Victor DeRenzi News

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

Sarasota Opera and the Hermitage Artist Retreat in Englewood, FL will collaborate once again on a series of talks to be held at the Sarasota Opera House.

Sarasota Opera and the Hermitage Artist Retreat in Englewood, FL will collaborate once again on a series of talks to be held at the Sarasota Opera House.

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

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.

Maestro Victor DeRenzi and Executive Director Richard Russell are proud to announce new additions to both the artistic and administrative staff at Sarasota Opera effective immediately.

After a nationwide search, Sarasota Opera is proud to announce that composer/librettist Rachel J. Peters has been commissioned to compose Sarasota Youth Opera's next world premiere. Ms. Peter's opera, Rootabaga Country, which is being written now and will have its premiere in November 2017, was selected over 12 other submissions. This will be the sixth opera commissioned by the Sarasota Youth Opera program.

After a nationwide search, Sarasota Opera is proud to announce that composer/librettist Rachel J. Peters has been commissioned to compose Sarasota Youth Opera's next world premiere. Ms. Peter's opera, Rootabaga Country, which is being written now and will have its premiere in November 2017, was selected over 12 other submissions. This will be the sixth opera commissioned by the Sarasota Youth Opera program.

Sarasota Opera – Thrilling music, exciting new voices, and compelling theater will launch Sarasota Opera into its 58th Season of presenting grand opera on the south Florida gulf coast, the first season in 28 years to not include any operas by Giuseppe Verdi.

Thrilling music, exciting new voices, and compelling theater will launch Sarasota Opera into its 58th Season of presenting grand opera on the south Florida gulf coast, the first season in 28 years to not include any operas by Giuseppe Verdi.

Sarasota, FL – Sarasota Opera's 2016 Winter Opera Festival season, a landmark in the company's 57 year history, will mark the final year of the Verdi Cycle, a 28-season initiative to perform the complete works of Giuseppe Verdi. The season will culminate in a Verdi Festival Week March 15 – 20 which will include performances of Verdi's Aida and The Battle of Legnano, two concerts of Verdi's music, a retrospective exhibit on the Verdi Cycle, an International Verdi Conference, and many more commemorative events. At the conclusion of the Verdi Cycle, Sarasota Opera will be theonly company in the world to have performed every work of Giuseppe Verdi.   

Sarasota, FL – Sarasota Opera's 2016 Winter Opera Festival season, a landmark in the company's 57 year history, will mark the final year of the Verdi Cycle, a 28-season initiative to perform the complete works of Giuseppe Verdi. The season will culminate in a Verdi Festival Week March 15 – 20 which will include performances of Verdi's Aida and The Battle of Legnano, two concerts of Verdi's music, a retrospective exhibit on the Verdi Cycle, an International Verdi Conference, and many more commemorative events. At the conclusion of the Verdi Cycle, Sarasota Opera will be theonly company in the world to have performed every work of Giuseppe Verdi.   

Sarasota, FL – Sarasota Opera is proud to announce the launch of its new website,http://www.verdicycle.org/, dedicated to the company's 28-year Verdi Cycle. Started in 1989 with a production of Verdi's Rigoletto, The Verdi Cycle is the company's commitment to perform all the works of Giuseppe Verdi, both operatic and non-operatic, intended for performance. The Verdi Cycle is due to be completed at the close of the company's 2016 Winter Festival Season on March 20, 2016, making Sarasota Opera the only company in the world to have performed every note of Giuseppe Verdi.

Sarasota, FL – Today, December 9, at 10am Sarasota Opera, in partnership with the Hermitage Artists Retreat in Englewood, FL, will present the second of their “Opera Talk” series with Baltimore-based composer and musician Ruby Fulton. 

Sarasota, FL – Wednesday, December 9, at 10am Sarasota Opera, in partnership with the Hermitage Artists Retreat in Englewood, FL, will present the second of their “Opera Talk” series with Baltimore-based composer and musician Ruby Fulton. 

Sarasota, FL – Sarasota Opera is proud to announce casting for the 2015-2016 fall and winter season, truly the most climactic in the company's 57 year history. The season will feature the final two installments of the 28 year Verdi Cycle – The Battle of Legnano and Aida- in a grand spectacle of music, vocal prowess, awe-inspiring choruses, sumptuous scenery, and luxurious costumes. In addition, the company will present Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, and Mozart's comedic Così fan tutte. 

Sarasota Opera is proud to announce casting for the 2015-2016 fall and winter season, truly the most climactic in the company's 57 year history. The season will feature the final two installments of the 28 year Verdi Cycle – The Battle of Legnano and Aida- in a grand spectacle of music, vocal prowess, awe-inspiring choruses, sumptuous scenery, and luxurious costumes. In addition, the company will present Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, and Mozart's comedic Così fan tutte.

 Enrollment is now open for young people ages 8 -18 for Sarasota Youth Opera's 2015 Summer Camp to be held June 8 – June 26, 2015.  The annual three-week program will run Monday thru Friday from 9 am – 12:30pm for campers ages 8 – 10, and 10am – 4pmfor campers ages 11 – 18. Everyone is welcome; no audition is required. All activities are at the Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota.

Sarasota Opera is proud to announce its plans for the 2015-2016 fall and winter season, the most climactic in the company's 56 year history. The season will feature the final two installments of the 28 year Verdi Cycle - The Battle of Legnano and Aida- in a grand spectacle of music, vocal prowess, awe-inspiring choruses, sumptuous scenery, and luxurious costumes. In addition, Sarasota Opera will present Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, and Mozart's Così fan tutte.

On Thursday, February 26th, at 11am EST, Maestro Victor DeRenzi and principal artists from Sarasota Opera will present a live program of excerpts from this season's production of Verdi's Don Carlos on Classical WSMR 89.1 FM hosted by Russell Gant. Mr. Gant will interview Maestro DeRenzi about the upcoming production, which opens on Saturday, March 7th, as well as Sarasota Opera's ongoing Verdi Cycle.