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 {…}
Sarasota Opera has received a $25,000 grant from the 1st Source Foundation to support a feature-length documentary marking 100 years of the Sarasota Opera House, originally opened in 1926 as the Edwards Theatre. Tentatively titled “The Sarasota Opera House: A Centennial Celebration,” the film is being produced by Steve Sabato in collaboration with Rene Gilmore of ABC7’s Empowering Voices. The {…}
Sarasota Opera is set to present Floyd’s “Susannah“ on March 14. This will be the fourth and final production in its 2026 Winter Festival and will be shown six times through March 28. The opera will star soprano Hanna Brammer in the title role, bass-baritone Jason Zacher as Olin Blitch and tenor Jeremy Brauner as brother Sam. The production will {…}
Sarasota Opera has announced two summer training opportunities for young singers: the Sarasota Youth Opera Summer Camp and the newly launched Sarasota Opera Vocal Academy. The Youth Opera Summer Camp, led by Sarasota Opera’s professional artistic and production staff, offers sessions in singing, acting, physical comedy, and production disciplines including sets, props, wigs, makeup, and costumes. No auditions are required. {…}
The Sarasota Opera is set to present Verdi’s “Il Trovatore.” The production, which is set to be presented between March 7 and 29, 2026, will be revived for the first time since 2014. The company has only performed the work twice including in 1993. In a statement Sarasota Opera General Director Richard Russell said, “It is ‘Il Trovatore’s’ music that {…}
On Feb. 8, Bad Bunny gave his long awaited Super Bowl Half Time Show filled with dance, theater, different musical styles and surprises. Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin were the surprises with the highest profile that made huge impressions as were were cameos from the likes of Karol G, Cardi B and Pedro Pascal. But even classical music got a {…}
The Sarasota Opera has announced its 2026-27 season. Here is a look: Fall 2026 The season opens with Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel” with Kerrigan Bigelow as Gretel, alongside returning Lisa Chavez as the Witch, and Lindsey Polcyn as Gertrude. Spencer Reichman will make his company debut as the Father. Anthony Barrese conducts. Performance Dates: Oct. 30-Nov. 14, 2026 Winter 2027 {…}
Sarasota Opera is to present Franz Lehár’s “The Merry Widow.” The operetta, which will be presented between Feb. 21 and March 27, will feature Raquel Gonzàlez in the role of Hanna Glawari, Jake Stamatis as Count Danilo, Sara Kennedy as Valencienne, and Patrick Bessenbacher as Camille. The production will be conducted by Anthony Barrese and directed by Katherine M. Carter Patrons {…}