Premiered in 1945, Benjamin Britten's Opera Peter Grimes marked a fresh start for opera in English.  It's a gripping, intense drama set in a small fishing village off the east coast of England.  Find out what makes this opera tick, and why no one should fear twentieth (or twenty-first!) century opera.

Rigoletto, San Diego Opera's third opera in the 2009 International Season, is a rather revolutionary piece of musical theatre.  Audiences just weren't ready for the anti-hero hunchback jester who pimped for his boss.  Are you ready??

San Diego Opera's 2009 Season looks to be the most exciting we've ever had!  Listen now to this podcast, hosted by Dr. Nicolas Reveles, and hear descriptions of and audio excerpts from Tosca, Don Quixote, Rigoletto, Peter Grimes and Madama Butterfly.  There's something for everyone in 2009, especially anyone who loves beautiful music!

Jules Massenet is best known for operas like Manon and Werther.  This opera isn't known quite so well, but it is a stunner!  Learn more about it and hear some of the gorgeous music that it contains in this podcast about our third opera of the 2009 International Season.

Puccini's Tosca, once called a "shabby little shocker", is back to open the 2009 Season.  Here's another look at one of the most melodramatic opera scores of the twentieth century (it premiered in 1900) and certainly one of the most gorgeous!

The same guy who wrote Carmen penned this little gem.  It's our French offering this season.  Remember: pearls and basic black will never go out of style, especially at the opera.

What's up with operas like Aida, The Pearl Fishers, Madama Butterfly and Turandot?  Nineteenth century opera seemed to corner the market on exotic locales. 

OK, OK, I was just trying to get your attention.  Nothing salacious here, just a brief overview of the guys at the bottom.  No, really!

Another Italian take on an exotic time and place.  Why is this everyone's favorite opera?

The old man knew what he was doing: he wanted opera to be real theatre.  And if a Verdi opera doesn't come off that way, then something's wrong.