Learn from distinguished artists with careers at the world's leading opera houses.
Conductor Emeritus
Maestro Matthias Kuntzsch was born in Karlsruhe, Germany and attended the Conservatory of Music in Hannover, where he studied piano with the famous Mozart pianist Karl Engel. In the summers Kuntzsch continued his studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and in Switzerland, attending courses of Lovro von Matacic, Hermann Scherchen, Herbert von Karajan and Pablo Casals. His first professional position was as Assistant Conductor at the Staatstheater of Braunschweig. He also appeared in the summers at the Bayreuth Festival as Musical Assistant to Wolfgang and Wieland Wagner. Next he was engaged as Principle Conductor at the Theater in Bonn and at the Mannheim National Theater, followed by the Hamburg State Opera and the Nationaltheater, Munich, where he assumed the position of Staatskapellmeister. Maestro Kuntzsch then became the General Music Director and Conductor of the Opera and Symphony Orchestra in Lübeck.
In these years Kuntzsch was named Professor of Conducting at the Conservatory of Music, Hamburg. He also had not lost track of the Nationaltheater in Munich which continued to recruit Matthias for many opera productions, alternating performances with Karl Böhm, Carlos Kleiber, Rafael Kubelik and Wolfgang Sawallisch. His next position was General Music Director and Conductor of the State Theater of the Saarland in Saarbrücken. He resided there with his family for over twelve years. During this period Maestro Kuntzsch conducted over 100 concerts and accompanied many famous soloists such as Yehudi Menuhin, Ruggiero Ricci, Radu Lupu, Eugene List, Stephen Hough, Andre Watts, Sylvia Anderson, Evelyn Lear, Thomas Stewart, Birgit Nilsson and Placido Domingo. In the Saarland years Matthias Kuntzsch conducted Wagner's entire "Ring" cycle, with many famous Bayreuth singers, Verdi's operas, all of Mozart operas, and most of the operas of Richard Strauss and Puccini. He was a pioneer for composers such as Christof Penderecki, Carl Orff, Gian-Carlo Menotti, Günter Bialas, and Gyorgi Ligeti. In the many years at the Saarländisches Staatstheater, Kuntzsch conducted over 75 operas as well as many guest engagements outside of Germany.
Of the many orchestras that Maestro Kuntzsch conducted the following are of primary importance: Brussels Philharmonic, Nouvel Philharmonic Paris, RAI Milano, Napoli Symphony, Orchestra of La Fenice, Venice, Bologna Symphony, NHK Tokyo, Hamburg Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, Berlin Symphonie Orchester, Essen Symphony, Bochum Symphony, Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Staatsorchester Braunschweig, Staatsorchester Hannover, Stuttgarter Philharmonie, Vancouver Opera, Sadlers Wells, London, Teatro del Liceo, Barcelona, Theatre Royal de la Monnaie, Bruxelles, Amsterdam Stichting, San Carlo, Napoli, Teatro Verdi, Trieste, Rome Opera, Rio de Janeiro, Stuttgart, and Frankfurt Symphonies. In the U.S. Maestro Kuntzsch has conducted the Colorado Symphony, Utah Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, and Boulder Philharmonic. He has appeared at the Metropolitan Opera, San Diego, Opera Colorado, Portland Opera, Columbus Opera, Utah Opera, Sacramento Opera, San Juan Opera, and many others. Kuntzsch was Music Director and Conductor of the Basque National Orchestra in San Sebastian, Spain, for six years and performed regularly also in Madrid, Bilbao and Pamplona.
From 1992 to 2014 Maestro Kuntzsch was Music Director and Conductor of the Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute (BASOTI), a training ground for young singers preparing for a career in opera.
Founder & Artistic Director
Milena Georgieva Bach is founder and artistic director of Bach-Millennium Music. Miss Georgieva made her operatic debut in Europe and performed roles in Aida, La Boheme, Tosca, Il Trovatore, Tannhäuser and others in France, Italy, Germany and Bulgaria. Miss Georgieva is a regular soloist in the San Francisco Bay Area, performing opera and oratorio repertoire. Performances include roles in Der Freischutz, Der Rosenkavalier, Il Trovatore, Suor Angelica, Il Tabarro and others. Concert work includes Messa da Requiem by Verdi, Te Deum by Dvořák, 9th Symphony by Beethoven, War Requiem by Britten, Lobgesang by Mendelssohn and solo recitals. Milena Georgieva Bach holds Master's and Professional Studies diplomas from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Bachelor's diploma from the State Academy of Music in Sofia, Bulgaria. Miss Georgieva is founder of Association Opera Sofia, a performing non-profit organization in Bulgaria and has previously worked as program director for BASOTI, a San Francisco non-profit. Milena Georgieva Bach is an active teacher and adjudicator.
