SFCM's Mason Bates.

New York’s famed Metropolitan Opera’s 2025-2026 season has opened, notably featuring SFCM faculty, alumni, and Alliance talent. 

SFCM Composition faculty Mason Bates’ new work The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay hit the stage on Sept. 21 with Askonas Holt artist Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting and 2013 graduate Efraín Solís singing. Looking ahead, graduates Amina Edris (‘15) and Roberto Kalb (‘09) will also debut on the hallowed stage this season, both with La Bohème in April: Kalb making his conducting debut and Edris playing Musetta.

“Ever since I was an undergrad sneaking into The Met Opera, I've always dreamed of writing an opera for that amazing house,” Bates said. In addition to being on SFCM’s faculty since 2014, Bates is one of the most widely-performed symphonic composers of his generation, known for writing innovative, classically-conceived orchestral works that incorporate techniques derived from his career as a DJ and techno artist. 

“SFCM played a key role in workshopping my first opera The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, which led directly to this opportunity from The Met Opera.” Bates said. “With the school expanding its production experience, I look forward to more new work being developed on campus.” 

The opera Kavalier & Clay is based on the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel of the same name by Michael Chabon. Bates calls its debut in New York City “deeply meaningful,” as it’s set in NYC shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, with two Jewish cousins inventing an anti-fascist superhero and launching their own comic-book series, hoping to recruit America into the fight against Nazism. 

SFCM voice graduate Efraín Solís performs as Salvador Dalí in Kavalier & Clay. “Making your Met debut is something that every singer dreams about and a goal my teacher César Ulloa and I made ever since we started working together,” Solís, who graduated in 2013, said. “I feel even more excited that I get to make my debut in Mason Bates’ new opera. New works are what is going to keep opera alive and I feel so privileged to get to work alongside a Bay Area composer and represent SFCM at the Met.” Since his graduation, Solíshas been busy working professionally with performances at Opera San Jose, Houston Grand Opera, Minnesota Opera, as well as many European debuts. 

Amina Edris, a 2015 voice graduate from SFCM, will make her Met debut as Musetta in La Bohème in April 2026. While at SFCM, Edris also worked with Ulloa and has also been working professionally with numerous debuts local and abroad, most recently at Opéra de Paris. “From the very first moment I worked with Amina and heard her sing, I knew she possessed a rare and extraordinary gift,” Ulloa said. “Watching her rise to such great heights in the demanding world of opera has been both a joy and a privilege. Her artistry, discipline, and passion have set her apart, and I am deeply proud to have been part of her remarkable journey.”

La Bohème will also see Roberto Kalb, a 2009 graduate of SFCM, making his conducting debut at the opera house. Kalb has served as Music Director of Detroit Opera since 2022. That year he also made history conducting the first Spanish-language work in San Francisco Opera’s history. 

For Bates, a primary theme of Kavalier & Clay is the “power of the imagination to overcome challenges.” He hopes his new work inspires audience members to think positively  and turn to art for inspiration: “As our world careens towards greater uncertainty, it will be crucial to remember the importance of art in lifting the human spirit,” Bates added.

Learn more about studying Composition or Voice at SFCM.