Victor DeRenzi, Artistic Director
Richard Russell, General Director
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VICTOR DERENZI, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
RICHARD RUSSELL, GENERAL DIRECTOR
We are glad you have chosen to enjoy a live opera performance at Sarasota Opera. Here are some tips to make you feel at home in our theater, and to ensure you have the best possible experience.
• English translations are shown above the stage so you can follow along, even when the opera is in a foreign language.
• No special preparation is necessary when you come to the opera. This program book will provide you with all the information about our productions, including a full cast list, program notes, etc. You can also check our website, SarasotaOpera.org, for further information.
• To ensure an enjoyable experience for you and other audience members, cell phones and electronic devices that make any kind of sound or emit light must be turned off while you are in the theater. Phone conversations, texting, and audio and video recording are not permitted. Leaving the real world behind for a while and enjoying the beauty of opera will do you a world of good!
• If you are late, you can watch and listen to a live stream of the performance in the William G. and Marie Selby Lobby on the second floor. You will be seated in the theater at the first available opportunity.
• For your convenience, the Box Office is open before all Sarasota Opera performances. Visit the kiosk in the lobby to purchase tickets for any performance or call (941) 328-1300.
• Found articles should be turned in to the House Manager. Lost items may be claimed from the Sarasota Opera Box Office at 61 N. Pineapple Avenue, Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Sarasota Opera is equipped with hearing loop technology. Patrons who need auditory assistance, but do not have hearing aids or implants, may pick up hearing devices in the main lobby. For patrons who require visual assistance, binoculars are also available. A driver’s license or another form of identification is required to check out an assistance device.
© SARASOTA OPERA ASSOCIATION, INC.
61 N. Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236
(941) 366-8450 www.SarasotaOpera.org
Box Office: (941) 328-1300
Board of Trustees
Sarasota Opera Staff
Artistic and General Director Message
Signature Events 2025-2026
2026 Winter Opera Festival
"Così fan tutte and the Philosophy of Love"
Così fan tutte
Cast
Synopsis
Background
Brundibár
Cast
Synopsis
Background
The Artists
Youth Opera Chorus
Sarasota Orchestra
Ways to Support Sarasota Opera
Leadership Giving
STARs
The Artistic Achievement Fund
Youth Opera and Education Fund
Kretzmer Legacy Society
Endowment and Legacy Gifts
Corporate, Foundation and Public Support
Season Sponsor:
Program Design: Darcy Kelly-Laviolette
Program Book Editor: Richard Russell
Ad Sales: Sarasota Media Company
Published by: Sarasota Media Company
CHAIR
Arthur Siciliano
VICE CHAIR
Katherine Benoit
TREASURER
Joseph Mallof
SECRETARY
David Bialosky
J. Sumner Bagby
Lynn Blackledge
Ulysses Brualdi
David Chaifetz
Syble DiGirolamo
Carol English
Thomas Garden
Alistair Hunter-Henderson
Tamara Jacobs
Rosanne Martorella
Mary J. Mitchell
Sue Neumann
Steve Sabato
Toby Siegel
Janet Stern Solomon
John Suhre
Michal Wadsworth
Donald J. Worthington
Ron Archbold
Murray Bring
William Tompkins
SARASOTA OPERA GUILD
Elizabeth Aversa
MANATEE OPERA GUILD
Sherry Wheeler
Jeff Troiano
RICHARD RUSSELL
General Director
Susan Ashcraft Special Consultant to the General Director
Nancy J. Guyer Executive Assistant to the General Director
ADMINISTRATION
Irek Sipowicz-Hicks
Katherine Orenic Administrative Assistants
DEVELOPMENT
Melissa M. Voigt Director of Development
Karen Misantone Leadership Giving Officer
Stacy Ridenour Donor Relations Officer
VICTOR DERENZI
Artistic Director
Arthur Bosarge Artistic Administrator
Jessé Martins Music Administrator
John Potvin Rehearsal Administrator
Scott Keclik Director of Production
COSTUMES AND WARDROBE
Howard Tsvi Kaplan Resident Costume Designer
Zachary Payne
Assistant to the Costume Designer
John Tully
Costume Studio Design Coordinator
Matthew Glover Events and Corporate Officer
Brenda Tamm Patron Giving and Operations Manager
Davis Wolfe Patron Giving Associate
EDUCATION
Martha Collins Director of Education
Jessé Martins Youth Opera Music Director
Cameron Maxwell Youth Opera Coordinator
FINANCE
Kenneth Tarasi Director of Finance
John Young Accounts Receivable/ Payables/Payroll Manager
MARKETING AND PATRON SERVICES
Lael A. Mohib Director of Marketing
Hallie Geyh
Digital Marketing and Communications Manager
Travis Rogers Patron Services Manager
Olivia Baylou Marketing Coordinator
David Sorrells Box Office Supervisor
Christina Brown, Kary Erickson, Winnie McHale, Isabelle Moravec, Duncan Nelson, Ellen Sakamoto Patron Services Representatives
FACILITIES OPERATIONS
Jeremie Guglielmi Director of Theater Operations
Coleen Metzger Head Draper
Darío Almirón Draper
Kayla Bryan, Kim Copeland, Katherine Scarlett Kellum Hood, Kay Torralva, Barbara Wechsler First Hands/Stitchers
Ruth Clark Head Wardrobe
Lili Cristiani Assistant Head Wardrobe
Roberta Rodgers-Mislyan, Cindy Wells Dresser
LIGHTING
Ken Yunker
Resident Lighting Designer
STAGE MANAGEMENT
Francesca MacBeth
Production Stage Manager and Stage Manager—Brundibár
Jill Sherman
Theater Operations Manager
Jo Ann Whitehead House Manager/ Volunteer Coordinator
Eden Francois House Engineer
James McDonald Assistant House Manager
Robert Schoenung Maintenance Technician
Mary Thompson, Martin Stofko, Svetlana Stofko Facilities Service Staff
Emily Stafford Stage Manager—Così fan tutte
Evan Lemole, Laurel Schmidt Assistant Stage Managers
Imary Rodriguez-Riojas Stage Management Intern –Brundibár
HAIR AND MAKE-UP
Sue Schaefer Hair and Make-up Designer
Valentine Barneycastle, Tonya Cookingham, Dominique Freeman Hair and Make-up Staff
CARPENTRY
Earl “Dixie” Schmidt Head Carpenter
Secundino Esqueda Assistant Head Carpenter
Jeffery Arnold, Armando Cristiani, Bryant Warkentine Carpenters
Alex Wallenda Zoppe Flyman
ELECTRICS
Michael Pasquini Head Electrician
Alex Wood Assistant Head Electrician
Hudson Dickinson Electrician
AUDIO
Joseph Reynolds Head Audio
PROPERTIES
Alexandria Flynn Props Coordinator
Joshua Linderman Props Head
Heath Hubler Assistant Props Head
Giulia Pagano Props Crew
IIn 2008, Sarasota Opera made a strategic decision to broaden our reach beyond the traditional Winter Opera Festival by introducing our first fall opera production: Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia. The aim was to foster a year-round relationship with audiences, creating more opportunities for engagement and appreciation of the operatic art form. Although the company paused full fall opera productions for the past two seasons, it is with great pleasure that we bring it back this year with Mozart’s Così fan tutte. While concert performances offer a wide range of popular opera selections, it is the fully staged productions—with their sets and costumes—that truly represent the essence of opera. This year’s fall productions again give both new and returning audiences the chance to experience exceptional opera throughout the year.
Sarasota Opera has, over the past 40 years, established a reputation for its commitment to the works of Giuseppe Verdi. Nevertheless, operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart have always held a central place in the company’s repertoire. The organization’s origins trace back to the Turnau Opera Players, a troupe of emerging artists who began their first season at the Historic Asolo Theater in 1960 with Così fan tutte. This debut initiated a tradition of annual visits to Sarasota, a practice that continued for twelve years under the sponsorship of the Asolo Opera Guild. In 1974, the company gained independence, once again launching its season with Così fan tutte. The Asolo Opera Guild ultimately became Sarasota Opera in 1984 when we moved into our home, the Sarasota Opera House.
During its 67 seasons, Sarasota Opera has regularly presented Mozart’s operas on its stages. Our historic Opera House, which will celebrate its centenary in 2026, is similar in its intimacy to the theaters for which Mozart originally composed his works. This creates an ideal environment for audiences to experience the emotion and subtlety that define Mozart’s works.
This fall, Sarasota Youth Opera revives its acclaimed production of Hans Krasa’s Brundibár. The background of this opera is deeply moving: it was performed numerous times at the Terezin Concentration Camp by children, many of whom did not survive. Despite the tragic context, the opera’s simple story—children uniting to stand up to an authoritarian bully— remains profoundly resonant. The Youth Opera production is further enhanced by a prologue created by our Director of Education Martha Collins and Youth Opera Music Director Jessé Martins. This prologue sets the words of children to music, amplifying the timeless message at the heart of the opera.
"Opera is the most comprehensive of all art forms— encompassing music, poetry, acting, and visual arts."
Opera is the most comprehensive of all art forms—encompassing music, poetry, acting, and visual arts. It is both an honor and a pleasure to continue presenting these extraordinary works to our communities. We invite you to join us on this journey and to return for our Winter Opera Festival, where a diverse array of works awaits—productions that will move you, make you laugh or cry, and, perhaps, transform you.
RESERVE TODAY!
Friday, January 30, 2026
Reception at 6 PM | Dinner at 7 PM The Ora, Sarasota
Chairs: Eileen Buzzard, Tamara Jacobs & Carla Koeffler
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.
SPONSOR LEVELS TABLES
TUESDAY,
SATURDAY,
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 awardwinning 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
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
VICTOR DeRENZI, Artistic Director
RICHARD RUSSELL, General Director
Poetry, poverty, and passion in 1830s Bohemian Paris.
Music by Giacomo Puccini Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa
February 14 - March 28
Sung in Italian
Money, mischief, and matchmaking in 1905 Parisian society.
Music by Franz Lehár Libretto by Viktor Léon and Leo Stein
February 21 - March 27
Sung in English
Serenades, sieges, and family secrets in 15th century Spain.
Music by Giuseppe Verdi Libretto by Salvadore Cammarano
March 7 - 29
Sung in Italian
Sin, a loss of innocence, and repentance in 1950s rural Tennessee.
Music and Libretto by Carlisle Floyd
March 14 - 28
Sung in English
All performances have simultaneous titles above the stage.
BY MARINA HARSS
The period between 1789 and the end of 1791 was one of Mozart’s most prolific. Before his death in December of 1791 from an unknown illness, he composed three operas, including Così fan tutte and The Magic Flute, as well as chamber music, his sublime clarinet concerto, the famous Fantasia in C minor for piano, and the Requiem (amongst other things.) And yet, at the same time, this period was one of his most difficult, as his financial situation and health worsened over time.
The year 1789 was a kind of tipping point. Mozart traveled to Germany, seeking commissions and patronage, and was even offered a position at the court of King Friedrich Wilhelm II that would likely have assured him a comfortable (and probably longer) life. But he chose to return to Vienna, a city that he loved but that did not offer him the financial stability he needed. It was there that he undertook the composition of Così fan tutte, his third-to-last opera and final collaboration with the librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte.
Mozart composed three operas to libretti by Da Ponte: Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte. They are amongst his most beloved, particularly the first two. All three deal with questions of love and desire between men and women at different stages of life. None offers a particularly simple or rosy picture. Instead, they delve, sometimes comically, sometimes seriously, into the themes of infidelity and disillusionment. None more so than Così, in which Mozart and Da Ponte seem to put love under a microscope, almost as if it were a physical condition. In a way, the opera is an anatomy of the heart in musical form.
On the surface, Così is a comedy, even a farce, complete with silly disguises, unexpected plot twists, quack remedies, and characters that at first seem as two-dimensional as figures from the Commedia dell’arte. But as the plot progresses, the characters begin to reveal themselves more and more. Their human qualities—especially those
of the female characters—come into relief, thanks to Mozart’s sensitive, heartfelt, and at times almost heavenly music. We feel for them; we identify with them. What would we do in their shoes, we begin to wonder?
As Maestro DeRenzi says, “underneath the surface, Così is one of the most emotional operas ever composed.”
