Elektra

Richard Strauss's Elektra descends upon San Francisco with ferocious, unrelenting power in one of opera's most psychologically shattering masterpieces. San Francisco Opera brings this ancient Greek tragedy to life across five electrifying performances at the magnificent War Memorial Opera House, running June 7 through June 28, 2026. From the moment the curtain rises, Strauss's searingly dissonant score envelops the audience in a world of obsession, vengeance, and primal grief, making Elektra one of the most viscerally intense experiences the operatic canon has to offer. Set in the ruins of Mycenae, Elektra follows the tormented daughter of Agamemnon as she burns with an all-consuming desire for revenge against her murderous mother Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisth. Strauss's groundbreaking score — monumental, brutal, and achingly beautiful in equal measure — demands extraordinary vocal and orchestral forces, filling the gilded halls of the War Memorial Opera House with waves of overwhelming sound and emotion. The War Memorial, a Beaux-Arts landmark and one of America's most beloved opera venues, provides the perfect dramatic setting for this mythic confrontation. Whether you attend opening night on June 7 or one of the subsequent performances on June 12, 20, 24, or 28, each evening promises a transformative encounter with one of opera's towering works. San Francisco Opera is renowned for its world-class productions and extraordinary casts, ensuring that this Elektra will be spoken about long after the final thunderous chord fades into silence. Don't miss your chance to witness this devastating, magnificent work performed at the highest level in one of the world's great opera houses.