-mentioned factors. For that reason, San Francisco Opera will publicly announce a complete season only when the plans have been completed and the contracts signed. This is something that Ms. Rosenberg adamantly practices.

With regards to the proposed opera, Silk, it was widely reported by others that André Previn and Colin Graham wished to collaborate on a future opera. Mr. André Previn currently holds the rights to any opera he wishes to compose based on Silk. No announcement has ever been made regarding San Francisco Opera producing this work.

Finally, contrary to Mr. Gereben's statements, we have not had any sponsor withdraw any pledge to Ms. Rosenberg or her future plans. It is with the full support of the Board that she was selected and will begin her tenure in August. One of the factors highlighting Ms. Rosenberg's strong qualities for the position of General Director, was her history of fiscal prudence in all of the companies with which she has been affiliated. Mr. Gereben might wish to research the commentary in the European press and their excitement and approval of San Francisco Opera's decision to appoint Pamela Rosenberg.

The current transition between general directors is occurring with unprecedented smoothness in the Company's 78-year history. All of us who work for San Francisco Opera are tremendously proud of Lotfi and Pamela, and of everyone who dedicates so much of their lives to producing opera for the Bay Area community and the world. We look forward to an artistically exciting and fiscally healthy future.