San Francisco Opera Guild’s An Evening on the Stage gala dinner celebrated the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita of the U.S. House of Representatives,and her husband, Paul Pelosi, on Monday, November 18, at the War Memorial Opera House. The honorees received the Crescendo Award, bestowed by the guild upon individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary support to the guild and San Francisco Opera.
“Over the more than a century of the San Francisco Opera’s existence, Paul and I have had the privilege of attending 52 opening nights to celebrate our wedding anniversary,” Nancy Pelosi said. “We are honored to receive the Crescendo Award because opera has always been unifying, bringing people together—and we believe the arts will save us. Our celebration of the opera and the arts reminds us that, despite whatever is happening in the world, human connection and human creativity endure.”
Paul and Nancy Pelosi have long been dedicated champions of the arts in San Francisco, supporting a diverse range of local organizations. From fine art museums to theater companies and film festivals to dance companies, they are often found supporting San Francisco’s world class artistic community. This year’s An Evening on the Stagecelebrates their unwavering commitment to San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Opera Guild.
The Pelosis have not only been faithful attendees of San Francisco Opera performances, but they also regularly participate in events like the Opera Ball and An Evening on the Stage, demonstrating their deep dedication to the arts in our community. Through their generous contributions and tireless advocacy, they have played a crucial role in ensuring the arts continue to thrive in San Francisco.
Guided by her belief that “the arts will bring us together,” Pelosi has actively championed arts funding at the federal level, emphasizing that a great nation must prioritize cultural development alongside other essential investments. Her efforts have been instrumental in safeguarding and advancing the arts, ensuring that future generations can thrive creatively. In 2010, Speaker Pelosi received the Congressional Arts Leadership Award for her advocacy, particularly in securing funding to protect nonprofit arts jobs during the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Most recently, in 2023, she announced nearly $1.4 million in federal grants for 57 organizations in San Francisco through the National Endowment for the Arts, including a leadership gift to San Francisco Opera for the premiere of Omar, a groundbreaking work by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels.
Paul Pelosi has also been a vital supporter of the arts through his service as a trustee of the War Memorial & Performing Arts Center. In this role, he has worked to uplift the cultural heart of the city as one of the world’s great artistic campuses. He has been tireless in his participation in the life and health of the campus and in the resident companies: San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Symphony, and San Francisco Ballet.
Speaker Pelosi has often shared her belief that the three most important issues facing Congress are “our children, our children, our children.” This has been her “why” in public service. When she was sworn in as Speaker of the House and called the House to order, she said she did so, “for the children.” This unwavering value has given her strength throughout her political career and has kept the future generations of our country at the forefront of her focus.
Nancy and Paul Pelosi have directly supported the San Francisco Opera Guild’s music and arts education programs, providing invaluable opportunities for aspiring artists and K-12 students throughout the Greater Bay Area. They continue to support these vital programs which nurture creativity, foster academic achievement, and promote personal growth for students of all backgrounds.
Now in its eleventh year, the black-tie benefit presented by San Francisco Opera Guild offered 250 guests the opportunity to dine on the historic War Memorial Opera House stage, where, since 1932, operatic legends like Luciano Pavarotti, Leontyne Price, and Renée Fleming have performed. The evening’s décor included set pieces from Bizet’s Carmen, a production byFrancesca Zambello.
Co-chaired by Ginny Zieglerand Olivia Decker, An Evening on the Stage included a cocktail reception in the War Memorial Opera House foyer followed by dinner, musical performances, presentation of the 2024 Crescendo Award,and dancing on the opera house stage. Musical guests included current San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow soprano Caroline Corrales, former Adler Fellows tenor Moisés Salazar, and pianist Ronny Michael Greenberg performing Pedro Elías Gutiérrez’s “Alma Llanera,” “Casta diva” from Bellini’s Norma, “A Tribute to Caruso,” “O soave fanciulla” from Puccini’s La Bohème,and “America the Beautiful.”
Event stylist and frequent Opera Ball designer J. Riccardo Benavides reunited with the San Francisco Opera Guild for this event, and McCalls Catering & Events crafted a sumptuous dinner. Renowned guitarist Freddy Clarke provided Spanish flamenco music, adding ambiance to the Carmen stage, and the band, Vybe Society, performed for dancing after dinner.
Co-chair Ginny Cartwright Zieglerremarked, “An Evening on the Stage is life-changing for those who experience it and for K-12 students in the Bay Area. The event blends the magic of dining on the opera house stage, the artistry of gifted performers, and the joy of sharing a passion for music and arts education. We are delighted to shine the spotlight on longtime arts advocates Nancy and Paul Pelosi. Our organization is full of gratitude for their work, and we thank all the Guild’s supporters for recognizing opera’s power to give voice to potential, helping students become more confident, collaborative and compassionate.”
Co-chair Olivia Decker added: “An Evening on the Stage has become a favorite event of San Francisco Opera Guild patrons. Not only do we raise funds for the guild’s education and outreach programs for Bay Area schools and young talented opera singers, but we also honor one of our top contributors and supporters each year. This year’s honorees, Nancy and Paul Pelosi, are long-standing supporters of opera and education programs for our community. I firmly believe that music unites people, inspires our spirits, heals our souls, and builds a better world for all ages and nationalities.”
San Francisco Opera Guild President Courtney Labesaid, “The Guild’s cherished annual event, An Evening on the Stage,helps Bay Area students experience our award-winning education programs. Through the generous community of supporters and the dedication of our teaching artists, the guild’s programs foster greater cultural understanding while sparking creativity in the hearts and minds of children across the Bay Area. We are thrilled to honor Nancy and Paul Pelosi, and we thank them for being champions of the arts.”
Guests at the special event included San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock; San Francisco Opera Association President Jack Calhoun and Board Chair Barbara Wolfe; past honorary chair and past honoree Diane B. Wilsey; Lieutenant Governor of the State of California Eleni Kounalakis; Chief of Protocol for San Francisco Maryam Muduroglu; president of the board of trustees of the San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center Tom Horn; San Francisco Opera Company sponsor Maria Manetti Shrem; and past stage dinner honorees Carol and Dixon Doll, Pitch Johnson, John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn, Karen J. Kubin, Mary and Bill Poland, and Jake Heggie.
Shilvock said, “Speaker and Paul Pelosi have such a passionate devotion to keeping arts at the center of this great city, and they have both uplifted the cultural fabric of San Francisco and of the nation in many deep and profound ways. It is very fitting that the San Francisco Opera Guild is recognizing the Pelosis at An Evening on the Stage this year, celebrating their vitally important championship of the arts in America.”
Tickets for An Evening on the Stageevent were priced from $2,500 through $10,000. Proceeds support San Francisco Opera Guild’s innovative education programs which reach thousands of students in Greater Bay Area schools.
An Evening on the Stageis made possible through the generous support of presenting sponsor TriplePoint Capital; event sponsors Five Star Bank, Neiman Marcus, and Pearson; wine sponsors Castellucci Napa Valley and Scharffenberger Cellars; and media sponsors Haute Living, San Francisco and Nob Hill Gazette. Special thanks go to Drew Altizer Photography, J. Riccardo Benavides, Freddy Clarke, Caroline Corrales, Ronny Michael Greenberg, McCalls Catering & Events, Moisés Salazar, and Vybe Society.
