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A CENTURY OF CULTURE

Celebrating 100 Years of the A.B. Edwards Theatre now Sarasota Opera House

BY RICHARD RUSSELL

One hundred years ago, Sarasota was a small but growing Gulf Coast community with big dreams. At the center of those dreams stood the A.B. Edwards Theatre, which opened its doors in 1926 as the city’s first modern performance hall. Today, known to the world as the Sarasota Opera House, this beloved landmark marks its centennial—an extraordinary milestone that will be celebrated with events, exhibits, and a commemorative book honoring its history and future.

This April, Sarasota Opera invites our community to join in commemorating the building’s remarkable journey and in looking ahead to its next hundred years as a cultural beacon.

The A.B. Edwards Theatre was built by Sarasota’s first mayor, A.B. Edwards, as both a vaudeville and movie palace. It quickly became a hub of entertainment, hosting silent films, traveling performers, and community gatherings. Through the decades, the theatre adapted to changing times, serving as a movie house for much of the mid-20th century before falling into decline.

In 1984, the building was reborn as the Sarasota Opera House, ushering in a new era of world-class opera in a historic space. A major restoration in 2007

preserved its Spanish-style architecture, added modern amenities, and secured its reputation as one of the most beautiful opera venues in the country. Today, the Opera House stands as both a living monument to Sarasota’s past and a thriving home for music, theatre, and community.

While the history is rich, this anniversary is about more than looking back—it’s about celebrating the theatre’s place in Sarasota’s cultural life today. To honor the milestone, Sarasota Opera is hosting a series of special events and projects that invite the community to share in the joy of this centennial year.

The centerpiece of our celebration will be a gala evening on April 11, a once-in-a-century occasion filled with music, artistry, and community spirit. Guests will enjoy performances that reflect the Opera House’s storied past and its vibrant present, alongside appearances by special guests and tributes to the visionaries who helped preserve this jewel. The evening promises to be both glamorous and heartfelt—a chance for us all to raise a glass to a century of memories and a bright future ahead.

The day following this event, the doors of the Opera House will open wide for a community open house. Visitors will have the chance to step behind the scenes, walk the historic stage, and explore areas rarely seen by the public. Guided by staff and volunteers, guests will learn about the building’s history, discover fascinating stories of its performers and productions, and experience firsthand the architectural beauty that has welcomed audiences for a century.

Throughout the opera season, a special centennial display will be installed in the Opera House lobby. Visitors will be able to view historic photographs, artifacts, and memorabilia, telling the story of the building’s evolution from the 1920s to today. For longtime opera lovers and newcomers alike, the display will serve as a reminder of how deeply this building is woven into Sarasota’s cultural fabric.

To preserve the story of the Opera House for generations to come, historian Jeff LaHurd is writing a special centennial book. This beautifully illustrated volume will

trace the theatre’s remarkable journey, highlight the people and performances that defined it, and celebrate its enduring role in the life of our community. More than a record of history, the book will be a keepsake for all who hold the Opera House close to their hearts.

A documentary about the theater is also in preparation and is slated to be shown on WEDU in April.

For 100 years, the A.B. Edwards Theatre— now the Sarasota Opera House—has been more than just a building. It has been a gathering place where our community has come together for joy, reflection, and inspiration. Generations of Sarasota residents have walked through its doors: to laugh at comedies, to marvel at the grandeur of opera, to celebrate milestones, and to connect with one another through the arts.

It is no exaggeration to say that Sarasota’s reputation as a cultural capital is rooted in the foundations of this theatre. Its survival and flourishing stand as a testament to

the community’s love of the arts and to the visionaries who saw not just what the building was, but what it could become.

As we mark this centennial, we do so with gratitude for the past and excitement for the future. The Sarasota Opera House will continue to be a home for worldclass performances, a stage for new generations of artists, and a welcoming space for the community.

We invite you to celebrate with us—whether at the gala, the open house, or during a visit to see the lobby display. Together, let us honor 100 years of cultural history and look forward to the next hundred years of artistry, community, and inspiration in the heart of Sarasota.

