El Ultímo Sueño de Frida y Diego (2022) by local composer Gabriela Lena Frank is the first-ever San Francisco Opera production by a female composer, and the first ever in Spanish (libretto by Nilo Cruz).The opera tells the story of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera reliving their tumultuous love for 24 hours on El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) through their paintings, embracing the passion they shared and the pain they inflicted upon one other.
Artists Kahlo and Rivera were and are icons of Mexican arts and culture, magic and realism. This Commonwealth Club panel will focus on the impact of their artistic motivation, clothing, design and the famed murals across the Americas. Their fashion and lifestyles have continued to inspire many in the arts world today, including the costumes in El Ultímo Sueño de Frida y Diego, the incredible co-commissioned production of San Francisco Opera you can see on stage from June 13–30, 2023.
MLF ORGANIZER
Anne W. Smith and Robert Melton
Eloise Kazan
Costume Designer, El Ultímo Sueño de Frida y Diego
Arleene Correa Valencia
Bay Area Artist
Additional Panelists TBA
Jessica Bejarano
Scholar-in-Residence, San Francisco Opera; Founder and Music Director, San Francisco Philharmonic—Moderator