The San Francisco Opera has left the building. "The opera needs to blast out of the temple of the opera house," says David Gockley, the S.F.O.'s general director since last year. In September, he staged a free simulcast of Samson and Delilah at AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, and drew 15,000 people. Gockley's populist strategy seems to be working, albeit slowly. In the current season, ticket sales are up 4 percent, 10 productions are new to the company, and one—Philip Glass' Appomattox—is a world premiere.

Reid and Peggy Dennis
Annual gift: $250,000 to $499,999
Reid, the co-founder of venture capital firm Institutional Venture Partners, was chairman of the S.F.O. board from 1985 to 1999. The Dennises sponsored 2005's world premiere of Doctor Atomic.
Dixon and Carol Doll
Annual gift: $100,000 to $249,999Dixon is a money manager; Carol has been an S.F.O. director since 1999. The Dolls plan to donate a portion of the profits from one of their investment funds to the opera.
Elizabeth and J. Burgess Jamieson
Annual gift: $250,000 to $499,999
Burgess, a venture capitalist (and a former business partner of Reid Dennis'), is a member of the opera's investment committee, a group of investors that meets regularly to manage the S.F.O.'s endowment.

Kristen and Karl Mills
Annual gift: $25,000 to $49,999
Karl is the vice chairman of the S.F.O.'s board and was president of the opera from 2001 to 2006. An investment manager (and an amateur pianist), he helped guide the S.F.O. through its financially troubled post-9/11 period. 

Joan and David Traitel
Annual gift: $250,000 to $499,999
Joan and David, the former owner of pet-food company Nutro Products, hosted an event in August 2005 at their Palm Springs-area home to welcome Gockley. They are also two-time sponsors of La Traviata, Joan's favorite opera.

Diane Wilsey
Annual gift: $500,000 to $999,999
The widow of butter and real estate magnate Al Wilsey, Diane has been a board member since 1987. She was the lead underwriter of the annual Opera in the Park in 2006 and 2007 and sponsored this season's production of Samson and Delilah.