Maestro DeRenzi to Conduct A VERDI CELEBRATION at Opera de Montreal, 12/1

Maestro Victor DeRenzi, who is celebrating his 32nd season as Artistic Director of Sarasota Opera, will conduct "A Verdi Celebration" at Opéra de Montréal in Montreal, Canada on Sunday, December 1st. The gala concert is to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Verdi. The program will consist of a selection of arias and ensembles from some of Verdi's greatest works including Aida, Don Carlo, Il trovatore, Otello, and many others.

The list of esteemed soloists include American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton. Ms. Barton recently took first place at the 2013 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition and just won critical acclaim for her performance of Adalgisa in Bellini's Norma at the Metropolitan Opera.

This will not be Maestro DeRenzi's first appearance in Montréal. He made his debut with the company conducting a production of La bohème in 1999 and returned two seasons later to conduct their production of Aida in 2001.

"Montreal is a very special city with a long history of opera. I'm looking forward to returning to Opéra de Montréal performing all this extraordinary music of Verdi." says Maestro DeRenzi. "As all of us who love Verdi know, repertoire like this, from Nabucco to Otello, makes for an exciting program. Everything on this concert is music that I have conducted before and most of it in Sarasota."

The performance will be at the Maison Symphonique de Montréal and will include the l'Opéra de Montréal Chorus and Orchestre Métropolitain.

ABOUT SARASOTA OPERA: Based in Florida's beautiful Gulf Coast, Sarasota Opera is approaching its 55th consecutive season. In 1960, the company began presenting chamber-sized repertoire in the historic 320-seat Asolo Theater on the grounds of Sarasota's Ringling Museum of Art. Recognizing the need for a theater more conducive to opera, the company purchased the former A.B. Edwards Theater in downtown Sarasota in 1979 and first performing in it in 1984 as the Sarasota Opera House. The theater has just undergone a $20-million renovation and rehabilitation enhancing audience amenities, while updating the technical facilities including increasing the size of the orchestra pit. The theater, which reopened in March 2008, has been called "one of America's finest venues for opera" by Musical America.

Since 1983 the company has been under the artistic leadership of Victor DeRenzi. Since then the company has garnered international attention with its Masterwork Revivals Series, which presents neglected works of artistic merit, as well as the Verdi Cycle producing the complete works of Giuseppe Verdi. Recognizing the importance of training, Maestro DeRenzi founded the Apprentice Artist and Studio Artist programs. Sarasota Opera also maintains a commitment to education through its Invitation to Opera performances for local schools and the unique Sarasota Youth Opera program.

The 2013 Fall Season will feature Johann Strauss, Jr,'s Die Fledermaus followed by the Sarasota Youth Opera production of Britten's The Little Sweep. The 2014 Winter Festival will include Verdi's Il trovatore, Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Wagner's The Flying Dutchman, and Verdi's Jérusalem. Subscriptions and Single Tickets for the 2013-2014 Season are now on sale by calling (941) 328-1300 or visiting the Sarasota Opera Box Office.