It is interesting that Mozart makes us care so much for the fate of the two female protagonists, given that the title of the opera is Così fan tutte, words that can be translated as “What all women do.” It is their infidelity that the opera is concerned with. “You expect to find fidelity in two women?,” one of the characters, supposedly an expert on human nature, asks at the beginning of the opera. “Your simplemindedness is touching.”
These words are spoken by Don Alfonso, described as “an old philosopher.” It is he who sets the opera’s plot in motion. The rest of the cast list is made up of two sisters from Ferrara, Dorabella and Fiordiligi, who for some reason are living in Naples; two young men of unknown origin, Guglielmo and Ferrando, with whom the sisters are romantically linked; and Despina, the sisters’ clever maid. A small ensemble, just large enough for the audience to observe closely in its natural habitat. We know very little about any of them. They do not appear to have family, friends, titles of nobility. The plot has the feel of a sociological experiment. What if you were to test your sweethearts’ fidelity through a ruse of my devising, Don Alfonso asks the two men. Would they prove faithful, or would they fall off the path of righteousness? The challenge comes in the form of a wager, with the prize of 100 zecchini, or gold coins, going to the winner.
The two men pretend to depart for the battlefield and then return, disguised as foreigners, complete with fake mustaches. Each woos
the other’s girlfriend. Their attempts are at first preposterous, and include a melodramatic suicide attempt with fake poison, staged by Despina, who saves them with the help of a giant magnet, in a scene worthy of the Marx Brothers. The two sisters remain stalwart. But in the second act, things become more interesting, and more serious. Led, even coached, by Don Alfonso and Despina, the men pursue the women with greater insistence. The sisters’ devotion to their boyfriends begins to weaken. An undeniable physical attraction draws the new couples together like a magnet, this time real. First Dorabella falls, then, with great regret and internal conflict, Fiordiligi. The ending, which I won’t spoil for you, is ambivalent, to say the least.
The whole idea of treating human beings as the subjects of an experiment about the nature of love may seem like a strange one, but it makes sense in historical context. Mozart and Da Ponte were products of the Age of Enlightenment, a period of intellectual exploration that promoted the application of rational analysis to everything from science to politics to human behavior. For Mozart and Da Ponte, Don Alfonso was a stand-in, albeit a lighthearted one, for the figure of the Enlightenment philosopher, intent on encouraging his comrades to analyze their impulses and emotions through the lens of reason. He is “a rationalist in the Enlightenment sense of one who combines common sense with pragmatic realism,” as Nicholas Till describes him in his book Mozart and the Enlightenment.
A more interesting question is: whose behavior is really being analyzed and judged in this experiment? The title seems to give it away: it is about what women do. But there are clues throughout the opera that suggest that the title is intentionally misleading and somewhat tongue in cheek. The men are not shown in a flattering light. They are full of themselves, and boastful. They trick their
girlfriends. They are deluded. Alfonso himself argues, at the start, that the men’s faith in their girlfriends is unrealistic: “What kind of animal are they? Are they made of flesh and blood as we are, do they eat, as we do?” The suggestion being, of course, was that men are just as imperfect as women, if not more.
This is made more explicit by a second, equally crucial character in the opera: Despina, Fiordiligi and Dorabella’s maid. Despina is quick-witted, clever, pragmatic, and incredibly resourceful. She sees life with clear eyes. “You expect faithfulness in men? In soldiers?” she asks the sisters. “Don’t make me laugh.” She goes on to accuse men of trading in “lying tears, deceitful glances, deceptive words, false charms.” “These,” she says, “are their foremost qualities.” As Despina makes clear, the bad behavior of men is not in question—it is simply assumed. And thus the title of the opera is turned on its head. It’s not just women who behave badly, but everyone. Women have the right to stray because men are faithless—so why not have fun? With her popular wisdom and wit, Despina is the true philosopher of the opera, an appealing one.
What Mozart and Da Ponte created in Così fan tutte was a kind of parable, and a provocation. The real moral of this story is that all people are flawed, a constant work in progress. Is happiness even possible? This is the question behind Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni , and, especially, Così . Mozart makes us care by composing music so beautiful, so touching, and so human that it makes us forgive his characters even as we watch them make mistakes. They are beautiful because they are human. That is the power of Mozart’s music.
Poetry by Lorenzo Da Ponte
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Dramma giocoso in two acts
Sung in Italian
First performed by Sarasota Opera on February 27, 1960
2002 Production created by Sarasota Opera
Conductor
Stage Director
Scenic Designer
Costume Designer
Lighting Designer
Hair and Make-Up Designer
Assistant Conductors
Surtitle Supplier
Surtitle Translator
Victor DeRenzi
Stephanie Sundine
David P. Gordon
Howard Tsvi Kaplan
Ken Yunker
Sue Schaefer
Andrew Downs, Artyom Pak*, Stefano Teani
Words for Music
Victor DeRenzi
Fiordiligi, lady from Ferrara and sister to Dorabella
Dorabella, lady from Ferrara and sister to Fiordiligi
Guglielmo, lover of Fiordiligi
Ferrando, lover of Dorabella
Despina, a maid
Don Alfonso, an old philosopher
Hanna Brammer
Olivia Vote
Filippo Fontana
Luke Norvell*
Virginia Mims
Jake Stamatis
*Sarasota
Scene I, A café
Two military officers, Guglielmo and Ferrando, extol the virtues of their fiancées, sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella. They claim that these women could never be unfaithful. An older man, Don Alfonso, wagers he can prove all women are unfaithful. Accepting the bet, the men swear to follow Alfonso’s instructions as they plan how to spend the money they are sure to win.
Scene II, A garden near the sea
Fiordiligi and Dorabella gaze into lockets containing images of their fiancés. Alfonso tells them that Ferrando and Guglielmo must leave for war, and as the men depart, the girls weep.
Scene III, A room
Dorabella and Fiordiligi’s maid, Despina, prepares the sisters’ morning chocolate. They ask for poison instead since their fiancés have left for battle. Alfonso bribes Despina to help in his game. Ferrando and Guglielmo enter, disguised as Albanians. The presence of the strange men terrifies the girls, but Alfonso explains that they are his friends. The men flirt, and are spurned. Claiming victory, they laugh, but Alfonso says the game is far from over.
Scene IV, Another part of the garden
As the women weep for their missing lovers, the “Albanians” stagger in, downing vials of supposed arsenic. When the ladies cry for help, Despina suggests they comfort the dying men, then leaves to fetch a doctor. The doctor (Despina in disguise) enters and revives the men who resume their wooing. Even though they are coached by Despina and Alfonso to take pity on the men, Fiordiligi and Dorabella once again reject them.
Despina tells the sisters to start acting like women and encourages them to be worldly. They are intrigued, and each chooses one of the “Albanians.” Fiordiligi chooses Dorabella’s fiancé, Ferrando, and Dorabella chooses Guglielmo, Fiordiligi’s fiancé.
Scene II, A garden near the sea
Alfonso has contrived a romantic setting for the two couples. Prodding the girls to encourage the men, he and Despina group the four together. Guglielmo and Dorabella quickly declare their love. Ferrando continues his threats of suicide, but Fiordiligi remains unmovable. When she is alone she admits her desire for him. The men tease each other and compare their trysts. Ferrando fumes at Dorabella’s infidelity and Guglielmo decries the fickleness of women. Ferrando maintains his love for Dorabella and Guglielmo demands his winnings, but Alfonso tells them he is still not finished.
Scene III, A room
Fiordiligi admits she’s in love. Dorabella consoles her but Fiordiligi decides that they must go off to find their soldiers. Ferrando comes in to make his final plea for Fiordiligi’s love. She finally agrees to marry him. Guglielmo, over-hearing them, becomes furious. As wedding plans have been made, Alfonso reminds the men of the premise of his bet: “All women are like this” or “Così fan tutte.” A table is set for the wedding feast. The couples drink a toast to love. Alfonso returns announcing the arrival of the notary (again Despina in disguise) who performs the pseudo-marriage as strains of the soldier’s march disturb the signing of the nuptial contracts. Alfonso tells Fiordiligi and Dorabella that their sweethearts have returned from war. Panicked, the women hide the “Albanians.” The soldiers return and make the appropriate fuss at the signed contracts, but the ruse is revealed and all is forgiven.
World Premiere: Burgtheater, Vienna, January 26, 1790
Così fan tutte is the last of Mozart’s three great operas written in collaboration with Lorenzo Da Ponte, the previous ones being Don Giovanni and Le nozze di Figaro. The opera was commissioned by Emperor Joseph II of Austria. Da Ponte crafted his original libretto, using a range of classical literature (most notably Ariosto’s Orlando furioso) as his inspiration. From this Mozart and Da Ponte provided a score that is as gorgeous as any the composer wrote, and a text of great wit, insight and complexity. The world premiere took place at the Burgtheater in Vienna on January 26, 1790, on the eve of the composer’s thirty-fourth birthday.
Despite the work’s quality it did not initially achieve the success of its predecessors. Following only a handful of performances, additional repetitions of Così fan tutte were suspended due to the death of the emperor, and the opera virtually disappeared for a major part of the 19th century. Fifty years passed after its premiere before it was first heard in Italy.
Così also faced a rather unique problem. Although many operatic works (such as several of Verdi’s) had to undergo various changes of locale and plot due to the censor’s restrictions, Così’s evolution was more extreme: the beauty of Mozart’s music was well recognized and acknowledged, but Da Ponte’s text was long considered too immoral and salacious for the delicate sensibilities of the 19th century. What seemed to be the solution? To write a completely new libretto with an existing score! In fact, not just one, but several. There were a number of rewritten texts in Germany alone, and at least one in Victorian England, entitled Tit for Tat. (That would make fascinating reading today!) Some of the other titles the work was performed as include The Two Aunts from Milan, Love and Temptation, The Girls from Flanders, and even The Guerillas
This identity crisis is one of the main reasons that the opera achieved no real place in the repertoire of the 19th century. It was only in the 20th century that Così’s fortune changed for the better. It reached the Metropolitan Opera in 1922, though it was not heard regularly in that theater until a revival in the early 1950’s.
But it is generally believed that Così ’s emergence as a true masterpiece dates to the production at the 1934 Glyndebourne Festival in England, which can be heard in a historical recording. From that time forward, it has been performed in theaters all over the world not only as one of Mozart’s major works, but as one of the glories of the entire operatic repertoire.
On the surface, the basic plot of Così may appear quite fragile, and those expecting the belly laughs found in opera buffa might be well disappointed (except perhaps for Despina’s disguises as the Doctor and the Notary). But the audience that delves a bit deeper is sure to be rewarded, for Così is filled with characters of wonderful humanity and complexity who find themselves in situations all too familiar to those who have experienced the joy, pain, and confusion of being in love (in other words, all of us!).
In the world of opera where characters tend to be of extreme goodness or evil, the inhabitants of Così’s world reflect the ambivalence and shifting emotions that are so much a part of life. As the somewhat mock opera seria emotions of the sisters in Act I give way to deeper, more insightful, heartfelt feelings in Act II, Da Ponte shows that he is a dramatist of the human condition. The suitor’s disguises are actually quite flimsy, and easy to see through. But much like the love potion in Tristan und Isolde, they simply serve to unlock feelings and emotions that are ready to surface.
The title Così fan tutte means “all women are like this.” But, in fact, it could just as fairly be changed to Così fan tutti, or “all MEN and women are like this.” Just as Mozart and Da Ponte quote their own Figaro in the banquet scene of Don Giovanni, the title Così fan tutte is actually a quote from the cynical Don Basilio, first heard in Le nozze di Figaro. In Così these masters maintain the superb high quality of their collaboration. One might be forgiven for feeling that in such moments as Così’s Act I trio, “Soave sia il vento,” they might even have surpassed themselves. Music and words do not get more ravishing this side of heaven.
Ken Benson is an artists’ manager based in New York City. For 25 years, he headed his own division as Vice-President at Columbia Artists Management. Mr. Benson is a long-time regular panelist and host of the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts.