La bohème & The Merry Widow

BY RICHARD RUSSELL

Sarasota Opera’s 2026 Winter Opera Festival launches with two masterpieces, written less than a decade apart, which were and continue to be extraordinary successes. Their composers, Giacomo Puccini and Franz Lehár, were two of the most important and popular composers in the early part of the 20th century. While the critics and some of their peers looked down upon their success, their works continue to be some of the most popular in the repertoire. Despite their stylistic differences and a friendly sense of rivalry, Puccini and Lehár enjoyed a close relationship that lasted until Puccini’s passing.

Both composers came from musical families. Puccini came from a long line of church musicians, while Lehár’s father was a successful bandmaster. Puccini struggled as a young composer but his first opera Le villi was a moderate

success and earned him the support of Italy’s most important publisher (who controlled many of Italy’s opera houses), Giulio Ricordi. Lehár on the other hand, seemed destined to follow in his father’s footsteps, but the composer Dvorak urged him to study composition. After his first opera Kukuschka was a failure, his bandmaster job eventually landed him in Vienna, where he became conductor at the historic Theater an der Wien. There he had his first success with the operetta Wiener Frauen

Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème premiered in 1896. Initially disparaged by the critics, it was an immediate popular success. It quickly spread throughout Europe and to the United States and today is the most popular opera in the repertoire. It is easy to see why. Puccini’s melodic gift, his rich orchestrations, and his sense of drama created a work to which audiences are quickly attracted. It is a story of youth; a romantic tragedy but lightened by comic moments. After three operas, Le villi, Edgar, and Manon Lescaut, whose librettos caused him frustration, Puccini learned to exercise a firm hand with his collaborators. His gift for drama was unerring and although his librettists found him difficult, the resulting work was compact and emotional. It was the perfect opera for a period when music and theater had become more realistic and audiences were looking for something to which they could relate.

Giacomo Puccini’s melodic gift, his rich orchestrations, and his sense of drama created a work to which audiences are quickly attracted.

Operetta was declining in popularity by 1905

when The Merry Widow had its premiere. Its worldwide success revived the genre, which would continue to thrive until just before World War II. Within two years it was produced in an English version in London, where it ran for a record 778 performances. Like Puccini, Lehár possessed a remarkable gift for melody, and the tunes of The Merry Widow are irresistibly catchy—audiences often leave performances humming the famous waltz. Lehár benefited from a strong libretto and had the freedom to shape the work without tailoring arias to specific star performers, as the theater’s company lacked major stars. This allowed him to create distinctive entrance arias for the leads and avoid the traditional comic song for the principal comedian, resulting in a unique structure for the operetta.

Although the composers did not meet face-to-face until 1920, they admired each other and were in contact before that. Puccini regularly visited Vienna and in 1913 was quoted in a newspaper that he had

EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT

A Fall Note, From Education!

BY MARTHA COLLINS, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

BRUNDIBÀR

As I write this, we are moving into the final sweep for our fall production of Brundibàr. I am so proud of our singers as their dedication and support for one another has been wonderful! Though this is the third time we have performed this production, this is the first time that I have been here in Sarasota as a full-time employee. In the past, I started staging rehearsal when I arrived at the beginning of October. It has been wonderful to be able to spend lots of quality one-on-one coaching time with youth on their roles before getting into staging rehearsals. I think it will show in the final product!!

We are excited that we will have a full house of 1,100 students for our matinee performance. It is always special for our singers to be able to perform for their peers!

ARTISTS IN SCHOOLS

In the fall, we also have Artists in Schools performances. This year the same singers who are the cover artists for Cosí fan tutte will be going into the schools, so we are scheduling those visits around their rehearsals and performances.

INVITATION TO DRESS REHEARSALS

We have an exciting new venture for students to attend Dress Rehearsals this winter! As many of you know, there are a few obstacles that make it a challenge for schools to attend our dress rehearsals. First, they fall outside of what we call ‘the bus window’. The drivers do three runs for the high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools and then are free from about 9:30 am till 1:00 pm, when they are expected back at their schools to load the buses to take kids home. Our dress rehearsals are never scheduled this early in the morning, and are often too long to fit in the window anyway. Second, there is usually a shortage of funds for them to be able to hire a charter bus.

