Sarasota Opera is set to open its 68th season with Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel.” The opera will run between Oct. 30 and Nov. 14 and will showcase a production that marks the first-ever mainstage collaboration between Sarasota Opera, Sarasota Youth Opera, and Sarasota Ballet School’s Margaret Barbieri Conservatory and Sarasota Ballet Studio Company. The production will star Kara Morgan, Kerrigan Bigelow, Lisa Chavez, {…}
Sarasota Opera has received a $60,000 Empowering Arts Grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation in support of its 2026-27 season. The grant was made possible through the Zoe Anderson Charitable Fund and aims to support Sarasota Opera’s artistic programming, seasonal productions and community-building events. Moreover, $30,000 will provide production support for the company’s 2027 Winter Opera Festival. “Gulf Coast Community {…}
Sarasota Opera has received a $30,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County in support of its Sarasota Youth Opera and education programs, as well as the company’s annual Aficionado Dinner. The funding will support programs designed to expand access to arts education and live opera experiences for young people, families and educators throughout Sarasota County. The grant will {…}
Sarasota Opera has been awarded a $12,500 grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to support consultant fees for the organization’s strategic planning process. The company has engaged consultants Amy Funk and Peter Hussell of F&H Partners to guide the process, which has involved a 14-member Strategic Planning Committee of Sarasota Opera staff and board members. The committee has {…}
Sarasota Opera is set to honor David and Edith Chaifetz at its 2027 gala, “A Night of Camellias & Champagne.” The event, set for Saturday, Jan. 30, 2027, at 6 p.m. at The Ora Grand Ballroom in Sarasota, will celebrate Sarasota Opera’s artist training programs and recognize the Chaifetzes’ two decades of leadership, philanthropy, and service to the company. The {…}
Sarasota Opera has announced its Board of Trustees leadership for the 2026-27 season, electing David Chaifetz as Chair and Syble DiGirolamo as Vice Chair. Chaifetz previously served as Chair of the Board from 2014 through 2017 after joining the Board of Trustees in 2006 and serving as Vice Chair beginning in 2011. He and his wife Edith Chaifetz are Season {…}
Sarasota Opera has unveiled its 2026-27 Signature Events season, a series of fundraising events supporting the company’s productions, artist training programs, community outreach, and Sarasota Youth Opera. The season opens with the Sarasota Opera Food & Wine Festival at the Sarasota Opera House. Performance Date: Sept. 26, 2026 “The Curtain Raiser” follows at Michael’s On East, marking the opening of {…}
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 {…}
Sarasota Opera and The Bay have announced “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. Screenings will take place on consecutive Saturday evenings in April and May, with large-screen presentations and English surtitles. The series opens on April 18 with Puccini’s “La bohème,” {…}
Sarasota Opera will hold its annual “Salute to the Stars” Awards Luncheon on March 24, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. at the Sarasota Yacht Club. The event will celebrate outstanding Apprentice and Studio artists from the 2026 Winter Opera Festival with a gourmet lunch and performances by the awardees. Awards will be presented through the legacy of several visionary individuals as {…}
Sarasota Opera has been awarded a $24,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts as part of the federal agency’s “Freedom 250” initiative, celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. The funds will be used to support the company’s 2026 Winter Opera Festival production of “Susannah” by Carlisle Floyd. Interestingly, this year marks the 100th anniversary of Floyd’s birth, and the run {…}