A Children’s Opera In Two Acts
Music By Hans Krása | Text By Adolf Hoffmeister
English Version By Joža Karas
Prologue Created By Martha Collins And Jessé Martins
Conductor
Stage Director
Costume Designer
Lighting Designer
Hair and Make-Up Designer
Assistant Conductors Brundibár
Annette
Little Joe
Policeman
Sparrows Cats Dogs
Milkman
Ice Cream Seller Baker Mother Doctor
Youth Opera Production sponsored by the Les and Carol Brualdi Foundation
Jessé Martins
Martha Collins
Howard Tsvi Kaplan
Ken Yunker
Sue Schaefer
Andrew Downs, Lisandra Rodriguez-Varela
Kayla Farrell (11/8)
Ara Martinez-Oliva (11/9)
Giuliana Bordes (11/8)
Isabella Maltese (11/9)
Cara Carlson (11/8)
Reyna Kim (11/9)
Kai Casey (11/8)
Balthazar O’Neil (11/9)
Mia Moreno, Isla Outerbridge, Briana Wadsworth
Vittoria Morales-Franco, Abril Sanchez-Rodriguez, Elle Zukas
Yaëlle Katz, Aria Tillman, Mia Trainor
Olivia Novak
Eitan Katz
Jocelyne Wilkins
Sophie Lunsford
Dylan Alan
Sarasota Opera Brundibár Orchestra
Chorus: Sarasota Youth Opera
RAISE UP YOUR VOICE; INTOLERANCE THROUGH THE VOICES OF CHILDREN
BY JESSÉ MARTINS AND MARTHA COLLINS
“We Hold These Truths”
On A Sunny Evening
It All Depends on How You Look at It
To Olga
The Little Partridge
Oh, Freedom
“Lost Dreams”
“When the Whole World Is Silent”
Incidental Music
Music: Antonín Dvořák
Text: The Declaration of Independence
Music: César Franck and Antonín Dvořák
Text: Anonymous, by children in Barracks L318 and L417, Terezín
Music: Antonín Dvořák
Text: Miroslav Košek
Music: Giacomo Puccini
Text: Alena Mukova-Synkova, Terezín survivor
Music: Komitas Armenian Folk Song
English Version: Martha Collins
Traditional Spiritual
Poem by Mahogany Brim
Music: Giacomo Puccini
Text: Malala Yousafzai
Jessé Martins
BY HANS KRÁSA AND ADOLF HOFFMEISTER
ENGLISH VERSION BY JOŽA KARAS
Overture for a Small Orchestra
Lullaby
Hans Krása
Music and Text: Ilse Weber
Written while at Terezín
Arrangement: Jessé Martins
English Text: Martha Collins
RAISE UP YOUR VOICE FEATURED SOLOISTS
SINGERS
Dylan Alan
Giuliana Bordes
Kai Casey
Eitan Katz
Isabella Maltese
Ara Martinez-Oliva
Mia Moreno
Olivia Novak
Natalia Peno
Abril Sanchez-Rodriguez
Sophia Silva-O’Connell
Briana Wadsworth
Jocelyne Wilkins
SPEAKERS
Dylan Alan
Stefaniia Biedakurova
Giuliana Bordes
Kai Casey
Kayla Farrell
Eitan Katz
Reyna Kim
Finley MacBeth
Isabella Maltese
Ara Martinez-Oliva
Elise McEwen-Haworth
Fiona Muolo
Olivia Novak
Balthazar O’Neil
Celeste O’Neil
Natalia Peno
Isabella Scaccino
Sophia Silva-O’Connell
Philomena Tilden
Aria Tillman
Sawyer Tillman
Briana Wadsworth
A brother and sister, Little Joe and Annette, need to buy milk for their sick mother but have no money. They see the organ-grinder, Brundibár, playing his hurdy-gurdy on the street corner and collecting money from the townspeople. The children decide that they too will sing and collect money, but they are chased away by Brundibár.
As night approaches, a group of animals encourage the children to stand up to the organ-grinder. The next morning, with the help of the neighborhood children, they sing a charming lullaby which earns them money from the townspeople. Brundibár tries to steal their money, but after a brief chase he is caught and the children sing a song of victory.
World Premiere: Jewish Children’s Home, Hagibor, Czechoslovakia, August 1942
Written before the start of World War II, Brundibár was performed over 55 times in the Theresienstadt Jewish camp-ghetto and is considered one of the most performed youth operas, receiving hundreds of performances each year around the world. Also known as Terezín, the camp-ghetto supported a cultural community amidst the atrocities of the Holocaust. Brundibár was even used several times by the Nazis as propaganda, first in a film entitled “Der Führer schenkt den Juden eine Stadt” (The Führer Gives the Jews a City) and again on June 23, 1944, during an inspection visit by the International Red Cross. The plays, music, poems, paintings, and other works of arts created by the prisoners of Terezín which survive today are a testament to how art, as one survivor wrote, “transcended itself and acquired a dimension of sheer survival.”
Composer Hans Krása and librettist Adolf Hoffmeister originally wrote Brundibár as an entry for a children’s opera competition organized by the Czechoslovakian government in 1939. The results of the competition were never announced and a 1941 attempt to perform the work at the Prague Jewish Orphanage was thwarted as martial law and deportations began. A production without orchestra took place August 1942 at the Jewish Children’s Home, Hagibor. However, neither author was there to see the performance since Krása had already been deported to Terezín and Hoffmeister, thanks to Brundibár, had received an invitation to London and returned to Czechoslovakia only after the liberation.
The following June, Rudolf Freudenfeld, stage director of the Hagibor performance, smuggled the piano score into Terezín and Krása set about re-orchestrating the work for available instruments. Vedem, a secret magazine created by a group of about 100 boys ages 13 to 15, chronicled the start of rehearsals:
The first rehearsals were mostly boring. They were held in a dusty attic with a screeching harmonium and suffocating heat. The choir sang “This is little Pepiček…” twice, learned another verse, repeated “Brundibár defeated…” and then gladly escaped the stifling atmosphere to get a breath of fresh air. In the meantime the candidates for solo parts stood with trembling voices before the sweating Rudi (Rudolf Freudenfeld) and sang “la la la la la” after him. We were on tenterhooks to know who would get what parts and who would say a few more words than anyone else on stage. (Rudolf Lauf)
Brundibár received its official premiere on September 23, 1943, in the attic hall of the Magdeburg barracks. In the 54 official and countless unofficial performances that would follow, the cast continually changed as people were deported to the extermination camps. Krása would compose several more works in Terezín, including his Overture for Small Orchestra, before his own death in Auschwitz on October 16, 1944.
The opera all but disappeared after WWII until Joža Karas, a professor at the University of Hartford, became acquainted with Terezín survivor Eliška Kleinov á . Using a piano reduction and complete score provided by Kleinová, Karas created a transcription and English translation for the work’s North American premiere in Ottawa, Canada, in 1977.
Ben Jewell-Plocher was Sarasota Opera’s Director of Education. He is currently Associate Director of Engagement, Moss Art Center at Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech University.
BY MARTHA COLLINS AND JESSÉ MARTINS
When we first began our research into Brundibár, we were profoundly moved by the history surrounding the work – that of it having been performed by children in the Terezin camp-ghetto. As we delved more into the lives and writings of these young artists, most of whom did not survive the Nazi regime, we became deeply inspired and humbled to learn they strove to stay creative artistically under such prohibitive conditions. It quickly became imperative to us that the companion piece we would create to go with Brundibár not use words and stories created by us, but rather the actual words of young people. The search led us to the diaries and letters of children throughout the world, written while they were living through the challenges of intolerance in its many forms.
In 1948, Winston Churchill said “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” We can learn from wisdom beyond their years in the words of these young people who were questioning the world that adults had created; these children who were able to see the world through a lens of what life could be when not limited by hatred.
Christine Alfano
Soprano • Jacksonville, FL
RESIDENT ARTIST
SARASOTA OPERA
Debut: Apprentice Artist (2025)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Kate Pinkerton, Madama Butterfly, Amelia Island Opera
Gertrud, Hänsel und Gretel, Amelia Island Opera
Angelica, Suor Angelica, Bold City Opera
Mezzo-soprano • Chicago, IL
RESIDENT ARTIST
SARASOTA OPERA
Dorotea, Stiffelio (2025)
Debut: Studio Artist (2025)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Meg Page, Falstaff, Geneva Light Opera
Marcellina, Le nozze di Figaro, Aspen Opera Theater
Dodo, Breaking the Waves, Detroit Opera
Conductor • New York, NY CONDUCTOR
Così fan tutte
Artistic Director and Principal Conductor since 1982
SARASOTA OPERA (partial list)
Stiffelio (2025)
Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci (2025)
Carmen (2024)
Madama Butterfly (2023)
Ernani (2023)
Debut: Orphée aux enfers (1982)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
A Verdi Celebration, Opéra de Montréal
La fanciulla del west,
Théàtre de l'Opéra de Nice
Un ballo in maschera, Canary Islands/Spain
Music Staff • Bloomington, IN ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR
Brundibár, Così fan tutte
SARASOTA OPERA
Carmen, Lucia di Lammermoor (2024)
Debut: Assistant Conductor (2024)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Conducting Fellow, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
The Nutcracker, Carmel Symphony Orchestra
Assistant Conductor/Coach, Indiana University Opera and Ballet Theater
Hanna Brammer
Soprano • Traverse City, MI
FIORDILIGI
CosÌ fan tutte
Sponsored by Robert and Sally Arthur
SARASOTA OPERA (partial list)
Vespina, L’infedeltà delusa (2024)
Carolina, Il matrimonio segreto (2022)
Leila, Les Pêcheurs de perles (2022)
Debut: Studio Artist (2016)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Violetta, La traviata, Opera Tampa Woglinde, Das Rheingold, Pacific Symphony Pamina, Die Zauberflöte, Jacksonville Symphony
Baritone • Leonia, NJ RESIDENT ARTIST
SARASOTA OPERA
Studio Artist (2025)
Debut: Apprentice Artist (2024)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Pirate King, The Pirates of Penzance, Light Opera of NJ
Pirate King, The Pirates of Penzance, Opera Theatre of St. Louis
Guglielmo (cover), Così fan tutte, Opera Saratoga
Stage Director • Ottawa, Canada
STAGE DIRECTOR
Brundibár
SARASOTA OPERA (partial list)
Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci (2025)
Carmen (2024)
Ernani (2023)
Attila (2022)
Debut: Apprentice Artists Program Stage Director (2004)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Matilde, Opera Southwest L'occasione fa il ladro, Opera Southwest Faust, Tri-Cities Opera Ariadne auf Naxos, Land of Enchantment Opera
Die Zauberflöte, New York University
Baritone • Udine, Italy
GUGLIELMO
Così fan tutte
SARASOTA OPERA (partial list)
Figaro, Il barbiere di Siviglia (2025, 2018)
Nanni, L’infedeltà delusa (2024)
Sharpless, Madama Butterfly (2023)
Debut: Lescaut, Manon Lescaut (2018)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Dandini, La cenerentola, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma
Taddeo, L’italiana in Algeri, Teatro alla Scala, Milan
Figaro, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Teatro Campoamor
David P. Gordon
Scenic Designer • Philadelphia, PA
SCENIC DESIGNER
Così fan tutte
SARASOTA OPERA (partial list)
Madama Butterfly (2007)
Don Giovanni (2005)
La bohème (2006)
Rigoletto (2008)
Manon Lescaut (2018)
Debut: Maskarade (1995)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
The Consul, Seattle Opera Radio Golf, Arden Theatre Company
Director of Design & Production, Mason Gross School of the Arts/ Rutgers University
