06/12/2026
San Francisco Opera joins the international arts community in mourning the loss of David Hockney.
One of the most influential artists of the past century, Hockney made extraordinary contributions to opera with iconic stage designs emblematic of his visual style. His work has been an important part of San Francisco Opera’s history, beginning with The Rake’s Progress in 1982. Over the years, audiences experienced his set and costume designs for The Rake’s Progress, The Magic Flute, and Tristan und Isolde, as well as his set designs for Turandot and Die Frau ohne Schatten.
“David Hockney spent a lifetime at the very front edge of artistic possibility. He was as groundbreaking in his 80s as he was in his 20s, and it’s thrilling to feel that immediacy on the opera stage. There was something so natural to David about the canvas of a 50-ft-wide stage—it was the perfect place to bring to life his bold embrace of color, his groundbreaking explorations of perspective, and his fusion of the intimate and epic. It has been an honor to have his artistic vision on our stage, and it was a joy to celebrate that with him here in 2017. David never stopped expanding the lens of what art could achieve. We mourn his loss and celebrate the towering impact he had on the arts.” —San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock
In 2017, following a performance of Turandot, Matthew presented Hockney with the San Francisco Opera Medal. We remember him with heartfelt gratitude for the vivid worlds he created on our stage and for the lasting impact of his artistry.
1. David Hockney receives the San Francisco Opera Medal, 2017/ Cory Weaver
2. Turandot, 2017/Cory Weaver
3–4. Die Frau ohne Schatten, 2023/Cory Weaver
5–6. The Rake’s Progress, 2000/ Ken Friedman
7–8. Tristan und Isolde, 2006/Terrence McCarthy
9–10. The Magic Flute, 2003/Larry Merkel
11. David Hockney with General Director Matthew Shilvock, 2017/Cory Weaver
12. David Hockney takes a bow, 2017/Cory Weaver
