Sarasota Opera Receives $41,000 Grant From T.T. And W.F. Chao Foundation For Purchase Of Pianos
Funding supports the acquisition of new Boston pianos for rehearsal, training, and community programs.
By: A.A. Cristi Oct. 27, 2025
Sarasota Opera has received a $41,000 grant from the T.T. and W.F. Chao Foundation to support the purchase of four new upright pianos. The funding will allow the company to replace instruments that have suffered damage from humidity and two decades of daily use.
About the Grant
With the support of the Chao Foundation, Sarasota Opera has now secured nearly all the funding necessary to replace seven pianos in total—three Boston baby grand pianos and four upright pianos—that had become worn over time. The new Boston pianos, designed by Steinway & Sons, will enhance the quality of the instruments used in rehearsals, artist training, youth education, and community engagement programs across the organization.
“Sarasota Opera is extremely fortunate to have the support of the T.T. and W.F. Chao Foundation for this crucial need,” said Richard Russell, General Director of Sarasota Opera. “The instruments this grant allows us to acquire are vital for us to be able to not only create world-class opera, but more importantly, to bring music and opera education to the greater Sarasota community.”
About Sarasota Opera
Now entering its 67th season, Sarasota Opera continues to bring world-class opera to Florida’s Gulf Coast and celebrates the 100th anniversary of its historic opera house. Founded in 1960 in the 320-seat Asolo Theater on the grounds of the Ringling Museum of Art, the company moved in 1984 to the former A.B. Edwards Theater—now the Sarasota Opera House.
Sarasota Opera has earned an international reputation through acclaimed initiatives such as the Masterworks Revival Series and the Verdi Cycle. The company’s Sarasota Youth Opera remains the most comprehensive youth opera program in the United States. Following a $20 million renovation in 2007, the Sarasota Opera House has been hailed by Musical America as “one of America’s finest venues for opera.”
The company has been under the artistic leadership of Victor DeRenzi since 1983 and administrative leadership of Richard Russell since 2012. Sarasota Opera is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Programs are also supported by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues.
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