Baritone • Interlochen, MI
RESIDENT ARTIST
SARASOTA OPERA
Ufficiale,
Il barbiere di Siviglia (2025)
Debut: Apprentice Artist (2024)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Officer, La bohème, Bravo! Vail Music Festival
Leporello, Don Giovanni, Prague Summer Nights
Bretigny, Manon, Boulder Opera
Costume Designer • Oceanside, NY
RESIDENT COSTUME DESIGNER
SARASOTA OPERA
Debut: 1998
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Alley Theatre
Asolo Center
Florida Grand Opera
ABC
PBS
Ringling Bros. Clown College
Opera Delaware
Baltimore Opera
Kentucky Opera
Barter Theater
Tenor • Tacoma, WA
FERRANDO
Così fan tutte
SARASOTA OPERA DEBUT
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Rinuccio, Gianni Schicchi, Opera Roanoke
Faust, Faust, The Academy of Vocal Arts
Rodolfo, La bohème, Music Academy of the West
Music Staff • Sapiranga, Brazil
CONDUCTOR
Brundibár
SARASOTA OPERA
Conductor,
Lucia di Lammermoor (2024)
Director of Studio Artists Program/ Assistant Conductor, Don Giovanni, Thérèse (2023)
Conductor, The Little Sweep (2023), The Secret World of Og (2022)
Conductor, La Fille du régiment (2022)
Debut: Youth Opera
Music Director (2011)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Assistant Music Director, Opera Factory/New Zealand
Music Staff • Tashkent, Uzbekistan
ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR
Così fan tutte
SARASOTA OPERA DEBUT
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
L'Enfant et les Sortilèges, The Juilliard School
Dialogues des Carmélites, The Juilliard School
Il barbiere di Siviglia, Central City Opera
Soprano • West Palm Beach, FL DESPINA
Così fan tutte
SARASOTA OPERA
Susanna, Le nozze di Figaro (2025)
The Music of Giuseppe Verdi (2024)
Rowan, The Little Sweep (2023)
Debut: Apprentice Artist (2023)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Musetta, La bohème, Aspen Music Festival
Fiordiligi, Così fan tutte, Aspen Music Festival
Mimi, La bohème, Piccola Scala, Syros, Greece
Sue Schaefer
Resident Hair and Make-Up Designer • Minneapolis, MN
SARASOTA OPERA
Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci (2025) Il barbiere di Siviglia (2025)
Le nozze di Figaro (2025)
Stiffelio (2025)
The Hobbit (2024)
Debut: 2014
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Wig & Makeup Designer, Florida Grand Opera, Opera Saratoga, Utah Festival Opera, Hawaii Opera Theatre, San Diego Opera, Kentucky Opera
Tenor • Atlanta, GA
RESIDENT ARTIST
SARASOTA OPERA
Debut: Apprentice Artist (2025)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Pirelli, Sweeney Todd, Lowell House Opera
Soloist, Crispus Attucks, Boston Symphony Hall
Baritone • Tunkhannock, PA
DON ALFONSO
Così fan tutte
SARASOTA OPERA
Il Conte Almaviva, Le nozze di Figaro, (2025) Le Dancaïre, Carmen, (2024) Hortensius, La fille du régiment, (2022)
Debut: Resident Artist (2021)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Figaro, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Park City Opera Papageno, Die Zauberflöte, Opera Mississippi
Figaro, Il barbiere di Siviglia, First Coast Opera
Music Staff • Lucca, Italy ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR
Così fan tutte
SARASOTA OPERA
Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci (2025) Stiffelio (2025)
Debut: Assistant Conductor (2025)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Carmen, Teatro Savoia
Le nozze di Figaro, Teatro Savoia
Don Giovanni, Accademia Giuseppe Verdi
Sarah Stembel
Soprano • New Orleans, LA RESIDENT ARTIST
SARASOTA OPERA
Debut: Apprentice Artist (2024)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Nella, Gianni Schicchi, Opera Idaho
Sister Genovieffa, Suor Angelica, Opera Idaho
Papagena, Die Zauberflöte, Opera Mississippi
Stage Director • Moline, IL
STAGE DIRECTOR
Così fan tutte
SARASOTA OPERA (partial list)
Stiffelio (2025)
Luisa Miller (2024)
Madama Butterfly (2023) Il matrimonio segreto (2022)
Tosca (2022)
La Wally (2020)
Debut: Tatiana, Eugene Onegin (1984)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Turandot, Des Moines Metro Opera
La fanciulla del West, Utah Opera
Les Pêcheurs de perles, Madison Opera, Atlanta Opera, Opera Carolina
Mezzo-soprano • New York, NY
DORABELLA
Così fan tutte
SARASOTA OPERA
Debut: Mère Marie, Dialogues des Carmélites (2017)
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Neris, Medea, Metropolitan Opera
Carmen, Carmen, Staatstheater Mainz Octavian, Der Rosenkavalier, Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet
Ken Yunker
Lighting Designer • Seattle, WA
RESIDENT LIGHTING DESIGNER
SARASOTA OPERA
Debut: 2007
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS
Principal Lighting Designer, Alliance Theatre Company (2004-2017)
Resident Lighting Designer, Atlanta Opera (1993-2015)
Lighting Designer — Americas Brazil, Florida Grand Opera, Bermuda Arts Festival, Utah Opera, New Orleans Opera, Tulsa Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, Opera New Jersey, Toledo Opera, San Antonio Opera
Sylvia Adams
Dylan Alan
Stefaniia Biedakurova
Giuliana Bordes
Jalil Campbell
Cara Carlson
Stephanie Casanova
Kai Casey
Ariel Chen
Magnoliah Darty
Brenna Farrell
Kayla Farrell
Eleanor Havasi
Eitan Katz
Yaëlle Katz
Reyna Kim
Live Klein
Theo Levey-Baker
Harper Lin
Sophie Lunsford
Finley MacBeth
Monreaux Magdik
Isabella Maltese
Ara Martinez-Oliva
Elise McEwen-Haworth
Elsa Meadows
Vittoria Morales-Franco
Mia Moreno
Fiona Muolo
Maxim Nekorystnov
Olivia Novak
Balthazar O’Neil
Celeste O’Neil
Harper Olney
Isla Outerbridge
Camryn Palazzolo
Natalia Peno
Eddie Robinson
Emily Ruiz-Lopez
Nikita Rybak
Abril Sanchez-Rodriguez
Emiliana Sarmiento
Isabella Scaccino
Sophia Silva-O’Connell
Chidinma Smarty
Kyndall Stelly
Philomena Tilden
Aria Tillman
Sawyer Tillman
Mia Trainor
Myla Trainor
Katerina Vergnais
Maia Vergnais
Briana Wadsworth
Araceli Wilkins
Jocelyne Wilkins
Sameah Wilkins
Adie Yoder
Lael Zehr
Elle Zukas
Juliana Alvarado
Alexandru Carlasuc
Alyssa Entin
Paloma Eyler
Duliana Fernando
Sophia Gambrell
Mia Gemesi
Ora Grant
Kiril Kuzmin
Yeva Kuzmina
VIOLIN
ChungYon Hong, Concertmaster
Anne Chandra
Katherine Baloff
Sean O’Neil
CELLO
Nadine Trudel
BASS
Gil S. Katz
FLUTE/PICCOLO
Allison DeFrancesco
CLARINET
Bharat Chandra
TRUMPET
Robby Garrison
HARP
Phoebe Powell
PERCUSSION
Jordan Holley
PIANO
Andrew Downs
Emmett O’Brien
Dominic Parker
Grace Paver
Aleksandra Pirogova
Adriana Rossi
Rhema Joy Stahlmann
Kamila Struk
Dora Yu
Angela Zhang
Krása’s Brundibár is presented by arrangement with Bote & Bock Berlin and Boosey & Hawkes, Inc.
Krása’s Overture for Small Orchestra is presented by arrangement with Bote & Bock Berlin and Boosey & Hawkes, Inc.
Angeli R. Rasbury, writer and educator, for connecting us with the young poets of Brooklyn. Embracing Our Differences for their support of the Youth Opera School Time Matinee program.
Daniel Jordan, concertmaster
Christopher Takeda, associate concertmaster
Jennifer Best Takeda, assistant concertmaster
Michael Turkell, principal second
Meghan Jones, assistant principal second
Katherine Baloff
Felicia Brunelle
Anne Chandra
Nick Eanet
Carlann Evans
ChungYon Hong
Leah Latorraca
Margot Zarzycka Whitelaw
Viola
Matt Pegis, principal
Nathan Frantz, assistant principal
Peter Ayuso
Jean Phelan
Christopher Schnell, principal
Nadine Trudel, assistant principal
Isabelle Besançon
Chizuko Matsusaka
John Miller, principal
Samuel Dugo, assistant principal
Betsy Hudson Traba, principal
Carmen Newell Bannon
Bobby Nunes, principal
Nicholas P. Arbolino
Robby Garrison, co-principal + Ricardo Chinchilla
Yoko Kita, principal
Hanna Kim, principal
Katie Knox, principal Paul Greitzer, assistant principal
Bharat Chandra, principal
Daniel Parrette, assistant principal
Fernando Traba, principal
Edward Rumzis
Clarinet Bassoon Horn
Hugo Bliss, co-principal
Melvin Jackson
CANADIAN BRASS HOLIDAY CONCERT
Tue. Dec 2, 2025, 7:30 pm | Sarasota Opera House
Holiday favorites from “Jingle Bell Rock” to “Christmastime is Here.”
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Vasily Petrenko, Music Director | Mon. Jan 19, 7:30 pm | Van Wezel
Sibelius Symphony No. 2 and Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1
THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Music Director | Mon. Feb 16, 7:30 pm | Van Wezel
All-Brahms program, including Symphony No. 2 and No. 4.
DANISH STRING QUARTET
Tues. Feb 24, 7:30 pm | Riverview Performing Arts Center
Beethoven String Quartet in B-flat Major and more.
PIANIST ALEXANDER MALOFEEV
Tue. March 10, 7:30 pm | Riverview Performing Arts Center
Works from Grieg to Prokofiev, Scriabin and Stravinsky.
JOSHUA BELL & THE ACADEMY OF ST MARTIN IN THE FIELDS
Sun. March 15, 7:30 pm | Van Wezel
Dvořák Symphony No. 8 and Saint-Saëns Violin Concerto No. 3
Every season, Sarasota Opera brings powerful performances, emerging talent, and unforgettable experiences to our community. As we look ahead to a landmark year in 2026, your support helps make it all possible, from our world-class opera productions to youth education and community engagement.
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Sarasota Opera is proud to celebrate its 67th season of producing impassioned opera performances for Sarasota audiences and proudly recognizes Leadership Tier donors’ cumulative annual gifts of $6,000 or more in the following pages. Leadership supporters make a significant investment in helping Sarasota Opera achieve its artistic goals through support of the Co-Producer program, Youth Opera & Education Fund, Artistic Achievement Fund, or a combination of different giving programs. We also recognize the number of years they have supported Sarasota Opera at this level, as well as their gifts of $1,000 or more for special campaigns. To learn how you can support Sarasota Opera, contact either Melissa Voigt at (941) 366-8450, Ext. 581 or mvoigt@sarasotaopera.org or Karen Misantone at Ext. 416 or kmisantone@sarasotaopera.org. Cumulative gifts and pledges are reflected between January 1 and September 15, 2025. Gifts and pledges received after this date will appear in the 2026 Winter Program Book.
$100,000 + NOT PICTURED:
ANONYMOUS
Production Sponsor; Principal Artist Sponsor; Apprentice Artist Sponsor
ANONYMOUS
Production Sponsor
LARRY BUMGARNER, in loving memory of Nourma Bumgarner 1
Production Sponsor
Sseason of producing opera for Sarasota audiences. Production Sponsors, Season Producers, and Co-Producers are recognized for the number of years they have supported Sarasota Opera with a major gift. These gifts underwrite a substantial portion of production costs, and we gratefully acknowledge Co-Producer support of La scala di seta in the following pages. To learn more about becoming a Production Sponsor, Season Producer, or Co-Producer, contact Director of Development Scott Guinn at (941) 366-8450, ext. 416 or sguinn@sarasotaopera.org.
and pledges are current as of September 15, 2021.
Gifts and pledges are current as of September 15, 2021.
Not Pictured:
We gratefully acknowledge two anonymous Season Producers
Season Producer; Principal Artist Sponsor; Apprentice Artist Sponsor
PHILIP AND SUZANNE CONOVER 9
Max Eisenbarth Trust
Season Producer
MAX EISENBARTH TRUST 14
Season Producer
$24,000+
$18,000+
MARGARET ROMANES 18
Così fan tutte, La bohème, The Merry Widow, Susannah; Youth Opera & Education
Così fan tutte, La bohème, Il trovatore NOT PICTURED: NOT PICTURED:
HELEN PANOYAN 10
$12,000+
These generous Leadership donors who selected Winter Festival operas for their naming recognition will have their photo in the Winter Program Book.
