Victor DeRenzi News

Sarasota Opera's Curtain Raiser Dinner will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of General Director Richard Russell on October 16, 2022.

As it moves into the final stretch of its 25th anniversary season, Schmidt Vocal Arts (SVA) is eagerly anticipating the final destination: from June 3–5, 2022, Sarasota Opera will host over 30 singers – the top three winners from each of 13 regional competitions and from an independent, virtual cohort are eligible – competing in the company's William E. Schmidt Opera Theatre for the first national award in the Schmidt Vocal Competition's history.

The 2022 Fall Season will feature Cimarosa's The Secret Marriage, along with a production of the Sarasota Youth Opera, Dean Burry's The Secret World of Og. Opening the 2023 Winter Opera Festival on February 18 will be Puccini's Madama Butterfly, followed by Mozart's Don Giovanni, Verdi's Ernani, and Massenet's Thérèse.

The Sarasota Opera House will be the scene of great celebration on the evening of Saturday, March 26, as the company pays tribute to Maestro DeRenzi’s 40th anniversary. Festivities will begin at 5 PM with a reception of passed hors d’oeuvres and libations under a spacious and elegant tent covering Pineapple Avenue.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Executive Director Richard Russell and Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi announced that Scott Guinn will become the new Director of Development beginning July 1, 2020.

Sarasota Opera fans know that nothing equals the thrill of a live performance. But since the company's 2020 Winter Opera Festival ended early due to the COVID-19 health crisis, the art of opera has continued online, and on the air, with a variety of creative efforts.

At 7:30 pm on Sunday, March 15th, a beloved tradition returns to the historic Sarasota Opera House, when principal artists a?" the stars of Sarasota Opera's productions a?" take the stage to perform their favorite songs, arias, and ensembles, accompanied by piano. Hear the beautiful Rigoletto quartet, Carmen's thrilling Seguidilla, a Korean Art Song, and many more special selections. Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased online at SarasotaOpera.org, by phone, or at the box office. The Winter Opera Festival continues through March 22 with performances of Puccini's La bohème, Gounod's Romeo & Juliet, Donizetti's The Elixir of Love, and Catalani's La Wally (opening March 7). For more information visit SarasotaOpera.org, call (941) 328-1300, or visit the box office at 61 N. Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236.

Executive Director Richard Russell and Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi have announced that soprano Caitlin Crabill will be performing the role of Wally for all performances of Sarasota Opera's production of Alfredo Catalani's La Wally, opening Saturday, March 7, 2020. Teresa Romano, who was originally scheduled to sing in the production, has withdrawn due to illness.

On Saturday, February 8, Sarasota Opera opened the 2020 Winter Opera Festival with a festive brass fanfare played from the outside balcony of the Opera House, followed by the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the completion of the Verdi Cycle.