Victor DeRenzi News

Sarasota Opera will open its 11th fall season on October 26th with the return of Gioachino Rossini's comic opera The Barber of Seville, last seen in 2014. Dr. Bartolo plans to marry his ward Rosina, but she has other plans for her future. Figaro, the barber, comes to the rescue and assists Rosina in sneaking, scheming, and plotting to marry her beloved Lindoro. With a comic plot and Rossini's most recognizable melodies, The Barber of Seville is one of the most performed operas in the world. Here in Sarasota, the opera was first performed at the Historic Asolo Theater in 1963, and has been a mainstay in the repertoire over the past 60 years. 

Sarasota Opera is pleased to announce the appointment of Lana Mullen as Communications Coordinator. With a lifelong love of opera and classical music, Ms. Mullen is combining her many years of experience in the communication arts and non-profit worlds with the art form she loves so well. The former Art Director of Metropolitan Life Insurance in New York left the corporate world in 2007 to serve in various functions of Disaster Relief for the American Red Cross, deploying to national disasters in addition to supporting the 24/7 disaster relief operations in Greater New York. In 2010, she undertook an eight year assignment managing people-to-people educational and humanitarian programs for Road Scholar in Cuba, where she acquired extensive knowledge about everyday life, the economy, agriculture, arts, education, and healthcare.

Victor DeRenzi, Artistic Director, and Richard Russell, Executive Director, are pleased to announce the casting for Sarasota Opera's new Recital Series. The new series, which was inspired by the rich operetta and song traditions from around the world, will feature favorite artists performing opera, operetta, and art songs with piano accompaniment.

The last time Sarasota Opera performed Nabucco, the work that solidified Verdi's reputation as an opera composer, was in 1995. The production was part of the company's historic 28-year Verdi Cycle, a feat that made Sarasota Opera the only company in the world to have performed all of Verdi's music. John Fleming of the Tampa Bay Times called the Cycle "One of the most significant achievements in the opera world."

The "Sarasota Opera House Presents" summer series just added a third and final program featuring Broadway's Tony-Award winner singer and actress Laura Benanti on September 21, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. at the historic Sarasota Opera House. Ms. Benanti's appearance is presented in association with Carolan Trbovich, Cabaret by the Bay.

On Today, September 4th, 2018-the day after Labor Day-individual tickets for the 60th Anniversary Season will go on sale at the Sarasota Opera Box Office. To commemorate this milestone, the 2018-19 season will revive some of the company's most successful productions while also continuing the tradition of introducing a new work to Sarasota.

On Tuesday, September 4th, 2018-the day after Labor Day-individual tickets for the 60th Anniversary Season will go on sale at the Sarasota Opera Box Office. To commemorate this milestone, the 2018-19 season will revive some of the company's most successful productions while also continuing the tradition of introducing a new work to Sarasota.

The "Sarasota Opera House Presents" summer series just added a third and final program featuring Broadway's Tony-Award winner singer and actress Laura Benanti on September 21, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. at the historic Sarasota Opera House. Ms. Benanti's appearance is presented in association with Carolan Trbovich, Cabaret by the Bay.

Sarasota Opera's Da Capo Society, the only young patrons group, ages 21 - 45, dedicated to a single arts organization in Sarasota, will host The Wizard of Oz themed costume contest Thursday, June 7th at 6pm to celebrate the launch of the new season of "Classic Movies at the Opera House." Launched in 2017, the "Classic Movies at the Opera House" series will occur twice monthly starting Thursday, June 7 and will include timeless films designed to be enjoyed on the big screen in the elegance of the Opera House. Each presentation will begin at 7:30pm.

National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $80 million in grants as part of the NEA's second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2018. Included in this announcement is an Art Works grant of $20,000 to the Sarasota Youth Opera program to support their 2018 re-mount of The Little Sweep by Benjamin Britten. The Art Works category is the NEA's largest funding category and supports projects that focus on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and/or the strengthening of communities through the arts.

Sarasota Opera is pleased to announce the line-up for the 2018 season of 'HD at the Opera House' and "Classic Movies at the Opera House".  This weekly series of filmed performances has allowed Sarasota Opera to expand its programming from the fall and winter season to year-around. The 2018 "HD at the Opera House" series will open on Sunday, May 20th and run through September 30th and will include presentations of Ballet and Theater from some of the world's most famous venues and companies including the Royal Opera House; Teatro alla Scala in Milan; Royal Shakespeare Company; Vienna State Opera; and the Royal Ballet. Each presentation will begin at 1:30pm.

Sarasota Opera is set to launch a new program this spring with a series of summer concerts entitled Sarasota Opera House PRESENTS. This series will bring Sarasota audiences musical performances of American standards, jazz, rock, bluegrass, country, and more.

Sarasota Opera is set to launch a new program this spring with a series of summer concerts entitled Sarasota Opera House PRESENTS. This series will bring Sarasota audiences musical performances of American standards, jazz, rock, bluegrass, country, and more.

Sarasota Opera will celebrate its 60th anniversary season in 2018/2019 as it announced today at a press conference held on the main stage of the Sarasota Opera House in Sarasota, FL. The event was overseen by Maestro Victor DeRenzi, artistic director and principal conductor, and Richard Russell, Executive Director. Performances were offered by soprano Kara Shay Thomson who sang "In questa reggia" from Puccini's Turandot and bass Young Bok Kim who sang "La calunnia" from Rossini's The Barber of Seville. In addition, the audience participated in a community sing of the famous chorus "Va, pensiero" from Verdi's Nabucco.

Verdi's renowned La traviata, (The Fallen Woman), formerly titled Violetta after its tragic heroine, is beautifully cast and staged at Sarasota Opera. Story has it, inspired by a performance Verdi saw of Alexander Dumas fils's The Lady of the Camellias, he immediately started to pen La traviata. This is a wonderful opportunity to see one of Giuseppe Verdi's well know works by one of the most outstanding opera houses in the country.

Executive Director Richard Russell and Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi have announced that tenor Andrew Surrena will return to Sarasota Opera this season to sing the role of Alfredo in Sarasota Opera's fall production of Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata, opening Today, November 3rd. David Guzman, who was originally scheduled to sing the role, has withdrawn from the production due to illness.

Executive Director Richard Russell and Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi have announced that tenor Andrew Surrena will return to Sarasota Opera this season to sing the role of Alfredo in Sarasota Opera's fall production of Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata, opening Friday, November 3rd. David Guzman, who was originally scheduled to sing the role, has withdrawn from the production due to illness.

Sarasota Opera is pleased to announce that the Sarasota Opera House came through Hurricane Irma completely unscathed. With this storm now behind us, the company is ready to resume its regularly scheduled program with the following upcoming events:

Sarasota Opera and the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School announce an inaugural collaboration for the 2017/2018 season. The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School will participate in three of the five operas in Sarasota Opera's upcoming season.

Sarasota Opera is the recipient of an $8,000 grant for the commissioning of composer Rachel J. Peters for the creation of Rootabaga Country, Sarasota Youth Opera's sixth world premiere scheduled to be performed on November 11 and 12, 2017. The grant is provided by OPERA America's Opera Grants for Female Composers program, supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.