Sarasota Opera

Initially bringing the Turnau Opera of Woodstock, New York to perform chamber-sized operas at the historic Asolo Theater on the grounds of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the guild then began mounting its own productions, also at the Asolo, in 1974, but when it acquired the Edwards Theatre in 1979, the company set about a rehabilitation of the old vaudeville and movie theater and opened it in 1984.

[3] In recent years, the Verdi Cycle operas have included I due Foscari, Giovanna d'Arco, I Lombardi and Otello.

Operas presented in this series have included Alfredo Catalani's La Wally, Carl Nielsen's Maskarade, Engelbert Humperdinck's Königskinder, Stanisław Moniuszko's Halka, and Mascagni's L'amico Fritz.

Both programs provide young singers with additional training and performance opportunities in the chorus or other small roles in the company's productions.

Robert Ward's opera, The Crucible based on the play by Arthur Miller, served as the inaugural production of this new series, and it was received with critical acclaim.

[13] The 2012 Festival Season featured Samuel Barber's Vanessa and, in 2013, the American Classic opera was Carlisle Floyd's Of Mice and Men.

The program admits all who apply, regardless of skill level, and provides instruction in the musical and theatrical aspects of opera.

On November 12, 2016, the Sarasota Youth Opera will perform The Secret World of Og also by the Canadian composer Dean Burry based on the popular children's novel by Pierre Berton.

Members enjoy discounted prices and meet to socialize before and after shows, as well as gaining access to behind-the-scenes conversations with visiting artists.

The theater had been built in 1926 by an important early resident of Sarasota, Arthur Britton Edwards, as a versatile performance venue that could be adapted for vaudeville or as a movie house.