Conductor
Alexander Katsman is the Artistic and Music Director for Livermore Valley Opera. Alumni of the San Francisco Opera's Merola Program, Mr. Katsman received his M.M. from St. Petersburg Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory and his B.M. cum laude from Mussorgsky College of Music in St. Petersburg, Russia. Since his arrival in the United States, Alexander has been sought after as a conductor and collaborative pianist. He conducted for Opera San Jose, West Bay Opera, Martinez Opera, Bayshore Lyric Opera, Berkeley West Edge Opera, Oakland Lyric Opera, Solo Opera, San Francisco Lyric Opera, Opera Academy of California, Peninsula Teen Opera, Diablo Light Opera, Town Hall Theater, and also at CalState University East Bay and Diablo Valley College. Recently Alexander was rehearsal conductor for Castleton Festival's Berkeley performances of Albert Herring and The Rape of Lucretia. He was also Artistic Director for the Alexander Vocal Series, premier vocal recital series in Piedmont, California.
His conducting credits include over 60 opera, operetta, and musical theater productions, including Orfeo et Euridice, Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, The Magic Flute, The Impresario, The Apothecary, La Cenerentola, L'italiana in Algeri, La Traviata, Rigoletto, Un Ballo in maschera, Madama Butterfly, Tosca, La bohème, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, Andrea Chénier, Pagliacci, Cavaleria Rusticana, Der Rosenkavalier, Die Fledermaus, Faust, Romeo et Juliette, La Juive, Carmen, Manon, The Bartered Bride, The Merry Widow, Mikado, Trouble in Tahiti, Kismet, Sweeney Todd, The Student Prince, Fiddler on the Roof, The Music Man, Carousel, and The Most Happy Fella.
Mr. Katsman serves on conducting faculties of Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute and Opera Academy of California. He is also on the coaching staff at the San Francisco Conservatory.
Distinguished singers from the world's leading opera stages.
Soprano
Milena Georgieva Bach is founder and artistic director of Bach-Millennium Music. Miss Georgieva made her operatic debut in Europe and performed roles in Aida, La Boheme, Tosca, Il Trovatore, Tannhäuser and others in France, Italy, Germany and Bulgaria. Miss Georgieva is a regular soloist in the San Francisco Bay Area, performing opera and oratorio repertoire. Performances include roles in Der Freischutz, Der Rosenkavalier, Il Trovatore, Suor Angelica, Il Tabarro and others. Concert work includes Messa da Requiem by Verdi, Te Deum by Dvořák, 9th Symphony by Beethoven, War Requiem by Britten, Lobgesang by Mendelssohn and solo recitals. Milena Georgieva Bach holds Master's and Professional Studies diplomas from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Bachelor's diploma from the State Academy of Music in Sofia, Bulgaria. Miss Georgieva is founder of Association Opera Sofia, a performing non-profit organization in Bulgaria and has previously worked as program director for BASOTI, a San Francisco non-profit. Milena Georgieva Bach is an active teacher and adjudicator.
Soprano
With 25 years of teaching voice experience across North America, Randolph has taught at L'Atelier de L'Opéra de Montréal, L'Université de Montréal, and established private studios in San Diego, San Francisco and New York. Her students have sung with major national and international opera companies and won prestigious competitions including Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and San Francisco Opera Auditions. After completing studies at UC Santa Barbara, UCLA, and Hochschule für Musik Freiburg in Germany, she spent four seasons as coloratura soprano at Staatstheater Luzern, Switzerland, followed by an extensive career in opera, recital and oratorio across the United States, Europe and Australia. She is renowned for commitment to students and passion for vocal artistry.
Baritone
A Professor of Voice at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, baritone Matthew Worth has performed the title role in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Boston Lyric Opera and the title role in the world premiere of JFK with Fort Worth Opera. He has performed leading roles at Santa Fe Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Minnesota Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and Washington National Opera under luminary conductors including James Levine, Lorin Maazel, and Sir Andrew Davis.
Expert coaches and collaborative pianists.
