Michael Anthonio

Michael Anthonio's love affairs with classical music and opera started in primary school, when his parents bought him an organ and he began taking lessons. During high school and college, he gave private organ lessons to some of his parents' friends' kids (for pocket money) and he was church organist and later, choir conductor. In 1999 he moved to Singapore where he got involved with the classical music online website "flying inkpot." His interest in opera became an obsession when he was transferred for work to US in 2008. In addition to enjoying world-class opera in SF, he indulges in opera tours in Europe. His favorite opera composer is Handel; at this point, Michael seen 24 of his operas , with hopefully three more coming next year.

War! What is it good for? War! What is it good for?

The crown jewel of this year’s Munich Festival is undoubtedly Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, which opened the Festival on June 29 and will close the Festival with an “Opera for All” screening on July 31.

on July 19, 2021 at 11:49 AM
Shark in a tent Shark in a tent

The great Dalai Lama once said, “whenever there is a challenge, there is also an opportunity to face it, to demonstrate and develop our will and determination.”

on May 02, 2021 at 9:00 AM
Atlantis in Atlanta Atlantis in Atlanta

“Once upon a time / Lived a foolish king. / Mocking Death, his crime, / Pure chaos he bring.”

on October 27, 2020 at 2:28 PM
What is normal? What is normal?

That question hung in the air when Teatro de la Zarzuela Madrid revived Tomás Bretón’s opera Farinelli for first time since its premiere in 1902.

on March 05, 2020 at 2:19 PM
A change is gonna come A change is gonna come

In the opera world, one of the pieces that underwent a multitude of changes in its reception was undoubtedly Richard Wagner’s longest and most Germanic opera, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

on March 01, 2020 at 1:34 PM
Castles made of sand Castles made of sand

Jakub Józef Orlinski‘s “Stille amare” packed a lot of punch in terms of dramatic intensity.

on February 26, 2020 at 12:07 PM
Grimm and proper Grimm and proper

Bring your family: This show is special! Such perfect opera is hard to find!

on November 19, 2019 at 2:16 PM
Strangers when we meet Strangers when we meet

The San Francisco Opera, perhaps incidentally, continued their exploration of operas based on literary works by mounting the revival of Giacomo Puccini’s first success, Manon Lescaut.

on November 17, 2019 at 11:50 AM
The lion king The lion king

Opéra Royal revives Grétry’s Richard Cœur-de-lion, one of the finest examples of the opéra comique genre.

on October 24, 2019 at 9:40 AM
Take care of this house Take care of this house

How does one make a performance of standard opera repertoire like Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro feel “fresh?”

on October 22, 2019 at 12:50 PM
Storm of the century Storm of the century

A sense of celebration was definitely in the air last Thursday at the Vienna State Opera.

on October 16, 2019 at 12:24 PM
A whole new world A whole new world

The Paris Opera assembled an all-French cast to stage arguably the most well-known example of opéra-ballet, Jean-Philippe Rameau’s Les Indes Galantes.

on October 10, 2019 at 11:08 AM
Roman holiday Roman holiday

A brace of Handel operas at the George Enescu International Festival.

on September 27, 2019 at 10:54 AM
Miss me blond Miss me blond

From the technical standpoint San Francisco Opera’s Billy Budd was pretty much flawless.

on September 11, 2019 at 9:22 AM
Get this Pati started Get this Pati started

Politics and romance entangled in a spectacular fashion at San Francisco Operas’s Roméo et Juliette.

on September 09, 2019 at 10:43 AM
O for a Muse of fire O for a Muse of fire

Saturday August 17 the Merola Opera Program wrapped up its annual Summer Festival with the Merola Grand Finale concert at the War Memorial Opera House.

on August 21, 2019 at 9:00 AM
Dream a little dream of me Dream a little dream of me

“Who are you? Who do you want to be?” The search for one’s identity is explored in American composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer’s brand new opera If I Were You.

on August 06, 2019 at 12:02 PM
Under the silver lake Under the silver lake

“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?” went the introduction to the 1940s radio program The Shadow, an apt description for the San Francisco Opera’s production of Rusalka.

on June 19, 2019 at 12:37 PM
Touch me in the mourning Touch me in the mourning

“How far should we give way to grief? How far dare we, without disaster?”

on June 16, 2019 at 10:21 AM
Pilot program Pilot program

Once again we got a very frustrating performance of Orlando; this time a beautiful and completely coherent production marred by some sub-optimal singing.

on June 12, 2019 at 2:13 PM
Words get in the way Words get in the way

Although stripped down, this comedy of manners was far from boring due to well-choreographed movements and actions of the characters.

on June 10, 2019 at 9:48 AM
Nice nice baby Nice nice baby

“Tame” seemed to be the appropriate adjective to describe San Francisco Opera’s Carmen.

on June 09, 2019 at 11:05 AM
Tears in heaven Tears in heaven

There is a deep sense of culmination and finality when we discuss the last works of the great Masters. 

on May 20, 2019 at 9:00 AM
There will be bloom There will be bloom

In the more than 500 years of the history of operas, rarely (if ever) has a coming of age story, particularly one from the child’s point of view, been presented as the main topic of the opera.

on May 11, 2019 at 3:48 PM