$24,000 +
Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation 11 CP
Ms. Katherine Benoit and Mr. John Brooks 12 CP; AS; YO; GS
Angela and William Haines 3 CP; PP
Dr. and Mrs. Herbert Kaufman 14 CP
Ellen V. Piers Fund of Community Foundation of Sarasota County 12 CP; AS
Mrs. Margaret Renner, in memory of Ernst Renner 10 CP; AS
$18,000 +
Anonymous CP; YO
Ron and Barb Archbold 12 CP
Sumner and Irene Bagby 18 CP; GS
Brad and Lynda Blaylock 6 CP; YO
Murray Bring and Kay Delaney 18 CP
Forrest S. Crawford, in loving memory of Sally H. Foote 15 CP; AS: AF; YO
Dr. Carmen Hampl & Dr. Bernhard Hampl 2 CP
Dr. James Koppel and Mrs. Norma Jean Koppel 2 CP
Keith F. Nelson and Judith K. Marquis 4 CP
Gabriel and Valerie Schmergel 21 CP
Janis and Hobart Swan 10 CP; AF: YO
Robert and Camille Thinnes 6 CP; YO
Russ and Margarete Wiltshire 23 CP; YO
$12,000 +
Anonymous CP; YO
Stan and Alma Abshier 24 CP; YO
Peggy Allen and Steven Dixon 10 CP
Shari and Steve Ashman 5 CP; AF
Dr. Carl A. Batlin and Susan Hinko 5 CP; OL
David Bialosky and Carolyn Christian 4 CP
Jadwiga Brown, in celebration of Donald Brown 3 CP; ME
Bonnie and William Chapman 14 CP
Even T. and Malama Collinsworth Fund of Community Foundation of Sarasota County 15 CP
Jim Ericson 20 CP
Frances D. Fergusson and John Bradbury 13 CP
William C. and Joyce K. Fletcher 7 CP; AS
Dr. Robert L. Fowler and Susan E. Gilbert 7 CP; YO
Paul and Marilyn R. Frederick 11 CP
Felicia and Andrew Hall 7 CP; YO
Ruth B. Kreindler 21 CP
Live For A Living 2 AF; YO
James and Lorna Mack 4 CP
James and Ann Magee 10 CP
Joe and Dede Mallof 11 CP
Joan Mathews 14 CP; PP
Amy McGowan 4 CP
Martha Murphy 21 CP
Patrick and Kim Nettles 14 CP
Bernadine Richey and Michael Hays 1 CP
Dr. Peter and Louise Shimkin 10 CP
Joe and Nora Stephan 20 CP
John Suhre and Carla Koeffler 12 CP
Bill and Rebecca Tompkins 17 CP
John G. and Anna Maria Troiano Foundation, Inc. 25 CP
Michal and Jim Wadsworth 11 CP; YO
Elton and Gordie White 17 CP
$6,000 +
Anonymous (3) CP
Col. Jim Ainslie and Maureen Ranft 1 CP
Charles Albers and Julie Planck 1 CP; OL
James Richard Asadourian, in memoriam 3 CP
Ruth A. Barker 8 CP
Tom and Loretta Beaumont 2 CP
Duncan and Susan Brown 2 CP; YO
Mark and Ruth Brus 4 CP; YO
James and Eileen Buzzard 3 CP
Darlene J. and Richard P. Carroll 2 CP
James and Lois Champy 4 CP
Dr. Octavio and Mrs. Nela Choy 9 CP
Marianne and Lou Cohen 8 CP
Jerry Cohn 6 CP
Jonathan Strickland Coleman and Rick Kerby 19 CP; ME
Mr. Robert Crandall and Ms. Barbara Bankoff 1 CP
Neil and Sandra DeFeo 7 CP
David Epstein and Tamara Jacobs 3 CP; AS
Eleanor C. Faber 14 CP
Gerald H. Fickenscher and Wendy Babb 6 CP; YO
Barbara and Tony Franke 10 CP
Herman and Sharon Frankel 16 CP
Rae and Sanford Frankel 4 CP
Flora Garsten, in loving memory of her husband, Irwin Garsten 7 CP
Tom and Libbie Glembocki 2 CP; YO; OL
Mike and Mary Glynn 3 CP
Elaine Gustafson and Bill Chorske 1 CP
Fr. Jeffrey L. Hamblin, M.D. 7 CP; YO
Dr. Lynne Harrison 1 CP
Donna Lynn Hecker 14 CP
Ms. Michelle-Marie Heinemann 1 CP
Beth and Michael Huber 1 YO
Alastair Hunter-Henderson and Noralyn Marshall 3 YO
Richard S. Johnson 15 CP
Arnold Kaplan, in loving memory of Deanne Kaplan 12 CP
Elaine Keating, in loving memory of Sidney Katz 13 CP
Pat and Ann Kenny 6 CP
Alan Kesten and Pamela Johnson 8 CP
Dr. Marsha Kindall-Smith and Dr. Hugh Smith 8 CP; YO
Marlene Kitchell 6 CP
Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Kreit 8 CP; YO
Peter and Melody Kretzmer 7 CP; YO
Kuli Family Foundation 1 CP
Helene Lebleu, in loving memory of Alain Lebleu 8 CP
Christopher and Margo Light 8 CP
Joe and Pam LoDato 4 CP; PP
Gerda Maceikonis 1 CP
Drs. Louis and Roseanne Martorella 11 CP; YO
Stephania and James McClennen 4 CP
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard A. McCue, III 8 CP
Lydia and Patrick McKenzie 11 CP; S
Elizabeth Moore 4 CP
Sue Neumann 2 CP; YO
Zackulyn Lee Philpit, in loving memory of Matthew Bricken Philpit 1 CP
Andra and Irwin Press 2 CP
Mary S. Riebold 17 CP
Piero and Rachele Rivolta-Barberi 17 CP
Bill and Anne Robson 1 CP
Esther Rose, in loving memory of Rabbi Herbert Rose 10 CP
Michael and Maureen Ruettgers 2 CP
Steve Sabato 2 AF
Gail and Skip Sack 16 CP
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Sanzo 3 CP
Jacqueline E. Schafer 2 CP
Col. and Mrs. Ralph G. Scheffert 9 CP
Judith Sear 1 CP
Arnold J. Simonsen Family Charitable Foundation 5 CP
Amanda and Dick Smoot 6 CP
Garry and Sharon Snook 2 CP
Zona Spray Starks 6 CP; YO
Thomas and Maureen Steiner 8 CP
Ms. Susan K. Straus 14 CP
Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation 5 CP
Ky Thompson and Marge Melun 5 CP
Carolyn and Arnold Tillman, in honor of Sara Kennedy 1 CP; YO
Thomas H. Wentz III and James J. Whalen 1 YO
Eve and Michael Williams-Jones 9 CP
Lewis and Susan Winarsky, in honor of Barb and Ron Archbold 3 CP
Dr. Richard Wires 21 CP; YO
Joan H. Wood, in memoriam 33 CP
Marsha Zapson 1 CP; OL
STARs of Sarasota Opera support the company's vision to produce opera true to the vision of the composer as well as our education and community engagement activities. For more than six decades, this community of supporters has raised its voice for world-class opera in Sarasota, and we gratefully acknowledge the contribution of each contributor. To learn more about becoming a STAR donor, contact Patron Giving Manager Brenda Tamm at (941) 366-8450, Ext. 250 or btamm@sarasotaopera.org. Gifts are current as of September 15, 2025. Gifts received after this date will be recognized in the 2026 Winter Program Book.
($3,000 - $5,999)
Anonymous (2)
William C. and Vicki A. Anderson
Ms. Adele Fleet Bacow
Mr. Jeffrey Bain and Rabbi Anat Moskowitz
Dr. and Mrs. G. Richard Baise
Mr. Fred W. Camp
Mr. David Chivas and Mr. Ronald Rice
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Coch
Mr. Robert Cook
Dr. Marvin and Carole Daley
Kathleen and Paul DeVita
Josephine Franz and Russ Gill
Mrs. Maia Hopper
Alan and Eleanor Israel
Richard and Grace Kiltie, in memory of Camilla R. Murphy
Live For A Living
Andrew Kotsatos and Heather Parsons
Mr. Michael Landy
Ms. Vicki Leaden
Dr. M. S. W. Lee
Tom LeFevre
Susan and Arthur Luger
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mann
Mr. and Mrs. Jim McAlpine
Nancy and Bill Newman, in memory of Jane R. Newman
Nicole Overdiek
Peter and Tova Phillipes
Martin and Beverly Rosenberg
Arthur Weldon
Chip and Jean Wood
Sandra and Gary Yakes
Mr. Stanley Zielinski
($2,000 - $2,999)
Hank Ames
Mr. and Mrs. David Arch
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick A. Bastien
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry H. Bilik
Mr. and Mrs. Orest Bilous
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Brand
Stephen G. Brantley, M.D.
Mr. and Mrs. Larry G. Brown
Mr. Jeremy Caplin
Dr. Gabriel R. and Mrs. Amy Cipau
Nelson and Lilia Co
Alan S. Cohen, in loving memory of Natalie Cohen
Karl Copas
Mr. Joseph DiProspero and Ms. Elizabeth A. Fusco
Mr. and Mrs. Diego Donoso
Herbert Fox and Janet Zinner
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence J. Gallick
The Hassan Charitable Trust
Joseph and Margaret Heery
Drs. Susan and Walter Jay
Dr. and Mrs. Mark S. Kauffman
Jane and John Krayesky
Joan S. Langbord
Mr. John C. Mayer
Mrs. Della Rae Moore
Charles and Linda Naftalin
Mrs. Ingrid Nutter
Terry Shea and Seigo Nakao
Carol Von Allmen, in memory of Frank Von Allmen
Ellen and Peter Zane
($1,250 - $1,999)
Janice and Tom Burne
John and Lynne Collins
Antoinette and William Dowling
Mr. Howard Elder, in memory of Marcia K. Elder
Isa Engleberg and Allan Kennedy
Mrs. Shirley Fein
Gordon Finman
Dr. and Mrs. Robert J. Frank
Roz Goldberg
Mr. and Ms. David Goldrich
Mr. and Mrs. Hanford Gross
Mr. and Mrs. Jay P. Hartig
Joel Herman and Milt Sleeter, in honor of Howard Kaplan & John Tully
Mrs. Anita Pihl-Hetter, in memory of Gregory P. Hetter, M.D.
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph J. Iovanna
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Karlin
Lynn Lefebvre
Margaret L. Maguire
Lou and Carolou Marquet
Jamie and Meg McLane
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Oberlander
Larry and Jackie Pettit
Mrs. Barbara C. Raphael and Mrs. Helene Demers
Dr. Gloria A. Schranz
Dr. Gerald Shaikun and Laurie Smith
Jackie and John Thompson
Corinne and Morton Weber
($600 - $1,249)
Joseph and Daria Adajian
Jerry and Sue Ellen Addicott
Chuck Angulo
Dolly and Stanley Bass
Mr. Glen Behrendt and Ms. Lenore Shapiro
Marc Behrendt, in memory of Everett Behrendt
Mr. and Mrs. David A. Beliles
Thomas Brannin and Mariano J. Vera
Mary D. Bray
Irwin and Sybil Broh
Mr. and Mrs. Aref Bsisu
Martha and James Chadwick
Dr. and Mrs. Robert E. Crootof
George and Kathy Dambach
Carl W. Duyck and Dennis J. Flood
Dr. and Mrs. Lee E. Edstrom
Leon R. and Margaret M. Ellin
Douglas W. Endicott
Dr. Phyllis J. Faw
Alex and Eija Friedlander
Martha and Tom Galek
Aldo and Rita Giovanucci
Jennifer and Larry Goichman
Mrs. Alice B. Gorman
Mr. and Mrs. Barney Greenhill
Karen and Werner Gundersheimer
Mr. Charles H. Hamilton and Ms. Miriam Lockhart
Jean and Peter Huber
Daniel R. Idzik and Kathleen M. Osborne
D. Anthony Jones
Joseph and Sylvia Bloom Fund of Community Foundation of Sarasota County
Jeanne and Stan Kagin
Dr. and Mrs. Ronald Kennedy
Maria Kirlangitis, in loving memory of V. Rev. Fr. Frank Kirlangitis
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Krambeck
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew MacBeth
Gary and Gloria McKinley
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Morra
Barbara Noah
Dr. Elaine B. Panitz
David and Patricia Porter
Cheryl and Frank Raimondi
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Roney
Vinod and Judith Gail Sahney
Dr. Henry S. Sauls
Dr. Thomas Schmidlin
Cyvia and David Snyder
Ms. Stephanie Sonnabend
(CONTINUED)
Wesley G. McCain, Noreene Storrie & Malcolm W. S. McCain Family Fund
Ms. Riska Platt Wanago
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Wegman
Ann C. Weingartner
James Whalen and Thomas Wentz
Mr. and Mrs. Graeme Wheatley
Jeanne C. Yeagle, in memory of David Luce
($350 - $599)
Anonymous
Tom Adams and Lynne Cahill
Cecile Alexander, in loving memory of Stu Alexander
Robert C. Anderson
Mrs. C. William Baisley
Edward John Bash
Dr. Miguel F. Beltre
Mr. Robert Berger
June and Stewart Beyer
Janine and Douglas Cohen
Dr. Stanley Cohen
Dr. William A. Colom and Atty. Lorraine D. Eckert
Ms. Jill Considine
Dr. Petra Danielsohn-Weil and Dr. Ana Salgado
Louis De Francesco and Anne Heim
Mr. Robert Dennis
Jayne Dietsch and Marvin Kowalewski, Ph.D.
