October 2, 2014
Sarasota Opera Wants to Help You Understand Opera
Sarasota, FL – For the second year in a row, Sarasota Opera will offer its popular “Understanding Opera” seminar series open to anyone interested in learning more about this dynamic art form. Executive Director Richard Russell and Director of Artistic Administration Greg Trupiano, who have more than 60 years of collective experience in the opera industry, will team up to offer specially crafted discussions designed to delve into different areas of the world of opera. These enjoyable morning talks will take place at the Jonas Kamlet Library in the Deane Carroll Allyn Pavilion Building next door to the Opera House.
“We thought it was a great opportunity to leverage the resources and knowledge of the staff at Sarasota Opera to help audiences old and new delve more deeply into the world of opera,” says Richard Russell.
[Heath Huberg as Gaston and Danielle Walker as Helene in Sarasota Opera’s 2014 production of Verdi’s JERUSALEM Photo by Rod Millington_sm]
Tenor Heath Huberg and soprano Danielle Walker from
Sarasota Opera’s 2014 production of Verdi’s Jérusalem
Understanding Opera
Five Operas You Should Know
OCTOBER 16, 2014 – 10:30 am
Do you want to learn more about the breadth and depth of operatic literature? With audio and video excerpts Mr. Russell and Mr. Trupiano introduce you to five operas that you may never have heard of but should know.
Twenty Singers You Should Know
OCTOBER 23, 2014 – 10:30 am
There have been many great singers in the history of opera. Mr. Russell will introduce you to twenty singers who have reached the pinnacle of their art.
Getting the Opera On Stage
OCTOBER 30, 2014 – 10:30 am
Mr. Trupiano will introduce you to essential elements of putting on an opera. You will meet a lighting designer, chorus master, and a member of the music staff to learn more about how their contributions make our world-class productions possible.
From the Singers Point of View
NOVEMBER 6, 2014 – 10:30 am
You will hear directly from some of Sarasota Opera’s singers about their lives in the opera business. This session will include a mock audition, where you will learn about this essential experience from the point of the view of the singer, as well hear the management’s perspective.
The cost per session is $25 or you can purchase all for sessions for only $75. For more information and to purchase tickets visit sarasotaopera.org or call the box office at (941) 328-1300.
ABOUT SARASOTA OPERA
Based in Florida’s beautiful Gulf Coast, Sarasota Opera is approaching its 55th consecutive season. In 1960, the company began presenting chamber-sized repertoire in the historic 320-seat Asolo Theater on the grounds of Sarasota’s Ringling Museum of Art. Recognizing the need for a theater more conducive to opera, the company purchased the former A.B. Edwards Theater in downtown Sarasota in 1979 and first performing in it in 1984 as the Sarasota Opera House. The theater has just undergone a $20-million renovation and rehabilitation enhancing audience amenities, while updating the technical facilities including increasing the size of the orchestra pit. The theater, which reopened in March 2008, has been called “one of America’s finest venues for opera” by Musical America.
Since 1983 the company has been under the artistic leadership of Victor DeRenzi. Since then the company has garnered international attention with its Masterwork Revivals Series, which presents neglected works of artistic merit, as well as the Verdi Cycle producing the complete works of Giuseppe Verdi. Recognizing the importance of training, Maestro DeRenzi founded the Apprentice Artist and Studio Artist programs. Sarasota Opera also maintains a commitment to education through its Invitation to Opera performances for local schools and the unique Sarasota Youth Opera program.
Sarasota Opera is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Programs are supported in part by an award the Tourist Development Tax through the Board of County Commissioners, the Tourist Development Council and the Sarasota County Arts Council. Additional funding is provided by the City of Sarasota and the County of Sarasota.
Sarasota Opera
61 N. Pineapple Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34236
(941) 366-8450
www.sarasotaopera.org