This year, thanks to a $5,000 donation from Thomas Wentz and James Whalen we are able to bring several bus loads of students to our dress rehearsal of The Merry Widow !

NATIONAL ARTS EDUCATORS CONFERENCE

This year this annual convention was held in Sarasota for the first time. I was glad that the arts administrators for the county asked us to participate. Richard Russell, Melissa Voigt, and I hosted an Opera House tour, a talk on Sarasota Opera, and the event ended with a performance by our Resident Artists. The attendees were impressed at the scope of Sarasota Opera’s commitment to educating our youth about this great art form!

So back to work!

Photo Credit: Rod Millington

SINGING WITH INTENSITY

Victor Starsky returns to Sarasota Opera in Verdi’s Il trovatore

BY MARINA HARSS

The tenor Victor Starsky returns to Sarasota Opera this winter in the role of Manrico in Giuseppe Verdi’s Il trovatore. It will be his fourth appearance in Sarasota, after singing Don José in Bizet’s Carmen and Stiffelio in Verdi’s opera of the same name, as well as taking part in the 2024 Verdi concert. In particular, Sarasota Opera audiences will remember his ardent depiction of Stiffelio, a protestant minister challenged to the very core of his faith by his wife’s infidelity. In the opera’s final scene, Stiffelio contemplates the power of forgiveness. As his character uttered the words “Si, perdonata!”—yes, she is forgiven!—Starsky’s voice rang out with profound emotion. The dramatic and vocal intensity of that performance bodes well for his interpretation of the heroic Manrico.

Starsky will travel to Sarasota with his wife, Augusta, and two children, Emanuel and Inanna, who will stay with him for the duration of the run. Augusta, also a singer, has put her own career on hold to raise their two kids, whom she also homeschools. You may well see them on the beach, or visiting the ducks at Gillespie Park. I caught up with the family recently in Chicago, where Starsky was covering lead roles in Luigi Cherubini’s Medea and Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana

You grew up in Queens, New York. Was there a lot of music in your family?

I would say that both of my parents have innate talent, but they never had the support you need to pursue a career in music. My dad has a really beautiful voice, and my mom can play piano and accordion, and she thought about going to music school for a time. But they really nurtured my musical ability from the time I was a kid.

How did you discover you could sing? I’ve always been singing. There’s a recording of me singing the “Star-

Spangled Banner” at the age of four. I think my parents just knew. They would teach me songs and give me opportunities to sing. They used to make me sing “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha at family dinners and that sort of thing.

Did you sing in public as well?

Actually, I worked as a child performer in New York between the ages of about 7 and 10. I did commercials, specifically for the Board of Health. I did a commercial for the Egg Board. You know: “You gotta love the incredible, edible egg.” The year Jim Carrey did The Grinch, I was in a Visa commercial featuring the Grinch. And then later as a teenager, I started writing original songs for the soap opera Guiding Light with the jazz guitarist Chieli Minucci. This was around 2005 to 2011.

You were so young! I understand you were also once in a heavy metal band?

Yes! When I was in high school I was introduced to a group of musicians who were older than me, including Chieli’s son, and we started a heavy metal band. I decided that I would stay home for college in order to pursue that. We were actually doing quite well; a lot of the bands we played with at the time are famous now. But the band eventually broke up and I had no idea what I was going to do.

How did you go from that to opera?

I went to St. John’s University in New York to study philosophy, and I was working construction as a side job. I would sing while I worked. One time, when I was renovating a church rectory in Richmond Hill where I live, I was singing as I worked. It just so happened that the church organist that day heard me singing. He came over and told me I had a really great voice, and asked if I’d like a job singing in church. He said he would give me the job with the stipulation that I had to take voice lessons and let him teach me how to read music.

The moment I got hooked was when I heard the tenor Franco Corelli sing for the first time.

