DANGEROUS LIAISONS
March 26, 2026 at 6 pm
City Club Of San Francisco
HONORING
CLIFFORD “KIP” CRANNA
CHAMPION OF NEW OPERA
HONORARY CHAIRS
JOHN ADAMS
DAVID GOCKLEY
SUSAN ANDERSON-NORBY
Dear Friends,
Welcome, and thank you for joining us this evening. It’s a pleasure to gather with this extraordinary circle of friends, collaborators, and champions of Opera Parallèle—and to raise a glass in celebration.
As Opera Parallèle matures into our late teenage years, I’m proud to say we’re still curious, still adventurous, and increasingly assured in our voice. As Executive Director, it’s a privilege to help steward the company at this moment, guided by a collaborative ethos that unites artists, partners, and communities in the making of opera that is bold, resonant, and meaningfully connected to the world around us.
Your generosity makes this work possible. Because of you, we are able to champion new voices, take creative risks, and offer experiences that invite reflection, discovery, and joy— especially in times when imagination and connection matter more than ever.
Tonight, we are delighted to honor Kip Cranna, a cherished supporter and collaborator whose dedication to contemporary opera has helped shape the field and inspire countless artists and audiences. Kip’s engagement, discernment, and generosity reflect the very best of this community and the values that sustain Opera Parallèle.
So, with martinis raised, let us toast to bold ideas, shared conviction, and the delightfully dangerous pleasure of experiencing art together. To Kip, to Opera Parallèle, and to the connections that keep us curious, courageous, and coming back for more.
With gratitude,
Daniel Harvey Executive Director
Photo by Better Rugged Photography
Field Greens Salad
Field greens, roasted golden & red beets, shaved Manchego cheese, candied pistachios, sliced orange & grapefruit, cherry tomatoes with balsamic vinegar
Entree
Petaluma Farms free-range chicken breast; whipped potatoes, roasted seasonal vegetables, almond romesco sauce & rosemary au jus
Vegan: Stuffed red pepper; wild rice pilaf, seasonal vegetables & pomodoro sauce
Dessert
Mixed fruit tart; raspberry coulis & mint
Fruit cup
Wines Sponsor
“Kip is one of the loveliest, most competent people I’ve ever met and worked with over a long career in opera. He is knowledgeable, humble, reliable, and ever pleasant to deal with. What an asset he has been to SFO!”
—DAVID GOCKLEY General Director Emeritus of San Francisco Opera
David Gockley, Kip Cranna, David Henry Hwang Bright Sheng/Drew Altizer
2026 BENEFIT DINNER
DANGEROUS LIAISONS
HONORARY CHAIRS
JOHN ADAMS
DAVID GOCKLEY
SUSAN ANDERSON-NORBY
March 26, 2026 | City Club Of San Francisco 155 Sansome Street
WELCOME
Michael Tate Emcee
DINNER
Lynn Luckow, Event Chair
Jee Young You, Development & Communications Chair
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & HONOREE
REMARKS
Nicole Paiement, OP Founder & Artistic Director
Kip Cranna, Guest of Honor
Peggy Otum, Board Chair
FUND-A-VISION PERFORMANCES
Rhoslyn Jones
soprano
DESSERT
CLOSING REMARKS
Daniel Harvey, Executive Director
Kevin Korth pianist
ABOUT THE GUEST OF HONOR
Born and raised in Devils Lake, North Dakota, Clifford “Kip” Cranna's developed a passion for music at an early age, singing with his dad and brother while his mother played the piano. Inspired by his junior high music teacher, Kip enrolled at the University of North Dakota to study music, concentrating on choral conducting and musicology. He graduated summa cum laude in 1969 as his class salutatorian.
With the Vietnam War in full progress, he declined a proffered Fulbright scholarship for music study in Spain and attended Navy Officer Candidate School at Newport, Rhode Island, where his musical abilities earned him the position of Regimental Choirmaster. Kip was commissioned an ensign on October 23,1969, and sent to Southeast Asia. His service earned him the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Navy Achievement Medal. In 1971, he was transferred to shore duty in Naples, Italy, where he familiarized himself with the world of opera at the famed Teatro di San Carlo and learned Italian.
After his release from active duty in the fall of 1972, Kip entered graduate school in music at Stanford University, where he met classmate and colleague Bruce Lamott, who would be his life partner from that time forward. When it became legal to do so, they were married, on September 22, 2013.
