Sarasota Opera to Host 2016 Taste of Downtown Festival to Support Sarasota Youth Opera

By: Aug. 24, 2016
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Saturday, September 10, 2016, Sarasota Opera will open its doors for the 3rd annual Taste of Downtown Food & Wine Festival at the Sarasota Opera House.

Consistently a sell-out event, the Taste of Downtown Festival is a fundraiser for the Sarasota Youth Opera. In its two-year history, Taste of Downtown has raised more than $28,000 to support the most comprehensive youth opera program in the United States.

"This event has become a wonderful way for the downtown community to come together and highlight some of what makes Sarasota so special," says Executive Director Richard Russell. "We are grateful for the continued support of our downtown neighbors, sponsors, and patrons who have made this such an enjoyable way to help us impact the lives of thousands of young people."

Attendees will be invited to enjoy culinary treats, fine wines, and craft beers provided by some of Sarasota's most popular eateries and lounges spread amongst the unique setting of the historic Sarasota Opera House. Each attendee will receive a custom designed wine glass upon check-in. Guests will also be treated to a performance by members of the Sarasota Youth Opera.

Participating restaurants include:

Bijou Café

The Blue Rooster

Café L'Europe

Red Clásico Sarasota

Currents at Hyatt Regency Sarasota

Duval's Fresh Local Seafood

El Greco Cafe

H2O Bistro at Hotel Indigo

Jack Dusty at the Ritz Carlton, Sarasota

Kahwa Coffee

Louie's Modern

Mattison's City Grille

Michael's On East

Selva Grill

Servandos

Sift Bakehouse

Social Eatery & Bar

State Street Eating House

The Starlite Room

Tsunami Sushi and Hibachi Grill

Tickets are $65 per person if purchased in advance and $75 per person if purchased the day of the event. Tickets are available now online at www.sarasotaopera.org/taste.aspx or through the Sarasota Opera Box Office at (941) 328-1300.

Sarasota Opera would like to extend special thanks to our sponsors The Observer Media Group, Scene Magazine, Serbin Printing, Republic National Distributing Company, Masciarelli Wine Company, Gold Coast Eagle Distributing, Whole Foods.

Based on Florida's beautiful Gulf Coast, Sarasota Opera recently completed its 57th consecutive season and the final season of the company's internationally acclaimed Verdi Cycle making it the only company in the world to have performed every work of Giuseppe Verdi.

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 and administrative leadership of Executive Director Richard Russell since 2012. 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.

Sarasota Opera is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Programs are supported in part by an award the Tourist Development Tax through the Board of County Commissioners, the Tourist Development Council and the Sarasota County Arts Council. Additional funding is provided by the City of Sarasota and the County of Sarasota.

Photo Credit: Cliff Roles



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