Mandala Pham Email Address

Advancement and Communications; Admissions; DEI, Healing, and Belonging

San Francisco Opera is the second largest opera company in North America. Gaetano Merola and Kurt Herbert Adler were the Company s first two general directors. Merola led the Company from its founding in 1923 until his death in 1953; Adler headed the organization from 1953 through 1981. Following Adler s tenure, the Company was headed by four visionary leaders: Terence A. McEwen (1982 1988), Lotfi Mansouri (1988 2001), Pamela Rosenberg (2001 2005) and David Gockley (2006 2016). Matthew Shilvock became San Francisco Opera s seventh general director in August of 2016.In 1985, the Company appointed Sir John Pritchard as its first permanent music director, and he was followed by Donald Runnicles in 1992. Italian conductor Nicola Luisotti, one of the opera world s most exciting conductors, succeeded Donald Runnicles as music director in the fall of 2009.San Francisco Opera offers a comprehensive array of acclaimed training programs and performance opportunities for young artists under the auspices of the San Francisco Opera Center and the Merola Opera Program (each a separate institution). Both are led by renowned soprano Sheri Greenawald.

I secure five- to seven-figure legacy gifts for the Opera. These legacy gifts range from $10,000 to $5,000,000 or more. In outright annual gifts, I facilitate charitable IRA rollover gifts up to $100,000. Unrestricted legacy gifts, also known as planned gifts, can help fund current operations of an organization. Central to my fundraising work is my partnership with patrons who are thinking about their lasting legacies and philanthropic goals. I work with donors' legal and financial advisors, family members and appointed trustees, and their trusted Opera representatives. Of course, simpler legacy gift arrangements could be made easily without the aforementioned partners, such as in the case of cost-free beneficiary designations. Nearly 700 loyal patrons have made legacy gift commitments to San Francisco Opera. This extraordinary group of supporters is vital in helping us secure a lasting future for this magnificent art form. It is a joy to celebrate them, and to see how the generosity of our community profoundly supports the cultural life of our region. Please visit myplanwithsfopera.org to enjoy our supporter stories and the scope of our wonderful legacy giving program here at San Francisco Opera.