Mr. and Mrs. Harlan Domber
Dr. Jan Stefan J. Donsbach
Mr. Michael Dotsey
Ms. Rosalie Fanale
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Feldman
Mr. George Fender
Mr. Peter Ferentinos
Lawrence Fullerton and Maple Cervo
Paree Gardner
Ms. Susan Gordon
Mary Groninger, in loving memory of Mike Groninger
Richard Guenther and Ward Rinehart
Maryanne and Ray Hazen
Helene and Gene Noble Testamentary Fund at Gulf Coast Community Foundation
Jane Hoover
Dr. Bruce Jackson, in memory of Rosalind Jackson
John Markham Fund of Community Foundation of Sarasota County
Ms. Elsie Kearns
Bruce Kurtz
Tony and Dorid Lamb
Raymond Leon and Theresa Konrad
Ms. Marina Markantonatos, in memory of Antony Markantonatos
Rosemary Albano Mazzanti, M.D., in loving memory of Walter D. Mazzanti, M.D.
John and Diane McWhirter
Mr. Jim Meucci
Ronda Montminy, in loving memory of Arnold Simonsen
Melinda and Bob Morrissey
Paul and Mary Neuhauser
John and Katherine Nelson
Jeff and Janice Newman
Dr. and Mrs. Todd A. Nolan
Jim and Alice Noone
Mr. William W. Patterson
David and Eva Peradotti
Ms. Hilde Pfurtscheller
C. Louis Putallaz
Robert and Lorynne Cahn Family Fund of Community Foundation of Sarasota County
Sue Rupp and Josh Ingojo
Larry Sage
Mr. Andrew Salgado
Salten Weingrod Family Fund of Rhode Island Community Foundation
Mrs. Barbara Schwartz and Mr. Jerry Flum
Dr. and Mrs. Jonathan Shagrin
Ms. Valerie Shah
Jan and Elliot Silverman
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Sommerhalter
Drs. Robert and Mary Helen Spear
Dr. and Mrs. J. Robert Spencer
Mr. Leonard Tavormina
Dr. Mary B. Trube
Dr. Martin Tucker
Gretchen Turner
Laurie and Rick Waller
Lewis M. Wasserman
Dr. and Mrs. Paul Weiner
Jane Woods
($250 - $349)
Andy Frank Fund of Community Foundation of Sarasota County
Scott A. Arndt and Betsy Bennett
Dr. and Mrs. Edward Axelrod
Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Bailey
Mr. David Berenshteyn
Marvin Bielawski
Myrna Block, in memory of Andre Block
Mr. Alfred G. Brown
Marcus Chandler
Rev. and Mrs. George E. Chorba
Michael and Carol Clark
Patricia Dal Cortivo
Kathy and Philip Dierstein
Mr. Raymond Dispoto, in loving memory of Dr. Jack G. Hutton, Jr.
Camille and Robert Dulaney
Mr. Thomas A. Esposito
Helen and Alec Feiner
Mr. Peter Finn
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Fischl
Ms. Jane S. Fondiller
Martin Fried
Timothy and Catharine Gaylard
Harris and Sharon Goldenberg
Mr. and Mrs. Earl Hannum
Dr. Elwood Headley
Laura B. Henderson
James Hindman
Mrs. Christiane Hostler
Mr. and Mrs. Fraser Johnson
Mr. Wayne E. Johnston, in memory of Patricia E. Johnston
Diane and Barry Kirschenbaum
Rob and Sharon Knapp
Dr. and Mrs. Warren Koontz
Bonney and Len Libman
Linda and Mel McKinley
Mr. and Mrs. Donald McLagan
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Nickol
Mr. Barry Oshry
Sandy and Edward Rich
Mr. and Mrs. Nigel Richards
Barry Safir
Mr. Gary S. Schieneman and Ms. Susan B. Fisher
Mr. Robert Schoendorf
Dr. and Mrs. Chris Seery
Dr. Marc A. Silberbusch
Mr. Andrew H. Sutton
Kevin and Melissa Voigt
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Yarnold
Dr. and Mrs. S. Jerome Zackin
Mr. and Mrs. Hans P. Ziegler
($150 - $249)
Anonymous (2)
Mrs. Laurel M. Akhund
Mr. Ray Alba and Mrs. Miriam Rullan-Alba
Mr. and Mrs. Jay Amberson
Edward P. Andershock
Stephanie Arthur and Michael Vlaisavljevich
Mr. and Mrs. Livingston Baker
David and Susan Batchelor
Dr. and Mrs. Greg Bergamo
Marilyn and Paul Blankman
Dr. James A. Brown and Ms. Barbara A. Boykin
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas M. Case
Mrs. Nardyne Cattani
Mrs. Aracelis Contarini
Ms. Patricia Cowart
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Epstein
James Ferrara
The Leda Freedman Fund of Community Foundation of Sarasota County
Mr. Rogelio Garcia
Mrs. Otto J. Glasser
Dr. Jane and Mr. Steve Goldner
Tim and Pat Guarino
Dr. Thomas N. Guffin, Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. James Halikas
Ms. Scotty Hamilton
Ms. Heather Holst-Knudsen
Dr. Theresa and Mr. Anthony Honeycutt
Dr. Linda Hotchkiss
Philip H Hubbell
Dr. and Mrs. John Intravia
William (Coty) and Marjorie Keller
Mr. Philippe Koenig
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald A. Kolschowsky
Mr. and Mrs. William Korp, in memory of Alisa Kretzmer
Mr. David Kuhn
Mr. Frank Kuzmits
(CONTINUED)
Evan Lebson
Arthur and Marcella Levin
Mr. Armando Linde
and Mrs. Felicity Maroney
Ms. Beverley J. Lorie
Gabrielle Lucke
John and Barbara Marzec
Ms. Regina I. McArdle
Matt and Denise Merritt
Mrs. Roberta L. Miller
Dr. James Nichol and Mr. Antonio Lopez
Thomas Nixon and Dan Sherbo
Dr. Linda Patriarca
Wayne Patrick
Mrs. Adrianne Petillo
Dr. Lee Pollan
Ms. Lizette Radovic
Mr. Eugene Raymond
Richard Reston and Brenda Griffiths
Mr. Dale G. Robinson
Sandra and Richard Romley
Jim Rooney and Susan McFarlan
Dr. Brent and Mrs. Ricki Rubin
John and Lydia Russo
Thomas J. Savage
Herbert and Brenda Schimmel
Ms. Sharon I. Schwartz
Edward and Dorothy Segowski
Ms. Sandra Shepherd
Mr. Mark Sochar
Mario S. Spalatin
Judith Stelian
Dr. Joseph and Marie Suarez
Mr. Lawrence Taubman
Nancy Strickland and Laurence Jarvik
Gerald Wilemski
Mr. and Mrs. Chris Williams
($50 - $149)
George and Polla Abed
Drs. Mark and Helen Abramowicz
Dr. Graziella Abu-Jawdeh and Mr. William Frezza
Dr. Michal Adamczyk
Ms. Cecile Adams
Margaret Alfano
Mr. Alan Anderson
Mr. and Mrs. Vincent D. Andrus
Dr. Robert Apfel
Karin Ash and William Huling
Ms. Nancy Anna Baird
Amy Barkin
Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Binks
Anne and Christopher Bird
Ms. Sarah Blizzard
Mrs. Patricia Bowman
Ms. Leanna L. Breese and Mr. Carl Vance
Diana Britton
Christopher and Katherine Brown
Ms. Deirdre Carleton
Ms. Lea Carter
Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Case
Dr. and Mrs. Floyd Churn
David D. Colburn
Mrs. Elsbeth Connors
Mr. Robert Cook
Mr. and Mrs. Bernard J. D'Avella, Jr.
Ms. Jayne Dean
Mr. Charles Denault
Melodie Dickerson
Mr. John Dickie
Tom and Janice Donan
Dr. Olga Dontsova
Marilyn Dorn
Stephen F Dunlap
Dr. Scott B. Elsbree MD
Marian V. Erwin
Mr. and Mrs. Eric N. Faerber
June and Bernard Fineman
Dr. Arthur Foreman
Al and Shirley Fortune
Kathy Fraser
Ralph and Nancy Friedland
Mr. Howard Gatiss
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Gewitz
Susan Girese, in memory of Anthony Girese
Mr. Edward J. Giroux Jr
Ms. Peggy Gluck
Harris and Sharon Goldenberg
Dr. Jane and Mr. Steve Goldner
Leon and Linda Gottlieb
Ms. Linda Greene
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Griffin
Carol Ann Hallinger
Gerald and Debby Hamburg
Dr. Edward and Roberta Hamilton
Phyllis and Robert Hemler
Mr. David R. Hoyt
Thomasina Houston
Mr. and Mrs. George Hutfilz
Mr. Oliver Janney
Mr. Gabriel Jiva
Gail and Edward Joseph
Charles and Janet Kiblinger
Jim Kihm and Sallie Feldman
Milton Kimura
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Klein
Mr. and Mrs. E. William Kobernusz
Mr. Leonhard Korowajczuk
Mr. Dennis M. Kovach and Mr. David C. Logan
Mr. Sergei A. Kravets
William and Lee Krein
Mr. and Mrs. Emile Langlois
Ms. Lois R. Lewis
Mrs. Mary S. Lewis
Mr. and Mrs. Terrance L. Lindemann
Amy Maggio
Janet Masio
Mr. Robert McGuire
The Misantone Family
Carolyn Montgomery
Mr. and Mrs. Randall E. Moore
Joseph Mueller
Mr. William Muhr
Dr. Philip S. Nash
Alexander Nichols
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Nutlay
Piotr and Elzbieta Odrowaz-Pieniazek
Ms. Jean Ogilvie
Katherine and Gregory Orenic
Mr. Broox Peterson
Stephen Peterson
Mrs. Larisa Petty
Mr. Robert Pondolfi
Muriel E. B. Quinn
Mr. Hans G. Randa
Jerry and Carole Reid
Gary A. Remmen
Dr. Patricia Rieker
Ms. Patricia Risse
Charles and Noel Robinson
Mr. William A. Robson
Mrs. Rebecca A. Romich
Mr. Gary Rose
Richard A. and Regina Rosen
Mr. Michael Rotenberg
Mr. Van Sanders
Drs. Lucy and Philip Sandler
Ms. Odile Sarti
Richard Schott
Carol and Erwin Segal
Ms. Sally Sentner
Charles and Faith Simmons
Mr. Robert M. Small
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Somach
Irene Stankevics
Mr. Frank Steuart
Lesley Svenson
Mr. Michael Sweet
Mr. Douglas Szlompek
Dr. and Mrs. Theoharis Theoharides
Mr. Greg Thornburg
Ms. Janet Tolbert
Ms. Danette T. Torres
Pat Tortoretti
Wallace E. Turner
Mr. Carl Tursi and Mrs. Jennifer Javier
August Turturro
Theophilus Underwood
Ms. Cheryl D. Van Messel and Mr. Charles E. Bross
Anthony J. Vlahides
Ms. Judith A. Wade
Ms. Patricia Wallington
Ms. Virginia Wester
Sharrene and Richard Wheeler
Netta and Hugh Whyte
Mr. Edgar S. Worster
Mr. Henry Yarhi
Jeanette C. Young
Experience waterfront living at its finest at Lakewood Ranch’s most coveted address. Wild Blue at Waterside offers stunning designer homes by premier builders, plus world-class lifestyle amenities. Now under construction and opening Fall 2026, the 30,000-square-foot clubhouse will feature indoor and outdoor dining, resort-style pools, fitness, and a premier putting course. As the social hub of the community, the clubhouse will offer everything from billiards and an indoor golf simulator to a private theater and outdoor yoga lawn.
Don’t miss this chance to join Sarasota’s most exclusive waterfront community.
