Costanzo and Bostridge Headline SFCM's 2026-27 Vocal Season

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) has unveiled its 2026-27 season, and two names anchor the vocal lineup: countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo and tenor Ian Bostridge.

Costanzo joins the SFCM Orchestra under conductor Edwin Outwater on Feb. 13, 2027. The program pairs the San Francisco Girls Chorus with Britten's "Four Sea Interludes" and "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra," alongside selections from "Countertenor" and Debussy's "Nocturnes."

Bostridge, with pianist Julius Drake, gives a recital on May 4, 2027 as part of the conservatory's Global Creative Alliance residency program.

The season rests on partnerships with Opus 3 Artists, Askonas Holt and Pentatone. It carries three anniversaries at once: Askonas Holt marks 150 years, Pentatone turns 25, and SFCM's Ute and William K. Bowes, Jr. Center for Performing Arts — the "vertical campus" that opened in 2021 — celebrates its fifth year.

The vocal programming opens early. On Sep. 25, 2026, pianist Craig Terry leads "Beyond the Aria," a vocal recital.

The Opera and Musical Theatre program follows with conductor Louis Lohraseb leading a residency that culminates in performances of Puccini's "Suor Angelica" on Nov. 19 and 20, 2026, directed by Heather Mathews.

Spring brings two more staged operas. Jorge Parodi conducts Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore," directed by Omer Ben Seadia, on March 12 and 13, 2027. Monteverdi's "L'incoronazione di Poppea" follows on April 10 and 11, 2027.

The season closes with Jonathan Dove's "Mansfield Park," conducted by Dana Sadava and directed by Heather Matthews, on May 6 and 7, 2027.

The lineup spans four centuries of repertoire — Monteverdi to Dove — and places conservatory students onstage alongside established international artists. How the anniversary partnerships with Askonas Holt and Pentatone shape future seasons remains to be seen.