The Museo Italo Americano proudly presents
BRAVO – Celebrating San Francisco Opera, Its Italian Roots and Legacy, an original documentary exhibition exclusively sponsored by E. L. Wiegand Foundation.
The prestigious San Francisco Opera company was founded by Italian Americans a century ago. While the Company is celebrating its 2022-2023 Centennial Season, the Museo Italo Americano is honored to recognize the vital role that San Francisco’s Italian community played in creating the institution and fostering the art of opera in our city.
BRAVO will take our visitors on a journey through the decades starting with the Gold Rush and continuing on to the period prior to the formation of the Opera Company. It will then trace its growth until it became our nation’s second largest Opera Company. Exhibit goers will learn the story of the Italian American financiers of the San Francisco Opera and of Neapolitan conductor Gaetano Merola – the company’s founder and first Director – and his legacy. This will all be by means of various media platforms: didactic panels, photographs, memorabilia, music and video content, as well as a QR code system which will enhance the ability to quickly and easily pull up extended information about the exhibition.
Come and see BRAVO at the Museo. And don’t forget to bring your smartphone and earphones for a more immersive experience!
Extended through October 29, 2023
We are very grateful to Kip Cranna, Dramaturg Emeritus, and Barbara Rominski, Director of Archives of San Francisco Opera, and Kirsten Tanaka, Director of Collections of Museum of Performance + Design for their precious collaboration.
In partnership with
San Francisco Opera, Museum of Performance + Design
Special thanks to
Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound -Stanford University, San Francisco Public Library
BRAVO – Celebrating San Francisco Opera, Its Italian Roots and Legacy is dedicated to the memory of Kristen Avansino of the E. L. Wiegand Foundation, whose constant enthusiasm, partnership and support throughout the years, made this exhibition – and so many others – possible.
