Tulsa Opera's season begins with a bold production of Georges Bizet’s sublimely beautiful opera "The Pearl Fishers." While Bizet is most often associated with "Carmen," "The Pearl Fishers" contains some of the composer’s most captivating arias, including the famous baritone-tenor duet “Au fond du temple saint,” and rousing choral pieces. Soprano Sarah Shafer makes her company and role debut as the beguiling Hindu priestess Leila. Shafer has become a darling of the San Francisco Opera stage with a series of acclaimed performances, most recently for her role debut as Pamina in the Jun Kaneko production of "The Magic Flute." Chinese baritone Yunpeng Wang, a Metropolitan Opera rising star, makes a company and role debut as Zurga. Wang was featured on the cover of the October 2015 issue of "Opera News" as one of “opera’s exciting new voices.” He has received great praise for a string of Met performances as a member of the Lindemann Young Artist Development program, including Prince Yamadori in the internationally broadcast live HD performance of "Madame Butterfly." The production will be conducted by acclaimed French conductor, composer and pianist Frédéric Chaslin. Chaslin currently serves as the music director of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and has previously served as the resident conductor of the Vienna State Opera and music director and chief conductor at Santa Fe Opera. Showcasing this exciting talent will be sets and costumes by Dame Zandra Rhodes, the world-famous fashion icon and designer who has dressed the likes of Princess Diana, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Sarah Jessica Parker and Naomi Campbell. The vivid colors and bold patterns of Dame Zandra’s production have received rave reviews and thrilled opera fans in San Francisco, New York and Seattle.