Collaborative Pianist
Timothy Bach is founder and director of the Collaborative Piano Program at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has appeared in performances in the United States, Europe and Asia with artists such as mezzo-soprano Elena Obratsova, soprano Jane Marsh, tenor David Gordon, violinists Chee Yun and Jennifer Koh and cellists Hai-Ye Ni and Wendy Warner. He has recorded on the Crystal and Cantabile labels and has been broadcast on National Public Radio. He has also been official keyboardist at the Carmel Bach Festival, Music Academy of the West, Banff Festival of the Arts, I.M. Klein International String Competition and the Gregor Piatigorsky Memorial Cello Seminars. He is a founder of California Summer Music. In addition, he has assisted many artists in master classes including Yo-Yo Ma, Lynn Harrell, Zara Nelsova, Janos Starker, Hans Hotter, Peter Pears, Martial Singher, Gerard Souzay and Thomas Hampson. Bach completed a D.M.A. with highest honors at the University of Southern California, after studies with Gwendolyn Koldofsky, Brooks Smith and Adolf Baller. He also has served as acting dean of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Pianist, Conductor
Hao Wu is Associate Professor of Accompanying at Shenyang Conservatory of Music and a guest graduate instructor at Shandong Normal University in China. After finishing his Professional Studies Diploma in Collaborative Piano under the guidance of professor Timothy Bach, he started to serve as a staff pianist at San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 2018.
During his 17-year career, Mr. Wu has directed, conducted and played more than 200 concerts and recitals throughout China and the San Francisco Bay Area. As an accompanist and vocal coach, he has worked with such world-class singers as Yijie Shi, Ao Li, Ying Huang, Xiuying Li and Chuanyue Wang. He also served as visiting coach for the China National Symphony Orchestra Chorus.
Mr. Wu received his Bachelor Degree in Piano from Shandong Normal University and a Master Degree in Accompaniment in Shenyang Conservatory of Music. Following that he was sent by the Chinese Government to the Saint Petersburg Conservatory for further study on full scholarship and came back with distinguished honors. During his time in Russia, he studied Piano Accompanying and minored in Chamber Music under the guidance of professor Irina Sharapova.
Mr. Wu's recent performances include recitals with bass-baritone Ao Li, the First Place winner of 2013 Domingo Operalia, at the Radio and Concert Hall of Flagey and the University of Leuven in Belgium. Mr. Wu also was the 2017 Kristin Panconin Award winner at the San Francisco Conservatory.
Conductor
Alexander Katsman is the Artistic and Music Director for Livermore Valley Opera. Alumni of the San Francisco Opera's Merola Program, Mr. Katsman received his M.M. from St. Petersburg Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory and his B.M. cum laude from Mussorgsky College of Music in St. Petersburg, Russia. Since his arrival in the United States, Alexander has been sought after as a conductor and collaborative pianist. He conducted for Opera San Jose, West Bay Opera, Martinez Opera, Bayshore Lyric Opera, Berkeley West Edge Opera, Oakland Lyric Opera, Solo Opera, San Francisco Lyric Opera, Opera Academy of California, Peninsula Teen Opera, Diablo Light Opera, Town Hall Theater, and also at CalState University East Bay and Diablo Valley College. Recently Alexander was rehearsal conductor for Castleton Festival's Berkeley performances of Albert Herring and The Rape of Lucretia. He was also Artistic Director for the Alexander Vocal Series, premier vocal recital series in Piedmont, California.
His conducting credits include over 60 opera, operetta, and musical theater productions, including Orfeo et Euridice, Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, The Magic Flute, The Impresario, The Apothecary, La Cenerentola, L'italiana in Algeri, La Traviata, Rigoletto, Un Ballo in maschera, Madama Butterfly, Tosca, La bohème, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, Andrea Chénier, Pagliacci, Cavaleria Rusticana, Der Rosenkavalier, Die Fledermaus, Faust, Romeo et Juliette, La Juive, Carmen, Manon, The Bartered Bride, The Merry Widow, Mikado, Trouble in Tahiti, Kismet, Sweeney Todd, The Student Prince, Fiddler on the Roof, The Music Man, Carousel, and The Most Happy Fella.
Mr. Katsman serves on conducting faculties of Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute and Opera Academy of California. He is also on the coaching staff at the San Francisco Conservatory.
Dramaturg Emeritus
Clifford (Kip) Cranna, Dramaturg at San Francisco Opera, has served on the staff since 1979 and was Director of Music Administration for over thirty years. In 2008 he was awarded the San Francisco Opera Medal, the company's highest honor, and in 2012 he received the Bernard Osher Cultural Award for distinguished efforts to bring excellence to a cultural institution. In 2014 he received the Star of Excellence Award for outstanding service to the programs of the San Francisco Opera Guild. He holds a B.A. in music from the University of North Dakota and a Ph.D. in musicology from Stanford University. For thirty years he was Program Editor and Lecturer for the Carmel Bach Festival. He lectures and writes frequently on music, teaches at the San Francisco Conservatory and the Fromm Institute at USF, and moderates the SF Opera Guild "Insight" panel discussions. He was Dramaturg for the 2016 production of Wagner's "Ring" at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
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