San Diego Opera Presents The Barber of Seville February 13 – 15, 2026

San Diego Opera Presents The Barber of Seville at the San Diego Civic Theatre  February 13 – 15, 2026

SAN DIEGO (January 13, 2026) – After opening their season with a “visually stunning, well-sung and well-acted” (San Diego Union-Tribune) production of Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, San Diego Opera looks forward to presenting Gioachino Rossini’s comedic masterpiece, The Barber of Seville, at the San Diego Civic Theatre on February 13, 14 & 15, 2026. The opera will be sung in Italian with projected translations in English and Spanish.
 
Rossini’s hilarious prequel to Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro was considered a must-see long before Bugs Bunny brought its frenetic overture to an even larger audience. Count Almaviva is in love with the beautiful Rosina, but how can he get past her paranoid and greedy guardian, Dr. Bartolo? Enter the charismatic, quick-witted barber Figaro, who will stop at nothing to play matchmaker for his lovesick friend. The Barber of Seville is filled with side-splitting hijinks, mistaken identities, and some of the most popular opera music ever written.
 
San Diego Opera’s production will showcase the return of Stephanie Doche as Rosina. Doche was last seen in SDO’s 2024 Madama Butterfly where she “provided ample vocal allure” (San Diego Story) and “brought valuable vocal and stage presence to Suzuki” (ProOpera). “Superb” (Bachtrack) baritone Dean Murphy debuts at SDO in the role of Figaro; and the “wonderful young lyric tenor” (The Arts Fuse) Minghao Liu is Count Almaviva. Bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi – last seen in the COVID-era drive-through Barber of Seville in 2021 – returns to San Diego to reprise the role of the pompous Dr. Bartolo. Craig Colclough makes his SDO debut as Don Basilio while San Diego Opera favorite and local native soprano Tasha Hokuao Koontz plays Berta.
 
The Barber of Seville will be accompanied by the San Diego Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Principal Conductor Yves Abel, and directed by Chuck Hudson, whose “bright and boisterous” (Twin Cities Pioneer Press) production of The Barber of Seville was mounted by Minnesota Opera in spring of 2025. Hudson’s work has been seen at companies including Cincinnati Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Atlanta Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, and San Francisco Opera Center.
 
Audiences will get a preview of the upcoming production on January 22 at 6:00 PM at Opera Uncorked, part of a series of events that explores opera’s history, offers musical insights, and gives a behind-the-scenes glance at the production. Opera Uncorked is led by San Diego Opera’s Resident Conductor Bruce Stasyna.
 
Later this season at San Diego Opera, audiences can enjoy Georges Bizet’s Carmen from March 27-29.

San Diego Opera Presents: The Barber of Seville
Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)
Cesare Sterbini, libretto
 
Friday, February 13 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, February 14 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, February 15 at 2:00 PM
 
San Diego Civic Theatre – 1100 Third Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
 
*A preconcert talk led by Michael Gerdes will begin 50 minutes prior to curtain
 
*Immediately following the performances on February 14 & 15 is an informative Post-Opera Talk-Back in the Dress Circle with San Diego Opera staff and cast members
 
Single ticket prices range from $53 - $265
Visit SDOpera.org or call 619-232-7636
 
The venue provides accessible seating, assistive listening devices, and other accommodations for guests with disabilities. 
 
Recommended for: Opera enthusiasts, first-time attendees, students, and families (parental guidance recommended due to mature themes). 

A Valentine’s Day Package including two glasses of prosecco and chocolate covered strawberries for two can be added by ticketholders to The Barber of Seville. The $22 package can be purchased here before February 6: https://tickets.sdopera.org/3162/3163 and redeemed at any bar at the Civic Theatre at any performance February 13-15.
 
CAST LIST
Yves Abel – Conductor
Chuck Hudson – Director
Dean Murphy – Figaro
Stephanie Doche – Rosina
Minghao Liu – Count Almaviva
Patrick Carfizzi – Doctor Bartolo
Craig Colclough – Don Basilio
Tasha Hokuao Koontz – Berta
Joseph Calzada - Fiorello

 

ABOUT SAN DIEGO OPERA
Founded in 1965, San Diego Opera has delivered exceptional performances and inspiring educational programs to a wide audience in San Diego for 60 seasons, with a strong focus on community partnerships and the transformative and expressive power of the human voice.  With a commitment to innovative storytelling, lifelong learning and engagement, and an awareness of great music’s power to bring audiences together, San Diego Opera provides a lasting cultural service to its community. To learn more, please visit www.sdopera.org or follow @sandiegoopera on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.