Three sold-out shows by the San Francisco Symphony featured pianist Martha Argerich

The legendary mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade starred in San Francisco Opera’s ‘Three Decembers’ by Jake Heggie.

What could possibly be better than one of the world’s greatest divas in the lead of the best-loved operas of all time?

The latest productions of the San Francisco Opera, Boris Godunov by Moussorgsky and Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love, provided two extremes on the operatic spectrum: a dark quasi-historical drama about power, betrayal and murder, versus a whimsical romantic comedy about love, courtship, and clumsy insecurities.

San Francisco Symphony has offered a series of concerts with renowned guest conductors and soloists.

This October, the city’s concert-goers could choose between such exotic locations as Poland and Greece with a rare performance of symphonic music by Szymanowski, and Mozart’s first major opera Idomeneo (The King of Crete).