Hermitage And Sarasota Opera Announce New Collaborative Program In August

The Hermitage Artist Retreat announces a new program presented in partnership with Sarasota Opera featuring the work of Hermitage Fellow Hilan Warshaw, a filmmaker and musician whose work focuses on the lives and works of some of music's most influential figures. The film screening and discussion will take place on Friday, August 26 at 6pm at the Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

Hermitage Fellow Hilan Warshaw's films explore the lives and minds of great composers, delving into the often controversial passions and experiences that informed some of music's most influential masterpieces. Blending documentary, narrative film techniques, and his own musical background as a violinist and conductor, Warshaw's internationally broadcast films shine a new light on musical and operatic creators including Wagner, Schoenberg, Berg, Bach, and Mahler. He is currently the video director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's on-demand Classical Series. For this program on August 26, Warshaw shares excerpts from his films and discusses the close relationship between the art forms of cinema and music. (Complete artist bio below.)

"We are excited to partner with Sarasota Opera as we introduce Hilan Warshaw to the many classical music appreciators in our region," says Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. "We are proud to support new musical voices and multidisciplinary artists, and Hilan's extraordinary talent as a filmmaker in the field of classical music seemed like the perfect opportunity to collaborate with our friends at the Opera as he shares his gifts for cinematic and musical storytelling with our community."

"We are thrilled to partner with the Hermitage Artist Retreat on this exciting program," says Sarasota Opera's General Director Richard Russell. "We look forward to connecting our audiences with the incredible artists who come to the Hermitage to make work."

Please note: unlike most Hermitage programs, ths event will be held indoors at the Sarasota Opera House. Capacity for this event may be limited to accommodate safe social distancing, so early reservations are recommended. Admission is free with a $5 per person registration fee. Face masks are strongly encouraged at check-in; the Hermitage and/or the Opera reserves the right to add additional health and safety protocols for this event as deemed necessary.

This event is one of many Hermitage programs and collaborations planned throughout the season, spanning Sarasota County and the surrounding region - all free to the members of our community with a $5/person registration fee.

The Hermitage is the only major arts organization in the Gulf Coast region exclusively committed to supporting the development and creation of new work across all artistic disciplines. Since the start of the pandemic, the Hermitage has offered more than 100 live outdoor artist programs, free and accessible to the members of our community. Venues have expanded beyond the Hermitage's beautiful beachfront campus to include outdoor locations throughout Sarasota County and beyond, including Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Bay Park Sarasota, Booker High School, Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, The Ringling Museum, Sarasota Art Museum, Boca Grande, and more. New and ongoing collaborations have included Asolo Repertory Theatre, ASALH, Embracing Our Differences, EnsembleNew SRQ, Florida Studio Theatre, New College of Florida, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota Opera, Urbanite Theater, Venice Theatre, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, and more.

New programs introduced during the past two seasons have included dozens of partnerships with leading arts, cultural, and educational institutions throughout our region.

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