~ VICTOR STARSKY

It turns out he was a student of Vladimir Horowitz and a real classical musician, and he convinced me to go to school for classical music.

What a story! Where did you go to school?

I ended up going to the Aaron Copland School of music at Queens College, which is actually the same school Maestro DeRenzi went to.

What drew you to opera?

I found a lot of beauty and knowledge, and I learned theory and experienced harmonies that before then I had sensed intuitively but did not really understand. That was really powerful for me, as was experiencing this rich, more complex music. But the moment I got hooked was when I heard the tenor Franco Corelli (19212003) sing for the first time. The raw, open hearted, visceral manner with which he approached singing hit me in the deepest part of my being, and I thought, this is 100% what I want to do.

COSTUME STUDIO UPDATE

Beyond the Seams

BY STACY RIDENOUR

To all of our Sarasota Opera patrons, we thank each of you for investing in our Sarasota Opera Costume Studio, creating the largest costume collection and rental business in North America! With your support, we have purchased the entire costume collection from Malabar, Inc. in Toronto; we have acquired a 16,000 sq. ft warehouse and built out the facility with three levels of racks and shelves; we have unpacked and sorted over 50,000 costumes (over 100,000 individual pieces) for over 135 opera productions; and we have also marketed and built a special website and a robust client list for our rental business.

This summer, our costume studio staff mem-bers were able to pull the costumes that were sponsored in the Investing in the Extraordinary campaign. They designed and created custom labels and have sewn them into the costumes.

The Costume Studio staff continue to be busy providing costumes for our own productions and for opera and theater companies and university programs throughout North America. This past summer, resident costume designer Howard Tsvi Kaplan was able to use costumes from our collection for Opera Delaware’s world premiere of Derrick Wang’s new opera Fearless, the story of Hazel Ying Lee, the first Chinese American woman to fly for the United States military. Our costumes also enhanced Charlotteville Opera’s production of Carmen, Aspen Music Festival’s staging of Puccini’s La bohème, and Capital Repertory Theatre’s production of The Lehman Trilogy

You are invited to subscribe to our newsletter “Beyond the Seams” which, although designed for rental clients, will keep you up on some of the activities of the collection. To subscribe scan the code or visit: sarasotaopera.org/costume-rental

We thank you again for supporting us in this new and innovative endeavor that will help not only our Sarasota Opera but countless opera and theatre companies across the continent.

Opera Guilds

The Guilds of Sarasota Opera offer many opportunities to learn more about opera and to meet like-minded opera lovers. The Manatee Opera Guild and Sarasota Opera Guild both provide social activities paired with educational opportunities where Sarasota Opera staff and volunteers discuss the operas featured each season.

Becoming a Guild member is a great way to support Sarasota Opera! Both Guilds provide significant support to general operating costs and the nationally acclaimed Sarasota Youth Opera. In addition, both Guilds provide financial awards to select artists and Sarasota Youth Opera.

Visit “SarasotaOpera.org/opera-guilds” to learn how you can join these vibrant communities!

New Board Trustees Bring Love of the Arts & Leadership Experience to Sarasota Opera

Sarasota Opera is proud to announce the appointment of the following individuals to Sarasota Opera’s Board of Trustees. We are excited to welcome these outstanding community members as we continue to build a strong foundation for an incredible future for Sarasota Opera.

DAVID BIALOSKY has been Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and, prior to his time at Goodyear, of TRW Automotive Inc. He has also served on the board of directors for the Great Lakes Theatre Company (Cleveland). David was recently elected secretary of the board of Sarasota Opera.

LYNN BLACKLEDGE is a long-time Sarasota resident and active member of the area’s cultural and philanthropic circles. She was Managing Director of Global Technology Deployment for Arthur Andersen Worldwide. Following her career, Lynn’s volunteer service and support of local arts and other nonprofit organizations have made her a familiar and respected figure within the community and at her new home at The Glenridge.

TOM GARDEN is the former owner and CEO of Life Safety Solutions Integrators (LSSI). Tom has served on many boards and is experienced with capital campaigns. He and his wife, Linda, live on Longboat Key.

