Opera & The Bible: Epic Stories from the Stage

Most opera composers turned to classical mythology, European history, or great literature for their source material. Did you know that a surprising number of operas are based on stories from the Hebrew Bible? San Francisco Opera’s Dramaturg Emeritus Kip Cranna will explore such stories turned into renown operas, including legendary works about Cain and Abel, Noah’s Flood, Moses and Aaron, Esther, Saul, David, and of course the infamous Samson and Delilah.  

Clifford (Kip) Cranna, Dramaturg Emeritus of San Francisco Opera, served on the staff for over forty years and was Director of Music Administration for over thirty years. In 2008 he was awarded the San Francisco Opera Medal, the company’s highest honor, and in 2012 he received the Bernard Osher Cultural Award for distinguished efforts to bring excellence to a cultural institution. In 2014 he received the Star of Excellence Award for outstanding service to the programs of the San Francisco Opera Guild. He holds a Ph.D. in musicology from Stanford University. For thirty years he was Program Editor and Lecturer for the Carmel Bach Festival. He lectures and writes frequently on music and teaches at the Fromm Institute at USF and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes at U.C. Berkeley, Dominican University, and San Francisco State.