The finale of Das Rheingold. Photo by Terrence McCarthy.
The finale of Das Rheingold. Photo by Terrence McCarthy.

The San Francisco Opera Guild announced they will host Revelry on the Rhine, Saturday, June 11, 2011 at the St. Regis San Francisco (125 Third Street). The black-tie gala will celebrate San Francisco Opera’s new production of Richard Wagner’s The Ring of the Nibelung, directed by Francesca Zambello and conducted by Donald Runnicles.

All proceeds support the award-winning education and community outreach programs of San Francisco Opera Guild that reach more than 50,000 young people in 200 schools throughout Northern California every year.

The celebratory evening begins at 6 p.m. with A Potent Potion, a cocktail reception and silent wine auction in the tented pavilion.

At 8 p.m. guests will proceed to the Gallery Ballroom for Fafner’s Feast, a lavish dinner created by Executive Chef Romuald Feger, featuring a brief live auction and special entertainment. At 10 p.m. Rhine Daughters’ Revelry begins as guests celebrate with dancing and a toast to San Francisco Opera’s Summer season.

Organizers say guests can look forward to additional entertaining surprises and a special tribute in honor of this summer’s presentation of Wagner’s complete four-opera cycle, The Ring of the Nibelung.

Opening on May 29, Wagner’s The Ring of the Nibelung returns to San Francisco for the first time in more than a decade. Larger than life yet poignantly human, the Ring cycle engages the mind even as it thrills the senses with pure visceral excitement. The lust for power, the lure of gold, the sacred beauty of nature and the destructive impulses of man: these timeless themes dominate both the Ring and American history.

San Francisco Opera’s 2011 Ring cycle runs May 29–July 3 at the War Memorial Opera House.

Revelry on the Rhine

Tickets: from $475–$5,000, available through San Francisco Opera Guild.