ALASTAIR HUNTER-HENDERSON

was with JP Morgan in New York where he was Managing Director & Global Head of Risk Management Advisory services. In 2000, he formed his own consulting firm focused on international financial risk management for international financial institutions and corporate clients, with extensive experience in Asia. A long-time resident of Longboat Key (1988), he and his wife Norie love sailing, tennis and the world-class cultural organizations.

TAMARA JACOBS is Founder and President of Tamara Jacobs Communications, Inc., an internationally renowned strategist, and a Certified Professional Coach. She is author of Be the Brand and Your Ultimate Success Plan. Tamara has delivered and conducted over 3,000 keynotes, presentations, and workshops. Before starting her own company, Tamara was a professional actress, network television anchor, and senior executive consultant with Johnson & Johnson. She is a member emerita of the Women’s Leadership Board, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

JOSEPH MALLOF is a business executive with broad international experience in Asia, Latin America and North America. He most recently served as CEO of the World Kitchen LLC (now Corelle Brands) in Chicago. He has significant profit and nonprofit board experience including the local Salvation Army and Catholic Charities. Joe was recently elected treasurer of the board of Sarasota Opera.

SUE NEUMANN is a strategic communications consultant and has had her own firm, Neumann Communications, since 2015. Prior, she was VP of Communications for Albertsons and also for Praxair. She is a board member of the Golden West Packaging Group. Prior to joining the board, Sue has been a volunteer for the opera’s marketing department and has been serving on our development committee. She also volunteers for the Florida Cancer Specialists.

S IGNATURE EVENTS 2025-2026

RESERVE TODAY!

2026 SARASOTA OPERA GALA

Friday, January 30, 2026 | Reception at 6 PM | Dinner at 7 PM The Ora, Sarasota

Don and Rachael Worthington

Join us for the Sarasota Opera’s highly celebrated Annual Gala, themed “Winter in Paris.” Be immersed in the splendor of the City of Lights while enjoying an evening of mingling, performances, fine cuisine, and dancing. Proceeds from the event and paddle raise will support our Youth Opera & Education programs. Guests are encouraged to dress in chic, boutique Parisian black-tie optional attire.

Chairs: Eileen Buzzard, Tamara Jacobs & Carla Koeffler

SARASOTA OPERA HOUSE

RELIVE THE MAGIC AND SUPPORT SARASOTA OPERA!

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2026

11:30 AM | Sarasota Yacht Club

Celebrate the artistry and achievement of Sarasota Opera’s most outstanding Apprentice and Studio Artists at our annual Salute to the Stars luncheon. Enjoy a gourmet meal in the company of fellow opera enthusiasts while experiencing live performances from this season’s award-winning singers. These honors are made possible through the generosity of visionary donors and the Sarasota and Manatee Opera Guilds.

Patron Level Premium Seating: $150 Per Person

Standard Reservation: $85 Per Person

SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2026

2 PM Commemorative Concert

Sarasota Opera House

5:30 PM Cocktails Followed by Dinner Michael’s on the Bay at Selby Gardens Celebrate Sarasota Opera House’s 100th anniversary with a memorable concert and elegant dinner.

Reservations:

$500 Per Person • $5,000 Per Table of Ten

Premium Sponsorship:

$1,500 Per Person • $15,000 Per Table of Ten

Chairs: Lynn Blackledge & Sue Neumann

Browse through our gallery of unforgettable moments from recent events and performances. Each photo captures the energy, artistry, and community spirit that make our productions so special.

Love what you see? You can view, download, and purchase your favorite memories directly through our SmugMug site. Your support helps keep the music, laughter, and creativity alive!

sarasota-opera. smugmug.com/

Honoring

DONOR OPPORTUNITIES

ELEVATE YOUR OPERA EXPERIENCE WITH THE SIMONSEN & MONTMINY OPERA CLUB

Enjoy opera in style with exclusive access to Sarasota Opera’s second-floor lounge. As an Opera Club member, you’ll receive complimentary beer, wine, coffee, and soft drinks, a selection of hors d’oeuvres and desserts, private restrooms, and six guest passes to share the experience. The lounge opens one hour and 15 minutes before performances and during intermissions— perfect for relaxing and connecting with fellow opera lovers.

