Richard Russell News

Sasha Regan's swashbuckling all-male take on W. S. Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan's 'The Pirates of Penzance' returns to living rooms around the globe this Christmas.

General Director Richard Russell and Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi announced that Melissa Voigt has returned to Sarasota Opera as Senior Development Officer. Ms. Voigt first joined the company in 2000 as Individual Giving Officer and became Director of Development in 2002.

Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi and General Director Richard Russell have announced casting for the 2022 Winter Opera Festival, which also marks Maestro DeRenzi's 40th anniversary with the company.

Six popular Sarasota Opera past productions will be broadcast on Classical WSMR radio beginning Saturday, October 23rd at 1pm Eastern Time: Verdi's Otello (2012), D'Albert's Tiefland (2018) on October 30th, Puccini's La bohème (2020) on November 6th, Montemezzi's The Love of Three Kings (L'amore dei tre rei) (2017) on November 13th, and more.

Schmidt Vocal Arts has announced the first national prize in the history of the Schmidt Vocal Competition, in celebration of its 25th anniversary season. This annual event for U.S. high school students, funded by the William E. Schmidt Foundation, sees 400+ singers compete each year – this season for more than $625K in cash awards and scholarships.

Sarasota Opera has announced the election of new officers to its Board of Trustees. Waldron “Wally” Kraemer has been elected Chair for a two-year term, succeeding Syble Di Girolamo who served from 2019 to 2021. Mr. Kraemer has served on the board since 2014, most recently as Vice Chair.

Sarasota Opera Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi and General Director Richard Russell have announced the 2021-2022 Season. Inspired by the enthusiastic audience response to the early Rossini works performed this past winter and spring season, Sarasota Opera will present The Silken Ladder (La scala di seta) for the 2021 Fall Season in November.

Sarasota Opera announced today that Richard Russell's contract has been extended through the 2025–26 season, and that his job title will change from Executive Director to General Director to better reflect the breadth of his responsibilities with the company.

Sarasota Opera Executive Director Richard Russell has announced the appointment of Stephen Baker as Director of Marketing. Baker was most recently the Director of Marketing and Audience Development for the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota.

It is a story that couldn't be completely told until the final curtain fell. On Sunday, April 25th, 2021, Sarasota Opera concluded its 62nd season with a fully staged performance of Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas to a live audience filling 20% of the seating capacity of the Sarasota Opera House.

Due to popular demand, Sasha Regan's smash hit all-male take on W. S. Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan's THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE returns to screens from tonight, Monday 29th March – Monday 5th April 2021.

On Friday, February 12th, Sarasota Opera opened its 2021 Winter Opera Festival with a fully staged production of Gioachino Rossini's The Happy Deception (L'inganno Felice) to a live audience filling 25% of the seating capacity of the Sarasota Opera House.

Victor DeRenzi, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, and Richard Russell, Executive Director, are pleased to announce the casting for the 2021 Winter and Spring Opera Festivals.

For this weekend only there is a £25 ticket offer on all seats to Sasha’s award-winning all-male take on Gilbert & Sullivan’s THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE at the Palace Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue. The offer will run until Sunday 6th December at midnight.

Introducing Sasha Regan's ALL-MALE THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE cast. They have boarded the pirate ship and are on route to the Palace Theatre for 2 nights, on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th December. The ship is carrying a star crew of burly pirates and an abundance of lasses in petticoats and plenty of rum! What's not to love!

Sarasota Opera announced a redesigned 2021 Winter/Spring Opera Festival that will include two operas that feature a smaller cast and orchestra to be presented in February and March, and a second two-opera season in April, both to a well-spaced audience and limited capacity.

By popular demand, an additional “Live from the Sarasota Opera House” concert featuring favorite opera selections by Verdi, Rossini, Puccini, Wagner, and Mozart, accompanied by piano, is now scheduled for Sunday, November 15th at 1:30 pm.

Executive Director Richard Russell and Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi announced that Marco Nisticò will become the new Artistic Administrator of Sarasota Opera beginning December 1, 2020. Mr. Nisticò will fill the position held by the recently deceased Greg Trupiano, who had worked for Sarasota Opera since 1987.

Sarasota Opera has been approved for a $50,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Sarasota Opera has been awarded a $50,000 Arts Appreciation Grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation. The grant offers unrestricted funding to area arts organizations in support of their artistic mission.