Jason Victor Serinus

Eric Owens Bay Area recital debut contrasts German lieder with more intimate fare from Debussy and Duparc. Ravel’s Don Quichotte to Dulcinée should be the icing on the cake.

Director Peter Sellars, now 54, can still be occasionally controversial, but as he explains in this interview, provocation is at the heart of his conception of theater. Here is insight on the mix of arts and politics.

Terrifically satisfying performances highlight a disc that captures 23 art songs by Samuel Barber.

Luminaries from all over gather to honor the glorious voice and career of a great mezzo-soprano, not to mention her offstage work for young people.

With Xerxes the S.F. Opera could not have assembled a finer cast, nor chosen a more consistently delightful production for one of Handel’s masterpieces.

A recital by Baritone Simon Keenlyside offers a handsome voice and an audience that leaves smiling at the lovable character with a rare gift for song.

Every seat should be taken for a production that delivers the unbeatable combination of Susan Graham and David Daniels. Potentially as rewarding are the San Francisco debut of soprano Lisette Oropesa and the return of early-music specialist and contralto Sonia Prina.

Tragedy and comedy vie for attention in Richard Strauss’ technically demanding, gorgeous score and Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s fascinating play-within-a-play libretto.

Art at its finest not only engages the mind and heart, but also impels us to sink deeper into the truths of who we are. Desdemona a collaboration by Toni Morrison, Rokia Traoré, and Peter Sellars that runs at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Playhouse through Oct. 29, demands to be seen.

A big-voice operatic soprano crafts an unforgettable, intimate recital at the Salon of the Hotel Rex