Memberships are available for purchase, with discounts for donors at the Regent level and above.

Learn more and join today at sarasotaopera.org/opera-club

CELEBRATE YOUR COMMITMENT WITH SARASOTA OPERA’S ENCORE CLUB

At Sarasota Opera, we believe that consistent support deserves special recognition. That’s why we created the Encore Club—a heartfelt thankyou to our dedicated donors who have made gifts for five consecutive years. As a member of this distinguished group, you’ll enjoy exclusive benefits, insider access, and invitations to special events that celebrate your vital role in sustaining the magic of opera. Your ongoing generosity helps us bring worldclass performances to life and enrich our community through the power of music.Thank you to our Encore Club donors whose legacy. of support take center stage!

SUPPORT THE ARTS—ENJOY EXCLUSIVE DONOR BENEFITS WITH SARASOTA OPERA

Your generosity fuels the magic of Sarasota Opera, and we’re proud to recognize your commitment through our Patron Giving and Leadership Giving programs. As a valued donor, you’ll enjoy a range of exclusive benefits designed to deepen your connection to the music, the artists, and the community you help inspire.

From priority ticketing and invitations to special events, to behindthe-scenes access and recognition in our season program book, each level of giving unlocks unique opportunities to engage with Sarasota Opera in meaningful ways. Leadership donors receive enhanced benefits, including access to the elegant McCorkle Lounge, private receptions, and personalized concierge services.

Whether you’re making your first gift or continuing a legacy of support, your contribution ensures the continued excellence of our productions and educational outreach. Join our supporters and experience the rewards of giving back to the opera.

Explore all the benefits and find the giving level that’s right for you at sarasotaopera.org/support

LA BOHÈME & THE MERRY WIDOW

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

seen two of Lehár’s operettas and that he greatly admired them. He also expressed that he might be interested in writing an operetta, which led to a commission by a Vienna theater. Puccini ultimately declined to write in that genre. However, the resulting work, La rondine, is lighter in tone than his other operas and uses contemporary dance forms such as the tango. Lehár, on the other hand, always aspired to write an opera after his first opera failed. Despite the support of Gustav Mahler, director of the Vienna

State Opera, he was not successful in getting a work produced there until 1934 when Giuditta had its premiere. It was still an operetta, but more ambitious than earlier works and was a great success, featuring two of Vienna’s most popular stars Jarmila Novotna and Richard Tauber. Regrettably, that success didn’t last and the work eventually faded from view.

When the composers finally spent an evening together in 1920, they formed an immediate and permanent bond. Shortly after the visit Puccini wrote to Lehár

“I can’t tell you how happy I was to get to know you at close quarters, and to have the chance to admire your kindness as a man and the melodies of your world conquering music.” For his part Lehár would express that their friendship was “based on the complete harmony of our musical feeling, on musical understanding of all that each of us want to express—and had to express!—in music”. Until his death, Puccini kept a signed photograph of Franz Lehár near his desk, a testament to the unique bond between the composers.

VICTOR STARSKY NTERVIEW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

What kinds of roles are you drawn to?

I was thinking about Manrico in Il trovatore and what makes that role so appealing. I think that because of my temperament as a human and as a man, I’m really drawn to that archetypal character that we find a lot in Verdi: This altruistic, heroic, almost blind force of fate or destiny, like a current running through them. Like Stiffelio, Manrico, Ernani, and Don Alvaro in La forza del destino. I’ve had a lot of personal struggles in my life, and anxieties about being a good father, a good son, a good husband, and I find it such a gift to be able to get on a stage and take that anguish and use it in order to alchemize it as something powerful.

Intensity seems to be part of who you are, and of your performance. I read in an interview that at one time you considered joining a monastic order. Why, in the end, did you decide not to go in that direction?

