Opera Tampa Announces the 2014 Florida Opera Festival Featuring Bizet, Mozart and More!

The 2013-2014 Florida Opera Festival presented by Opera Tampa is certain to exhilarate every opera buff and fascinate any curious opera novice. Composers Bizet and Mozart, among others, will be showcased in a magnificent season of passion, intrigue and magic. The season also features L'amour Toujours, a Popera! Concert and options to attend the 2012 Tony Award-winning Best Revival of a Musical The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess and a concert by international superstar Andrea Bocelli.

"Our inaugural Florida Opera Festival has been a resounding success," said Straz Center President Judy Lisi. "The 2013-2014 season is sure to take us to an even higher level. The wonderful festival format allows us to present a plethora of exciting events. And while we are still busy planning lots of surprises, I couldn't be more thrilled with this extraordinary series that will feature four main stage productions."

In his second season as artistic director and conductor, Daniel Lipton will again bring his vast experience on international stages, charismatic personality and love of music to the Florida Opera Festival. Lipton's fresh ideas and individual sound have, in one short season, made him a Tampa Bay favorite.

"Next season we'll present two of the greatest operas ever written," Lipton said. "I am so excited. The Magic Flute will be a first for Opera Tampa since it has never been performed in our history and, as Mozart's most fun opera, contains all the magic and humor of his genius. Carmen is certainly in the top 10 operas around the world," Lipton continued, "and we have certain surprises in store which should make this a very special production."

The 2013-2014 Florida Opera Festival includes:

The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess

Friday, Jan. 17, 2014, at 8 p.m.*

Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014, at 1:30 p.m.*

(*The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess is presented as part of the Bank of America Best of Broadway Tampa Bay series and plays at the Straz Center Jan. 14-19, 2014.)

Morsani Hall

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Set in Charleston's fabled Catfish Row, beautiful Bess struggles to break free from her scandalous past, and the only one who can rescue her is the courageous Porgy. Their deep romance triumphs as one of theater's most exhilarating love stories. Winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess features such legendary songs as "Summertime," "It Ain't Necessarily So" and "I Got Plenty of Nothing."

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's

The Magic Flute

Friday, Feb. 7, 2014, at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014, at 2 p.m.

Ferguson Hall

Follow the whimsical adventures of Prince Tamino and Papageno the Bird Catcher on their heroic quest to rescue the captured Princess Pamina. The Magic Flute blends myth and enchantment, and champions the fight between good and evil, confirming that love conquers all.

The Magic Flute will be sung in German with English translations projected above the stage. Maestro Lipton will lead an international cast along with the Opera Tampa Orchestra and Chorus.

L'amour Toujours, a Popera! Concert

Friday, Feb. 21, 2014, at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, at 2 p.m.

Ferguson Hall

Opera Tampa's Artistic Director and Conductor Daniel Lipton presents opera's greatest hits -

breath-taking music from favorite operas sung by international artists with a full orchestra.

"Because of the immense popularity of the 2013 season's Popera! offering, we'll continue to present exceptional singers with the most popular hits of opera," said Maestro Lipton.

Georges Bizet's

Carmen

Friday, March 14, 2014, at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 16, 2014, at 2 p.m.

Morsani Hall

Carmen packs all the sizzle of Spanish culture into a sexy thriller that traces Don José's ill-fated obsession with the seductive gypsy Carmen - the ultimate femme fatale. When the handsome toreador, Escamillo, captures Carmen's affections and Jose is cast aside, his jealousy and vengeance consume him.

Carmen will be sung in French with English translations projected above the stage. Maestro Lipton will lead an international cast along with the Opera Tampa Orchestra and Chorus.

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Florida Opera Festival presents

Andrea Bocelli in Concert

Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013, at 8 p.m.

Tampa Bay Times Forum

With one of the most recognizable voices in music, Andrea Bocelli is a global icon who continues to defy categorization bringing his music to millions world-wide. The December 2013 tour comes in support of Bocelli's recent release Passione which debuted at No. 2 on the overall Billboard charts, along with a brand new PBS television special Love in Portofino. Passione is a lush collection of Mediterranean love songs featuring duets with global pop stars Jennifer Lopez, Nelly Furtado and the late Edith Piaf. The album reunites Bocelli with 16-time Grammy Award-winning producer David Foster, who produced Bocelli's 2006 release Amore, which sold more than 4.2 million copies.

Accompanied by the Opera Tampa Orchestra and Chorus, Bocelli's concert features music from his platinum-selling catalogue, covering both traditional and romantic crossover repertoire.

Florida Opera Festival season subscribers will have the opportunity to purchase priority seating for Andrea Bocelli in Concert**, presented by Florida Opera Festival on Dec. 14, 2013, at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

THREE-SHOW PACKAGE	The Magic Flute, Popera! and Carmen
FOUR-SHOW PACKAGE	The Magic Flute, Popera!, Carmen and The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess

**Andrea Bocelli is not part of either season ticket package.

Premium seating for the three-show package begins at $215. Those interested in purchasing season tickets should call the Straz Center Ticket Office at 813.229.STAR (7827) or outside the Tampa Bay area at 800.955.1045 or visit www.operatampa.org for specific on-sale information. Renewing season ticket holders, Opera Tampa League members and Straz Center Annual Members receive priority seating for season tickets and seating upgrade requests. Priority increases according to giving level. Group tickets and individual opera tickets will go on sale at a later date.

For more information about the Florida Opera Festival presented by Opera Tampa and its upcoming events, please visit www.operatampa.org.

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