San Francisco Opera

What San Francisco Opera does

San Francisco Opera, founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola and headquartered at the War Memorial Opera House (301 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco), is one of the oldest opera companies in the United States and a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with 251-500 employees. The company produces a season-based slate of mainstage opera productions at the War Memorial Opera House — the 2026-27 season includes Simon Boccanegra, Mary Queen of Scots, Manon, The Marriage of Figaro, Strauss In Concert, Das Rheingold, Tosca, and a Pride Concert 2027 — alongside community programs such as Opera in the Park (free outdoor concerts in Golden Gate Park) and Bohème Out of the Box (scaled-down touring productions across ten-plus Bay Area cities). Its portfolio is anchored by a century-deep performance archive of 2,071+ productions from 1923 to present, housed in the Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera.

The company's core technology infrastructure centers on the Taube Media Suite, which since 2007 has enabled industry-pioneering HD capture and season-long livestreaming of each production, and on the Streaming the First Century program, which makes archival audio and digital content globally accessible. A separately rebuilt relational Performance Archive Database, built on Drupal, organizes cast, creative/crew, photographs, and program PDFs and was cleaned through a review of 4+ million data bits. Training infrastructure is operated through the San Francisco Opera Center, which runs the Adler Fellowship Program (founded 1977) and oversees the affiliated Merola Opera Program; Opera Center leadership was refreshed in January 2021 with Artistic Director Carrie-Ann Matheson and General Manager Markus Beam.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: ticket sales (individual tickets starting at $29 and annual subscription packages), donations and membership (including a 1:1 matching challenge grant from the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation for the Arts and the Opera Ball, San Francisco's largest annual fundraiser), and digital streaming. Co-commissioning and co-production partnerships — notably "It's a Wonderful Life" with Houston Grand Opera and Indiana University Jacobs School of Music — extend the new-work pipeline, while major donor partnerships (Taube, Gunn, Doll, Fenton/Greer, Ellis) underwrite the technology and digital programs. Customer segments span opera enthusiasts and performing arts patrons, families and students, and researchers/opera scholars, served through direct box-office and website sales, multi-platform social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok), email, and digital streaming.

Name

San Francisco Opera

Legal name

San Francisco Opera

Website

https://sfopera.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

San Francisco Opera is a 501(c)(3) non-profit opera company founded in 1923, producing a season-based slate of mainstage productions at the War Memorial Opera House for Bay Area audiences, supplemented by community touring, artist training programs, digital livestreaming, and a century-deep performance archive.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Opera / Performing Arts

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

akta.pro primary industry

Opera & Operetta (MPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Opera performances
• Live performing arts
• Opera education
• Artist training programs
• Classical music productions

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Direct ticket sales for opera productions and special events. Individual tickets start at $29 with subscription options offering savings. Individual tickets for 2026-27 season go on sale July 7.
2. Donations and Membership: Tax-deductible contributions as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Challenge grant from Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation matches new and increased gifts made by July 31. Membership program offers perks to supporters. The Opera Ball is described as San Francisco's biggest fundraiser of the year.
3. Digital Streaming: Streaming the First Century project shares archival audio from the company's first 100 years. Digital content includes livestreams and on-demand programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

San Francisco Opera produces and presents live opera performances at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, running a season-based repertoire of classical and contemporary operas (e.g., Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, Strauss). Beyond mainstage productions, the company sells subscriptions and individual tickets (starting at $29), operates a digital/livestream offering, runs artist training programs through the San Francisco Opera Center, and conducts community engagement events such as Opera in the Park and Bohème Out of the Box across the Bay Area.

Product overview

San Francisco Opera offers a broad performing arts portfolio centered on live opera productions at the War Memorial Opera House, supplemented by digital streaming offerings, community outreach programs, and artist training initiatives. The core product consists of mainstage opera performances featuring classical and contemporary repertoire. Supporting offerings include the Adler Fellowship training program, the Bohème Out of the Box community touring initiative, Opera in the Park free outdoor concerts, and Streaming the First Century archival content. An extensive performance archive database provides historical records and photographs spanning the company's history from 1923.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mainstage Opera Performances

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 850 attendees at major events (referenced in MUAHS Awards coverage)

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Houston Grand OperacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-commissioned and co-produced 'It's a Wonderful Life' opera with San Francisco Opera and Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Premiered at Houston Grand Opera in 2016.
• Indiana University Jacobs School of MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-commissioned and co-produced 'It's a Wonderful Life' opera. Premiered at Indiana University in November 2017.
• Opera GuildminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliated organization supporting San Francisco Opera through advocacy and community engagement.
• Merola Opera ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated artist training program. San Francisco Opera Center provides oversight and support for developing young opera artists.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Minnesota Opera: Regional US opera company with a mix of classic and contemporary programming and education/community outreach. Comparable as a non-profit, season-based opera producer.
• Metropolitan Opera: The largest opera company in the US, presenting a full season at Lincoln Center. Most directly comparable to SF Opera in repertoire scope, orchestra/chorus scale, and institutional donor model.
• Houston Grand Opera: Major US opera company and an active co-commissioning partner with SF Opera (e.g., 'It's a Wonderful Life'). Comparable in producing model, season structure, and community programming.
• Lyric Opera of Chicago: One of the largest US opera companies by budget, producing a classical and contemporary season in a major US metro. Closely comparable in scale, repertoire, and institutional fundraising approach.
• New York City Opera: Historically significant US opera company ('The People's Opera') with a focus on contemporary and classic repertoire. Comparable in producing model and mission-driven programming.
• Washington National Opera: Kennedy Center-based opera company with comparable full-season programming and educational/outreach programs including young-artist training. Similar in scale and repertory mix.
• Los Angeles Opera: Major US opera company operating from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. Comparable in producing model, multi-tier season programming, and large-scale repertoire.
• Seattle Opera: Major US regional opera company known for its Ring Cycle productions. Comparable as a non-profit, season-based opera producer with community programming and training initiatives.
• Opera Philadelphia: Mid-size US opera company with an innovative festival model and active co-commissioning strategy. Comparable in producing new and classic works with a non-profit funding model.

Regional players

• San Francisco Symphony: Davies Symphony Hall-based performing arts organization sharing the SF Bay Area donor base, subscribers, and corporate sponsors. Comparable as a classical performing arts non-profit in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/sfoperamedia
• Facebookfacebook.com/sfopera
• Instagraminstagram.com/sfopera
• TikToktiktok.com/@sfopera
• Xx.com/sfopera
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-francisco-opera

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about San Francisco Opera