The Spanish mezzo-soprano Teresa Berganza, whom Herbert von Karajan once called the greatest Carmen of the 20th century, passed away on May 13 at the age of 89. In addition to Carmen, Berganza was renowned for her portrayals of Rossini’s comic heroines in Il barbiere di Siviglia, La Cenerentola, and L’Italiana in Algeri. A beloved recitalist, she championed Spanish folk songs and zarzuela in her concert programs and was a noted interpreter of the music of Enrique Granados and Manuel de Falla. Berganza made her U.S. debut with a solo recital at Carnegie Hall in 1964, followed by her celebrated Metropolitan Opera debut as Cherubino in 1967.

Philanthropist and opera lover Carol Franc Buck passed away on April 9 at the age of 85. Buck served for many years on the boards of San Francisco Opera and Arizona Opera as well as the San Francisco Symphony. A founding donor of Classical Tahoe, Buck was instrumental in the creation of the six-week classical music festival that now takes place every summer at Lake Tahoe.

Nora London, president of the George London Foundation and author of An Aria for George and George London: Of Gods and Demons, passed away on June 23 at the age of 98. Born Nora Schapiro in Berlin, London was married to the great Canadian American baritone George London from 1954 until 1985. After her husband’s death, London served as the president of the George London Foundation, founded in 1971, and provided essential career support and encouragement to generations of Amerian and Canadian opera singers.

Henry Mollicone

Composer, conductor, and pianist Henry Mollicone died on May 12. He was 76. Mollicone composed eight operas, including Gabriel’s Daughter, which premiered at Central City Opera in 2003; Coyote Tales, commissioned and premiered by Lyric Opera of Kansas City in 1988; and the critically acclaimed Hotel Eden, which premiered at Opera San Jose in 1989. At the time of his death, Mollicone was working on his next opera, Mariette in Ecstasy. A graduate of the New England Conservatory, Mollicone took his first job after college as assistant conductor at the New York City Opera. He was a professor at Santa Clara University from 1985 to 1999 and was the founder and music director of the Winchester Orchestra of San Jose. He conducted at more than a dozen American opera companies, including Baltimore Opera, Portland Opera, and Opera Saratoga. Munn

Tom Munn

Lighting designer Tom Munn passed away on June 24 at age 78. As lighting director/designer for San Francisco Opera from 1976 to 2000, Munn designed close to 200 productions, beginning with Massenet’s Thaïs (starring Beverly Sills) for his company debut in 1976. He also worked on Kirk Browning’s La Gioconda in 1979, for which he won an Emmy Award, Nikolaus Lehnhoff’s 1985 Ring cycle, and David Hockney’s 1993 Turandot. In addition to his work with San Francisco Opera, Munn designed productions for Teatro Regio Turin, The Dallas Opera, San Diego Opera, and Los Angeles Opera, among others. At the time of his death, Davis was professor emeritus of theater and dance at University of California, Davis, where he had co-created the school’s M.F.A. program in scenic design.