Kip joined the staff of San Francisco Opera in 1979, where he would work for 40 years until his retirement in 2019. After completing his Ph.D. in 1981, Kip was given a new post as Assistant Musical Administrator, and was quickly promoted to Musical Administrator in 1982. In 2008, he was made Director of Musical Administration and awarded the San Francisco Opera Medal, the company’s highest honor, praised as a “benevolent force behind the scenes” and “a wise and kind artistic professional.”
Through his passionate service to music—whether as a dramaturg, lecturer, or historian—Kip has left an indelible mark on the performing arts in San Francisco and on opera in North America. As a proponent of contemporary opera, Kip has either led or participated in the commissioning and creation of more than thirty new works by the most influential composers of our time, including Dead Man Walking (Heggie/McNally, 2000), Doctor Atomic (Adams/Sellars, 2005), and Appomattox (Glass/Hampton, 2007).
With John Adams
With Lotfi Mansouri
With Lynn Luckow
KIP’S FRIENDSHIP GARDEN
OP DONORS:
KEITH & PRISCILLA GEESLIN, FRANKLIN "PITCH" & CATHERINE JOHNSON, FRED LEVIN & NANCY LIVINGSTON
MARCIAOPBOARD:LAZER, JANEHARTLEY, PATRICKMARKLE
MICHAELSUPERNUMERARIES:STRICKLAND, CHARLIELICHTMAN, MICHAELHARVEY, FRANKPRISCILLALORE, ZEPEDA SUSAN & DOUG ANDERSONNORBY
MICHAEL
DAVID GOCKLEY
SINGERS: CATHY COOK, PHIL SKINNER,SUSANNAHBOJANKNEŽEVIĆ, BILLER, KENNETH KELLOGG, AMINA EDRIS, EUGENEHADLEIGHBRANCOVEANU, ADAMS, RENÉE RAPIER
GREENAWALD
K.T.FRIENDS&MORE: NELSON, DINAKUNST& PARKERSHERRY
PATRICIA MOY
JON FINCK, JO GIESSLER, AILEEN TAT, DANBRODERSEN,ELIZABETHPAMELARIVARD,SEVILLA
NOTT
GOCKLEY
Kip’s friendship and support have helped Opera Parallèle to grow, thrive, and meet the future with joyous purpose. Below are just a few of the people we thank Kip for bringing to OP.
RORKMUSICTEAM: LISADELAN, ALEXANDRA ARMANTRADING, KEVINKORTH, NICOLLEFOLAND
GETTY
STEVE&DIANEHEIMAN
CHORALYOUNGMUSICIANS CHRISTABELORCHESTRA:NUNOO, JAYMESKIRKSEY
JAKE HEGGIE
FLICKA
GORDON
SUSAN GRAHAM
RUTH
SHERI
OP BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2025–26
Peggy Otum CHAIR
Jo Giessler VICE CHAIR
Lisa Lindelef SECRETARY
Jeff Mattlin TREASURER
Malekeh Amini
Larry Corash
Clifford “Kip“ Cranna
Marylene Delbourg-Delphis
Louise Fox
Jane Hartley
Terry Johnson
Marcia Lazer
Steven Lei
Simin Naaseh
John Roevekamp
Tony Shayne
Jee Young You
OP STAFF
Nicole Paiement FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Daniel Harvey EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Brian Staufenbiel CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Eman Isadiar DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Calvin Eng FINANCE DIRECTOR
Phil Lowery DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION
Pamela Sevilla MARKETING DIRECTOR
Jacques Desjardins ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATOR
Katrina Finder DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Takiyah Franklin COMMUNITY & IDEA MANAGER
Brett Metzger FINANCE MANAGER
Jay Cruz MARKETING ASSOCIATE
Owen Klein
ARTISTIC & ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATE/ASSISTANT TO THE FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Jon Finck PUBLICIST
Elizabeth Brodersen GRANT WRITER
Muskan Parashar BOARD ADMIN ASSISTANT
Michael Mohammed SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE
Keisuke Nakagoshi RESIDENT PIANIST
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Joseph Chan
Steve Kesten
Alan Olejniczak
Robert Ripps
Lawrence Siegel, JD
HONORARY BOARD
Terence Blanchard
Ruth A. Felt
Philip Glass
Jake Heggie
John Holiday
Frederica von Stade
Scott Wiener
HONORARY CHAIRS
John Adams
David Gockley
Susan Anderson-Norby
EVENT CHAIR
Lynn Luckow
DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
CHAIR
Jee Young You
BENEFIT TASK FORCE
Malekeh Amini
Elizabeth Brodersen
Katrina Finder
Daniel Harvey
Eman Isadiar
Lynn Luckow
Nicole Paiement
Jee Young You
CELEBRATION SPONSORS
MOUNT DAVIDSON
Susan Anderson-Norby
