San Francisco Opera General Director Emeritus David Gockley was honored on August 20 with a bas-relief unveiled in the lobby of the War Memorial Opera House. A crowd of 100 invited guests attended the ceremony celebrating the trailblazing opera impresario and determined champion for American opera.
The program, emceed by San Francisco Opera’s Tad and Dianne Taube General Director Matthew Shilvock, included remarks from Shilvock, Board Chair Emeritus John Gunn, Houston Grand Opera board member Terrylin Neale and messages from three conductors who served as music directors under Gockley: John DeMain and Patrick Summers in Houston and Nicola Luisotti in San Francisco. Tenor Michael Fabiano and soprano Heidi Stober celebrated David through arias, with Robert Mollicone at the piano.
The bronze bas-relief by American sculptor Jennifer Frudakis-Petry is permanently installed on a column in the main lobby of the Opera House, joining a gallery of bas-reliefs of past San Francisco Opera general directors including Company founder Gaetano Merola.