Three commissioned works mark the San Francisco Opera's 2012-13 season, including the much-awaited Jake Heggie opera "Moby-Dick."

A total of nine productions will be offered in the season, the company's 90th, it announced this week.

The season begins Sept. 7 with Verdi's "Rigoletto." Verdi specialist Željko Lucic will be in the title role, and Aleksandra Kurzak will sing Gilda. Nicola Luisotti conducts.

One of the highlights of the season will be the opera adaptation of Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick," by Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer. The opera was co-comissioned with the Dallas Opera, where it received its world premiere in 2010 to glowing reviews.

The production, which opens Oct. 10, will see dramatic tenor Ben Heppner singing the Ahab role and tenor Stephen Costello as Ishmael. Patrick Summers will conduct the Leonard Foglia production, which will be sung in English.

Also among the three commissioned works next season is "The Gospel of Mary Magdalene," by Mark Adamo, who adapted the opera from texts and research on the canonical and gnostic gospels. The Kevin Newbury production will close out the season in June 2013 with mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke in the Mary Magdalene role, leading a cast that includes baritone Nathan Gunn, soprano Maria Kanyova and tenor William Burden.

The other commissioned work, "The Secret Garden" by Nolan Gasser with a libretto by Carey Harrison, gets its premiere in March 2013 under the direction of José Maria Condemi. All performances will be at Zellerbach Hall at the University of California, Berkeley. The cast for this work – a family-oriented opera based on the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett – has yet to be announced.

That opera is an outgrowth of the company's interest in producing more opera for younger audiences in alternate venues.

" 'The Secret Garden' is a family-friendly work representing San Francisco Opera's commitment to involve more families, children and parents in repertoire that is attractive and entertaining," said San Francisco Opera general manager David Gockley in a news release.

The season also offers Bellini's "I Capuleti e i Montecchi," opening Sept. 29, with mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato singing the Romeo role and baritone Eric Owens as Capellio.

Wagner's "Lohengrin" rolls out Oct. 20 in a Daniel Slater production with tenor Brandon Jovanovich in the title role and soprano Camilla Nylund as Elsa. Luisotti conducts.

A Condemi production of Puccini's "Tosca" opens Nov. 15 with soprano Angela Gheorghiu singing Tosca and tenor Massimo Giordano as Cavaradossi. Baritone Roberto Frontali will sing the Scarpa role.

Offenbach's "Les Contes D'Hoffmann" opens the slate of summer operas June 2013 with tenor Matthew Polenzani in the title role and coloratura soprano Natalie Dessay as Guiletta and Stella. Patrick Fournillier conducts.

The company will also offer Mozart's "Così Fan Tutte," also opening that June, with soprano Ellie Dehn as Fiordiligi and soprano Heidi Stober in the Despina role. The production will be conducted by Luisotti.

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