Sarasota Opera to Present Verdi's IL TROVATORE This March
Sarasota Opera's cast is led by Canadian-Italian soprano Aviva Fortunata.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Feb. 17, 2026
Sarasota Opera will continue its proud tradition of presenting operas by Giuseppe Verdi with Il trovatore, opening Saturday, March 7 with seven performances through March 29, 2026. The company presented Il trovatore two times, first in 1993 and again in 2014, as part of its 28-year Verdi Cycle, the company's monumental undertaking to perform all written works by the beloved opera composer.
Il trovatore was the most popular of Verdi's works during his lifetime, and it remains one of his most performed. The epic tale takes place in 15th century Spain, where a fiery execution from Count de Luna's childhood sparks a lifetime of vengeance—driving him to hunt the mysterious Azucena and battle for the love of the noblewoman Leonora. Caught up in long buried family secrets, Leonora and her beloved troubadour Manrico are swept into a storm of passion and fate.
Artists and Creative Team
Sarasota Opera's cast is led by Canadian-Italian soprano Aviva Fortunata, who has twice been named among the CBC's “Top 30 Canadian Classical Artists under 30,” in the role of Leonora. The “bold and commanding” (Broadway World) mezzo soprano Lisa Chavez returns to play Azucena, with tenor Victor Starsky in the role of Manrico, baritone Ricardo José Rivera as Conte di Luna, and bass Young Bok Kim as Ferrando. At the podium will be Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi. The production will be directed by Marco Nisticò, with costume design by Howard Tsvi Kaplan, lighting design by Ken Yunker, and scenic design by Michael Schweikardt
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