Gordon Getty
Peggy Otum & Andrew Price
Diane B. Wilsey
MOUNT SUTRO
Lisa Lindelef
TWIN PEAKS
Donna Dubinsky & Len Shustek
Jerry Roth & Ray Jenks
Jee Young You & Paul Alsdorf
NOB HILL
David Bertoni
Michèle & Larry Corash
Louise Fox & Mats Andersson
Philip Goward & Theo Ueki
Pitch Johnson
John Klopacz
Bernice Lindstrom
Patrice Magginis & Eric Rice
Nicole Paiement & Brian Staufenbiel
Robert Ripps & Steven Spector
Jack & Betty Schafer
RUSSIAN HILL
Malekeh Amini
Helen Berggruen for the Five Arts Foundation
Alex Ingersoll & Martin Tannenbaum
Candace Zander Kahn
Daniel L. Rabinowitz & Ann F. Thomas
Melody Walsh
TELEGRAPH HILL
Sarah Billinghurst Solomon
Kip Cranna
Jo Giessler
Judy & Jeff Gough
Amy Graham & Jamie Lantz
Jane Hartley
Jeffrey Lyttle & David Murphy
Jeff Mattlin & Alexa Fitzpatrick
Simin Naaseh & Farhang Ostadan
Tim & Bonnie Rietz
Victor Rowley
IN-KIND SPONSORS
BEHIND THE OPERAS
Lotfi’s Mission
When Lotfi Mansouri became General Director of San Francisco Opera in 1988, he wanted to accomplish three things: an opera based on Dangerous Liaisons, an opera based on A Streetcar Named Desire, and an opera with a libretto by Terrence McNally. Kip helped him accomplish all three, even stopping by Conrad Susa’s home every morning on his way to work to pick up new pages for Dangerous Liaisons before FedExing copies all around the world. Dangerous Liaisons made its world premiere in 1994 and went on to air on PBS’ Great Performances. Dead Man Walking by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Terrence McNally premiered in 2000. It is widely considered the most performed contemporary opera of the 21st century.
Where’s the Love Story?
In 1991, Kip met Houston Grand Opera General Director David Gockley when he traveled to Houston for early meetings about Stewart Wallace and Michael Korie’s Harvey Milk. In his notes to SFO General Director Lotfi Mansouri, Kip wrote, “by the way, where’s the love story?” His feedback resulted in the tender duet between Harvey and his lover Scott, who convinces Harvey to cut his long hair to be more electable. This beautiful moment now ends Act I in Harvey Milk Reimagined, which was performed by OP in 2025—a partnership encouraged by David Gockley.
The Thrill of Discovery
Terry Pratchett famously wrote, “opera happens because a large number of things fail to go wrong.” When Kip went to see "Ensemble Parallèle’s" production of Lou Harrison’s Young Caesar in 2007, he became an immediate fan and champion of what would evolve into Opera Parallèle. Kip then introduced Nicole Paiement and Brian Staufenbiel to Bob Ellis, who would go on to be part of the company’s first Board of Directors, setting the foundation for one of OP's preeminent contemporary opera companies.
With Conrad Susa
Harvey Milk Reimagined (2025) / Cory Weaver
With Nicole Paiement
KIP’S SIGNATURE MARTINI
Put 3 ounces of gin into a shaker with ice cubes (Not shaved ice—it waters down the gin. We don't want that).
Add the equivalent of an eye-drop of vermouth. Maybe two. (Best to pour a small amount of vermouth into the bottle cap and dispense from there to avoid overdoing it.)
Hold the shaker in one hand and shake for 15 seconds (no longer) by twisting your wrist back and forth. Do NOT use both hands to pump the shaker up and down. You are NOT making a milkshake! Too much shaking gets the gin watery and it loses its flavor.
Pour into a well-chilled martini glass. Very important. Best to keep your martini glasses in the freezer or fill them with ice cubes before you begin step one.
Garnish with olives. I don't recommend the type that are stuffed with cheese, which dissolves into the gin and makes it cloudy.
Sip and enjoy!
WEST COAST PREMIERE A New Chamber Orchestra Version
May 29–31, 2026
Presidio Theatre, San Francisco
CONDUCTOR
Nicole Paiement
DIRECTOR
Brian Staufenbiel
FEATURING
Matthew Worth
Rhoslyn Jones
Naomi Steele
Deborah Nansteel
COMPOSER
Douglas J. Cuomo
LIBRETTIST
John Patrick Shanley
After his play and film
ABRIDGED LIBRETTO BY Kevin Newbury
