Sarasota Opera will celebrate its 100th anniversary of the historic Sarasota Opera House with a weekend of centennial programs.

The “Centennial Concert” will be held on April 11.  The concert will pay tribute to the theater’s 100-year history and feature Sarasota Opera artists including soprano Virginia Mims, mezzo-soprano Lisa Chavez, tenor Rafael Dávila, and baritone Jake Stamatis. The Sarasota Orchestra will be conducted by Sarasota Opera Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Victor DeRenzi. The event will also include guest performances by West Coast Black Theatre Troupe, the Circus Arts Conservatory, and the Sarasota Ballet. The event begins at 1:30 pm.

On April 12, Sarasota Opera will host a free community film screening of “The Sarasota Opera House: A Centennial Celebration,” a new documentary chronicling the evolution of the Opera House from its origins as a 1920s vaudeville and movie palace to its role today as a premier opera venue. The film, which airs on PBS/WEDU on April 9, highlights the people, performances, and preservation efforts that have shaped the Opera House throughout its existence. The screening will take place at the Sarasota Opera House from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. Architecture Sarasota president, Marty Hylton, will give a talk prior to the showing.

Following these events, the Opera will launch “Opera at The Bay,” a free outdoor screening series presenting three productions from the company’s 2026 Winter Festival at The Bay Park in downtown Sarasota. The series opens on April 18 with Puccini’s “La bohème.”

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