Annual support of the Artistic Achievement Fund provides resources that allow Sarasota Opera to take the artistic risks that set us apart from similarly sized opera companies. These additional funds will help Sarasota Opera continue to create new productions of rarely seen operas and cover the rising production costs of major works that are important to our mission. To learn more or to make a gift, please call Leadership Giving Officer, Karen Misantone, (941) 366-8450, Ext. 416 or visit SarasotaOpera.org/ArtisticAchievementFund. Gifts and pledges are current as of September 15, 2025. Gifts received after this date will be acknowledged in the 2026 Winter Program Book.
2026 Winter Opera Festival productions supported by the Artistic Achievement Fund
CARLISLE FLOYD’S SUSANNAH
2025-26 Contributors
Shari and Steve Ashman
Lynn Blackledge
Forrest Crawford
Anne Terry Brennan Davis
Dr. Charles and Laura Dale
Live For A Living
Steve Sabato
Arthur Siciliano and B. Aline Blanchard
Janis and Hobart Swan
Thank you to these visionary supporters who celebrate Sarasota Opera’s artistic achievements and the mission to bring performances of the highest quality to our community.
Contributors to the Youth Opera & Education Fund support the most comprehensive youth opera program in the country, providing a unique music education experience to youth from ages 8 to 18, from the greater Sarasota area and beyond. They also support our education programming that brings public, private, and home-schooled students to the Opera House and takes opera to them through in-school performances. In addition, these supporters make it possible for Sarasota Opera to expand its reach into the community through in-school performance opportunities and more community concerts throughout the region.
If you would like more information about supporting the Youth Opera & Education Fund, contact Brenda Tamm at (941) 366-8450 Ext. 250 or btamm@sarasotaopera.org, or visit SarasotaOpera.org/YouthOperaEducationFund. Thank you to these contributors for supporting our mission to inspire a life-long love of opera in our community! Gifts and pledges are current as of September 15, 2025. Gifts received after this date will be recognized in the 2026 Winter Program Book.
($12,000 +)
Les and Carol Brualdi Summer Camp Scholarship Fund
Leader
($6,000 - $11,999)
Mr. and Mrs. Stan Abshier
Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation
Anne Terry Brennan Davis
Dr. Alastair Hunter-Henderson and Dr. Noralyn Marshall
Manatee Opera Guild
Sarasota Opera Guild
Thomas H. Wentz III and James J. Whalen
Mr. and Mrs. J. Russell Wiltshire
($3,000 - $5,999)
Mr. Jeffrey Bain and Rabbi Anat Moskowitz
Ms. Katherine Benoit and Mr. John Brooks
Lynn Blackledge
Dr. Robert L. Fowler and Susan E. Gilbert
Thomas Garden and Linda Garden
Live For A Living
Publix Super Markets Charities
Arthur Siciliano and B. Aline Blanchard
Linda and Jack Stone
Charles O. Wood III and Miriam M. Wood Foundation
Ambassador
($2,000 - $2,999)
Anonymous
Rocco and Elizabeth Aversa
Edie and David Chaifetz
Forrest S. Crawford
Felicia and Andrew Hall
The Holder Family, in loving memory of Carolyn Ann Holder
Preti Family Fund of Community Foundation of Sarasota County
Robert and Camille Thinnes
Don and Rachael Worthington
($1,250 - $1,999)
Ms. Arlena Dominick
Kristin Kaufman, in loving memory of Roger
Dr. Joseph and Esther Landin
Memorial Fund of CFSC
Sue Neumann
Associate
($600 - $1,249)
Brad and Lynda Blaylock
Gerald H. Fickenscher and Wendy Babb
Gulf Coast Italian Culture Society
Fr. Jeffrey Hamblin, MD
Mr. and Mrs. Carlson, in memory of Marilyn Carlson
Rosemary Iversen, in loving memory of Alfred Iversen
Dr. Marsha Kindall-Smith and Dr. Hugh Smith
Angela Helfter Korsmo
Toby and Noel Siegel
Zona Spray Starks
Bill and Rebecca Tompkins
Joe and Sheila Varady
James Whalen and Thomas Wentz
Advocate
($350 - $599)
Mr. Marek Borowski and Mrs. Leigh Braude Borowski
Melva M. Eidelberg
Mr. Matthew S. Goldfarb
Peter and Melody Kretzmer
Martin Martel and Bonny F. Heet
Janis and Hobart Swan
Fredricka Taubitz and Dennis Mtn. Griffin
Dr. Richard Wires
Sustainer
($250 - $349)
Duncan and Susan Brown
Mark and Ruth Brus
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Burkmier
Ms. Lisa Charles
Mrs. Antonette M. Cunningham
Douglas W. Endicott
Tom and Libbie Glembocki
Lenora Jost
Mr. and Mrs. E. William Kobernusz
Joan S. Langbord
Ms. Colette Penn, in memory of Dr. George Straschnov
Margaret Romanes
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Tillman
($150 - $249)
Mr. and Mrs. Terry Blumenstein
Nancy S Bushnell
Dr. and Mrs. Floyd Churn
Bobby Garibaldi-Sanders
Mrs. Otto J. Glasser
The Leda Freedman Fund of The Community Foundation of Sarasota County
Lynn Lefebvre
Sandra and Richard Romley
Kevin and Melissa Voigt
Carol Von Allmen, in memory of Frank Von Allmen
Jo Ann Whitehead
($50 - $149)
Ron and Barb Archbold
Cookie Bloom
Ms. Valerie Castleman
Syble DiGirolamo
Melodie Dickerson
Elaine Krajenke Ellison
Al and Shirley Fortune
Patricia Golemme
Tim and Pat Guarino
Gerald and Debby Hamburg
Jennifer Hancock
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph J. Iovanna
Elizabeth M. Johnston
Jayne Dietsch and Marvin Kowalewski, Ph.D
Gabrielle Lucke
Joy McIntyre
Nautical Gin
John and Katherine Nelson
Paul and Mary Neuhauser
Alexander Nichols
Katherine and Gregory Orenic
David and Eva Peradotti
Dolah Saleh Barrett, in honor of Eileen and Jim Buzzard
Dr. Thomas Schmidlin
Ms. Renee Singer
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Snyder
Dr. Joseph and Marie Suarez
Mr. Michael Sweet
Sharrene and Richard Wheeler
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Wilson
Additional support for Youth Opera & Education programs is provided by:
The Ernie and Alisa Kretzmer Legacy Society members listed below are opera patrons who have committed a future planned gift to Sarasota Opera. We are grateful to have the opportunity to recognize and thank these generous individuals for their philanthropy and love of this organization.
The Ernie and Alisa Kretzmer Legacy Society members listed below are opera patrons who have committed a future planned gift to Sarasota Opera. We are grateful to have the opportunity to recognize and thank these generous individuals for their philanthropy and love of this organization.
Ernie and Alisa Kretzmer had the wisdom and interest to ensure that Sarasota Opera, an organization that played an important role in their own lives, is supported now and for future generations. They encourage all of our opera patrons to reflect on what Sarasota Opera means to them and to the greater Sarasota community.
Ernie and Alisa Kretzmer had the wisdom and interest to ensure that Sarasota Opera, an organization that played an important role in their own lives, is supported now and for future generations. They encourage all our opera patrons to reflect on what Sarasota Opera means to them and to the greater Sarasota community.
Planned gifts are a wonderful way to ensure a legacy of great opera for future generations. We hope you will consider joining in support of the future vision of Sarasota Opera. If you are interested in exploring a legacy gift opportunity, please contact Donor Relations Officer Stacy Ridenour at (941) 366-8450, ext. 246 or at sridenour@sarasotaopera.org.
Planned gifts are a wonderful way to ensure a legacy of great opera for future generations. We hope you will consider joining in support of the future vision of Sarasota Opera. If you are interested in exploring a legacy gift opportunity, please contact Donor Relations Officer Stacy Ridenour at (941) 366-8450, Ext. 246 or sridenour@sarasotaopera.org. This list is current as of September 15, 2025. Legacy commitments received after this date will appear in the 2026 Winter Program Book.
Anonymous (2)
Anonymous (3)
Mr. and Mrs. Leslie D. Aberson
Mr. and Mrs. Leslie D. Aberson
Stan and Alma Abshier
Stan and Alma Abshier
Jim and Debbie* Ainslie
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Donohue
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Donohue
Antoinette and William Dowling
Antoinette and William Dowling
Melva M. Eidelberg
Patricia Hope Edmonds
Dr. John Mahoney
Harry Leopold
Gabriel and Valerie Schmergel
Douglas W. Endicott
In memory of Edwin I. Hope
Peggy Allen and Steve Dixon
Ms. Peggy C. Allen and Mr. Steven C. Dixon
Ms. Carol Anderson
Ms. Carol Anderson
Ron and Barb Archbold
Chuck Angulo and Kathleen Fisher*
Ron and Barb Archbold
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Arthur
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Arthur
Sumner and Irene Bagby
Elisabeth Ault-Meyers
Patricia Bass
Elizabeth and Rocco Aversa
Edward and Jane* Bavaria
Sumner and Irene Bagby
Mr. Robert T. Benjamin
Dr. and Mrs. G. Richard Baise
Mrs. Ruth Barker
Ms. Katherine Benoit and Mr. John Brooks
Dolly and Stanley Bass
Harmony and Matthew Bertrand
Edward and Jane Bavaria*
Lynn and Steve Blackledge
Linda Becktold
Mr. David E. Braun
Ms. Katherine Benoit and Mr. John Brooks
Anne Terry Brennan Davis
Murray Bring and Kay Delaney
Lynn Blackledge
Les and Carol Brualdi
Mr. David E. Braun
A. Scott Bushey
Anne Terry Brennan Davis
David and Edith Chaifetz
Murray Bring and Kay Delaney
Bonnie & William Chapman
Les and Carol Brualdi
Ms. Virginia A. Clark
A. Scott Bushey
Jerry Cohn
Joanne Cashetto
Edie and David Chaifetz
Jonathan Strickland Coleman and Rick Kerby
Bonnie and William Chapman
Philip and Suzanne Conover
Mr. David Chivas and Mr. Ronald Rice
Forrest S. Crawford
In loving memory of Sally H. Foote
Alan S. Cohen
Ms. Candace A. Crawshaw
Jerry Cohn
Susan T. Danis
Jonathan Coleman and Rick Kirby
Syble Di Girolamo
Philip and Suzanne Conover
Mr. Raymond Dispoto
Forrest S. Crawford and Sally H Foote*
In loving memory of
Ms. Candace A. Crawshaw
Dr. Jack G. Hutton, Jr.
Susan T. Danis
Mr. Richard E. DeGennaro and Ms. Sandy Rath
Syble DiGirolamo
Mr. Raymond Dispoto, in loving memory of Dr. Jack G. Hutton, Jr.*
Larry and Carol English
Melva M. Eidelberg
James D. Ericson
Douglas W. Endicott
Eleanor C. Faber
Larry and Carol English
Jim and Pati* Ericson
Frances Daly Fergusson
James Ferrara
Frances Daly Fergusson
John Fischer and Jim Weisenborne
Donna L. Fisher
Donna L. Fisher
Henry and Suzanne* Foster
Joey Frye
Henry and Suzanne Foster
Sanford and Rae Louise Frankel
Jorgen* and Gudrun Graugaard
Thomas and Elizabeth Glembocki
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Groninger
Jorgen* and Gudrun Graugaard
Maryanne and Ray Hazen
Donna Lynn Hecker
Ursula Heitmann
Mr. and Mrs. Jules P. Herbert II
Jill C. Griffin, in honor of my mother, Dorothy Lee Cunningham, who instilled in me a love of theater, dance, and the arts
Doug and Carolyn Ann Holder
Mr.* and Mrs. Mike Groninger
Mrs. John A. Howard
Maryanne and Ray* Hazen
Philip Hubbell
Donna Lynn Hecker
Janet Whitney Huelster
Mr. and Mrs. Jules P. Herbert II
Mr. and Mrs. James* W. Ibberson
Ursula Heitmann
Frieda and Raymond Johnson
Doug and Carolynn Ann* Holder
Mrs. John A. Howard
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Kaplan
Philip H. Hubbell
Roger and Kristin Kaufman
Marlene Kitchell
Janet Whitney Huelster
Mr.* and Mrs. James W. Ibberson
Mr. Waldron Kraemer and Ms. Joan Lovell
Ms. Judy Jenkins
Ernie Kretzmer
Arnold and Deanne* Kaplan
In loving memory of Alisa Kretzmer
Roger* and Kristin Kaufman
Dr. Allan J. Kennedy and Ms. Isa Engleberg
Bruce and Elizabeth Lane
Mrs. Alice Lazarus
Alan Kesten
Harry Leopold
Marlene Kitchell
Richard A. Macken
Penny and Bill Kobernusz
Dr. Joseph and Carol Kreit
Peter and Melody Kretzmer
Bruce and Elizabeth Lane
Mrs. Alice Lazarus
Ms. Vicki Leaden
Richard A. Macken
Laurie K. Smith and Dr. Gerald L. Shaikun
Virginia and Joseph Mallof
James and Kathleen Scholler
Jim and Ann Magee
Mr. Olaf Maly and Ms. Marita Stepe
John Markham
Dr. John Mahoney
Reg Irvine and Alan Marlor
Virginia and Joseph Mallof
Arthur Siciliano and B. Aline Blanchard
Laurie K. Smith and Dr. Gerald L. Shaikun
Toby and Noel Siegel
Jan and Elliot Silverman
Arthur Siciliano a nd B. Aline Blanchard
Drs. Louis and Rosanne Martorella
Joan Mathews
Mr. Olaf Maly and Ms. Marita Stepe
Louise Mazius
Daniel R. Mandelker and Ms. Marlene N. Harris
Rosemary Albano Mazzanti, M.D. and Walter D. Mazzanti*, M.D.