I had a really intense conversion through a mystical experience when I was in my early 20s. I used to practice meditation to deal with a lot of issues. One time, in the middle of a meditation, I had what felt like a real encounter with Christ, as if he were standing right in front of me. And I felt an overwhelming, unfathomable love from him. I’ve researched a lot of mystical experiences where people from all walks of life have experienced the same thing. I knew

at that moment that I had to do something different, so I prayed for a vocation, something I could devote myself to.

Do you feel that you can carry that experience with you into your in your artistic life?

Every day. One recent example was in Stiffelio in Sarasota last season, where I had an opportunity to portray someone who preached the Christian message, and then was confronted with real life. It’s really easy to judge and preach forgiveness. But when someone really hurts you in the worst way, as happens to Stiffelio, living that out, and doing the hard thing, that’s what the message is truly about.

Get the NEW Sarasota Opera App

The Sarasota Opera App is an exciting new mobile experience (iOS and Android) designed to connect opera lovers with all things Sarasota Opera. From browsing performances, buying and managing tickets, discovering events, to getting behind-the-scenes content and logistical information on the day of your performance, this app puts our opera house in your pocket for a convenient, onthe-go way to stay informed and enhance your experience.

Learn more or download the Sarasota Opera App at: sarasotaopera.org/sarasota-opera-app

TRIBUTES

A gift to the Sarasota Opera Tribute Fund is a beautiful way to memorialize a loved one, honor a friend, or celebrate a special occasion. A tribute card is sent to a family member or the honoree and is published in this newsletter.

IN MEMORY OF ED BAVARIA

Ronald and Barbara Archbold

Claire Beth Cohen Charitable Fund

Victor DeRenzi and Stephanie Sundine

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas R. Guenther

Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Guenther

William McIntyre

Howard E. Reinheimer, Jr.

Richard Russell and Cynthia Bydlinski

Marty Martel and Bonny Heet

Al and Phyllis Saufley

IN HONOR OF MAESTRO DERENZI AND ARTHUR BOSARGE

Jack and Linda Stone

AT YOUR SERVICE!

IN HONOR OF ROSANNE MARTORELLA

Paul and Karen Robbins

IN MEMORY OF KAREN MILLER

Barbara Scissors

IN MEMORY OF HUGH MOORE

John and Martha Messenger

IN MEMORY OF JOHN NOAH

Manatee Opera Guild

IN MEMORY OF JOE VARADY

Manatee Opera Guild

The Development Staff is here to answer questions about giving levels and benefits and take reservations to our Signature and Special Benefit Events.

Our office’s main number is (941) 366-8450. Positions, extensions and emails for each member of the staff are listed below. Feel free to reach out to any of us. And thank you for your support of Sarasota Opera!

PATRON TIER DONORS ($50 to $5,999) to all areas, including STAR and Youth Opera

Brenda Tamm Ext. 250 btamm@sarasotaopera.org

Davis Wolfe Ext. 231 dwolfe@sarasotaopera.org

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:

Help Us Make the Magic

Gifts listed were received from July 16- October 28, 2025

To have a tribute listed, please send a contribution of $25 or more to: Sarasota Opera, Attn: Tribute Fund

61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, FL 34236, or online at: SarasotaOpera.org/tribute-gifts.

LEADERSHIP TIER DONORS ($6,000+)

to all areas, including Co-Producer, Youth Opera and Artistic Achievement Fund

Melissa Voigt Ext. 581 mvoigt@sarasotaopera.org

Karen Misantone Ext. 416 kmisantone@sarasotaopera.org

SPECIAL EVENTS AND CORPORATE SUPPORT

Matthew Glover Ext. 402 mglover@sarastoaopera.org

PLANNED GIVING AND KRETZMER LEGACY SOCIETY

Stacy Ridenour Ext. 246 sridenour@sarasotaopera.org

Happen!

Behind every great event is a team of dedicated volunteers who bring it all to life. From setting up tables and décor to organizing materials, it takes many hands to create a seamless and memorable experience.

We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join our setup crew! Whether you can lend an hour or a day, your help makes a real difference. It’s a fun, collaborative way to support the arts, and get a behind-the-scenes look at how our events come together.