Reg Irvine* and Alan Marlor
Claudia McCorkle
Robert L. Singer
Toby and Noel Siegel
Mr. and Mrs. Martin Sobel
Jan and Elliot Silverman
Robert L. Singer
Janet Stern Solomon & Lewis D. Solomon
Drs. Louis and Rosanne Martorella
Joan Mathews
Gabe and Linda Moretti
Lana V. Mullen
Louise Mazius
Ms. Karin Murphy
Patrick and Kim Nettles
Rosemary Albano Mazzanti, M.D. and Walter D. Mazzanti*, M.D.
Jan McClure
Paul and Mary Neuhauser
Claudia McCorkle
Mr. John Nigh
Mary J. Mitchell
Gene and Helene* Noble
Elizabeth Moore
Terry and Valerie Osborne
Gabe and Linda Moretti
Helen Panoyan
Lana V. Mullen
Peter and Suzy* Phillipes
Martha Murphy
Mr. and Mrs. David Porter
Fred Murrell
Rose Marie Proietti
Patrick and Kim Nettles
O. Walter Renfftlen
Paul and Mary Neuhauser
Mrs. Margaret Renner
Alexander Nichols
In memory of Ernst Renner
Mr. John Nigh
Rich and Stacy Ridenour
Terry and Valerie Osborne
Kay* and Harold Ronson
Helen Panoyan
Laurie Rosin
Peter M. and Tova Phillipes
Dr. and Mrs. James F. Roth
David and Patricia Porter
Mrs. Dorothy K. Rupp
Rose Marie Proietti
Dr. Henry S. Sauls
O. Walter Renfftlen
Thomas J. Savage
Gabriel and Valerie Schmergel
Mrs. Margaret Renner, in memory of Ernst Renner
Anne and Alex Scott
Rich and Stacy Ridenour
Margaret Romanes
Laurie Rosin
Richard Russell and Cynthia Bydlinski
Dr. Henry S. Sauls
Thomas J. Savage
Mr.* and Mrs. Martin Sobel
Ms. Susan Sprague
Pat Starke
Janet Stern Solomon and Lewis D. Solomon
In memory of John Starke
Susan D. Sprague
Joe and Nora Stephan
Zona Spray Starks
John Suhre and Carla Koeffler
Joe and Nora Stephan
Janis and Hobart Swan
Ms. Susan K. Strauss
Sid* and Bess Teitelbaum
John Suhre and Carla Koeffler
Mr. Ky L. Thompson and Ms. Margaret E. Melun
Mr. Thomas L. Tengen
Bill and Rebecca Tompkins
Mr. Ky L. Thompson and Ms. Margaret E. Melun
John G.* & Anna Maria Troiano
Arnold and Carolyn Tillman
Ms. Cheryl Van Messel and Mr. Charles Bross
Bill and Rebecca Tompkins
John G.* & Anna Maria Troiano
Sheila Varady
Michal and Jim Wadsworth
Ms. Cheryl Van Messel and Mr. Charles Bross
Sheila Varady
Elton and Gordie White
Michal and Jim Wadsworth
Dr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Wieczynski
Eleanor Wilson Williams
Elton and Gordie White
Mr. and Mrs. J. Russell Wiltshire
Dr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Wiecynski
Mrs. Edie Winston
Mr. and Mrs. J. Russell Wiltshire
In loving memory of Herb Winston
Don and Rachael Worthington
Mrs. Joan H. Wood
Sandra and Gary Yakes
Don and Rachael Worthington
Jeanne Yeagle and David Luce*
Sandra and Gary Yakes
Sharon C. Zimmerman
Sharon C. Zimmerman
* Deceased
Sarasota Opera recognizes and thanks the generous individuals who have made an endowment gift to Sarasota Opera. We also honor those who made a legacy provision that has been realized. To learn more about how you can support Sarasota Opera’s endowment now or with a planned gift, please contact Donor Relations Officer Stacy Ridenour at (941) 366-8450, Ext. 246 or sridenour@sarasotaopera.org.
Mr. and Mrs. Leslie D. Aberson
Edward Alley
Carl Patton Anderson
Dr. Leonard Apfelbach
Joseph H. Baker
Harry and Harriet Bernbaum
Joseph and Sheila Berner
Joseph and Sylvia Bloom
Beatrice Wood Brown
Bradenton Opera Guild
Les and Carol Brualdi
Raymond L. and Marlynn Buczynski
Inge Burg and George Maltenfort
Richard Cameron
Glenn R. and Jean Carley
John W. Carrier
David and Edith Chaifetz
Bonnie and William Chapman
Sylvia Cohodas
Even T. Collinsworth
Bert and Mary Ellen Criste
Forrest S. Crawford and Sally H. Foote
Dominick DeCecco and E. Patricia Becker DeCecco
Syble Di Girolamo
Danuta Dorozynski
Kathryn Dunlap
Patrica Hope Edmonds, in memory of Edwin I. Hope
Max Eisenbarth
Joel and Ellen Fedder
Kathleen Fisher
Lois Flagg for Bradenton Opera Guild
Jean Lucille Frank
Joey Frye
Joseph and Martha Glass
Herbert and Rita Gold
Mr. and Mrs. Mike Groninger
Robert S. Haft
Foster and Martha Harmon
Perry and Rose Harten
Barry and Casiana Hilton
Mr. W. Paul Hoenle and Ms. Ursula Heitmann
Marie Hoffberg
Huisking Foundation
Charles and Lillian Huisking Fund of the CFSC
Freida and Raymond Johnson
Arlene and Henry Jacobs
Elayne Kalberman
In honor of Jonas Kamlet
Mr. Waldron Kraemer
Dr. Morris E. Katz
Charles Kelsea
Gunther and Ilse Kern
Richard Kiegler and Ruthann Sturtevant-Kiegler
Marvin Kowalewski, Ph.D
Alisa and Ernest Kretzmer
Alice Lazarus
Catherine Wingate Levine
John Markham
Reg Irvine and Alan Marlor
Joan Mathews
James G. McDaniel
Mrs. Catherine McNeary
Jane Newman
John and Olga Olenick
F. Warren O’Reilly
Gordon C. and Harriet D. Paske
Betty Jean Peters
Ellen V. Piers
Roland B. Potter
Ila S. Preti
Mary Jo Reston
Rich and Stacy Ridenour
Howard Rooks
Sharon Elizabeth Roth
Camille A. Salls
Sarasota Opera Guild
Dr. Henry S. Sauls
Beatrice Schafer
William E. and Casiana Schmidt
Jan Schmidt
Ulla Searing
Roselyn Sedlezky
Harvey “Bud” Shapiro
Mrs. Stuart R. Silver and family
Arnold Simonsen and Ronda Montminy
Don Smally
David and Barbara Smith
Pat Starke
Robert Stoval
Elissa Soyka and Bud Borax
Joe and Nora Stephan
Theodore and Ann C. Tellstrom
Bill and Rebecca Tompkins
Alma Trainor
Gloria Valair
Anna and Mildred Vlcek
Cynthia Walker
Eileen Walker Watts
Mildred Weissman, in memory of George Weissman
Mrs. Edie Winston, in loving memory of Herb Winston
Joan H. Wood
Sandra and Gary Yakes
Sarasota Opera’s Corporate, Foundation, and public partners provide key support to our mission to entertain, enrich, and educate our community through the power of the unamplified human voice. To learn more about supporting Sarasota Opera through these programs, contact Director of Development Melissa Voigt at (941) 366-8450, Ext. 581 or by email at mvoigt@sarasotaopera.org. Gifts are current as of September 15, 2025. Gifts received after this date will be recognized in the 2026 Winter Program Book.
$200,000
2025-26 Season Sponsor
$150,000-$199,999
Sarasota Opera’s 2025-26 Season is sponsored, in part, by the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts.
$75,000 - $149,999
$50,000 - $74,999
$25,000 - $49,999
Event Supporter: Kretzmer Legacy Society Appreciation Luncheon, Event Sponsor: Sarasota Opera Gala
Centennial Celebration Dinner Youth Opera & Education Special Event Support
Corporate Co-Producer: La bohème, Catering Sponsor: Youth Opera & Education Donor Reception, Chamber Trustee & Corporate Appreciation Reception, McCorkle Lounge, and Season Announcement Event
Youth Opera & Education General Operating Support General Operating Support General Operating Support
Youth Opera & Education
Food & Wine Festival, Salute to the Stars
Event Sustainer: The Opera Luncheon
Event Supporter: Da Capo Society Reception
Sarasota Youth Opera 2025-26 Opera Season Media Partner
Youth Opera & Education
On East • Molly’s Restaurant & Pub* • Pier 22 & Grove • Selva Grill* • Sprinkles The Original Wolfie’s*• Tripletail Seafood & Spirits* • Tzeva at Art Ovation*
TASTINGS: 99 Bottles • Beauty Booze • Campfire Coffee Liqueur • Gold Coast Eagle Distributors • Nautical Gin • WellHouse *Donated gift cards for raffle fundraiser with a value of $100 and higher.
INTRINSIC PROGRAM ONE
October 24 - 26, 2025 | FSU Center
Michel Fokine's Les Sylphides
Jessica Lang's The Lorenz Butterfly (World Premiere)
Will Tuckett's Changing Light
WRITTEN MOTION PROGRAM TWO
November 21 - 22, 2025 | Sarasota Opera House
Accompanied by the Sarasota Orchestra
Sir Frederick Ashton’s Valses nobles et sentimentales
Ashley Page's World Premiere
Mark Morris' The Letter V
MASTERS OF MOVEMENT PROGRAM THREE
December 19 - 20, 2025 | Sarasota Opera House
Accompanied by the Sarasota Orchestra
George Balanchine's Divertimento No. 15
George Balanchine's Mozartiana (Company Premiere)
Sir Frederick Ashton's Jazz Calendar
NOTES UNSPOKEN PROGRAM FOUR
January 30 - February 2, 2026 | FSU Center
Gemma Bond's World Premiere
Antony Tudor's Lilac Garden
Ricardo Graziano's Valsinhas
MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY PROGRAM FIVE
February 27 - March 2, 2026 | FSU Center
Presented by The Sarasota Ballet
LIFE & LIBERTY PROGRAM SIX
March 27 - 28, 2026 | Van Wezel
Accompanied by the Sarasota Orchestra
George Balanchine's Stars and Stripes
Sir David Bintley's ‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café
FOUNDATIONS OF ROYALTY PROGRAM SEVEN
May 1 - 2, 2026 | Sarasota Opera House
Accompanied by the Sarasota Orchestra
Sir Frederick Ashton's Birthday Offering
Dame Ninette de Valois' Checkmate
Sir Peter Wright's Summertide
December 12 - 13, 2025 | Venice Performing Arts Center
December 21 - 23, 2025 | Sarasota Opera House
IMAGES OF DANCE
May 5, 2026 | Sarasota Opera House
WEDU Arts Plus is a weekly program devoted to sharing vibrant stories about arts and culture in our community.
From the high $2M’s
