Kara Shay Thomson

A cast change has been announced for Opera Colorado's production of Korngold's Die tote Stadt (The Dead City).

Six popular Sarasota Opera past productions will be broadcast on Classical WSMR radio beginning Saturday, October 23rd at 1pm Eastern Time: Verdi's Otello (2012), D'Albert's Tiefland (2018) on October 30th, Puccini's La bohème (2020) on November 6th, Montemezzi's The Love of Three Kings (L'amore dei tre rei) (2017) on November 13th, and more.

This forgotten masterpiece by the Father of French grand opera is a must-hear album. Recorded live on New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall stage in 2018 more than a century after its 1862 world premiere, Odyssey Opera's 70-piece orchestra and 60-piece chorus featuring eight glorious singers bring this neglected work back to life.

On Friday April 5, 2019, Sarasota Opera will present a concert and dinner in commemoration of their 60th season of bringing world-class opera to Florida's Gulf Coast.

Sarasota Opera Celebrates 60th Diamond Anniversary Opening With A Brilliant Production of Turandot

Three riddles stand between love and death in Giacomo Puccini's last and most majestic opera, as Turandot returns to the Sarasota Opera House on Saturday, February 9, 2019 at 7:00pm. The passionate tale of intrigue and mystery is based on an age-old Persian fairy tale and set in legendary Peking. The Princess Turandot, sung by Kara Shay Thomson, is so desirable that men come from all over the world to win her love, and yet underneath her royal beauty beats a cold heart, turned bitter by desire to avenge the honor of an ancestor. The fearless prince Calaf, played by tenor Jonathan Burton, takes on the challenge posed by the three questions he must answer to win her hand in marriage. If he errs, he will lose his head just like countless princes before him. Will he outwit her, or will he face a gruesome death? Soprano Anna Mandina will play the faithful Liu, a slave girl loyal to Calaf's father Timur, sung by returning Sarasota Opera favorite, bass Young Bok Kim. The most outspoken of the three royal ministers, Ping, will be sung by baritone Filippo Fontana, returning after his celebrated performance as Figaro in Fall 2018's The Barber of Seville. Stephanie Sundine is the stage director of this critically acclaimed production of Turandot, which premiered in 2013, with Maestro Victor DeRenzi conducting. Turandot is one of the grandest operas to ever play the stage of the Sarasota Opera House, with 74 performers on stage and one of the largest orchestras assembled in opera house history.

Sarasota Opera will celebrate its 60th Season when the 2019 Winter Opera Festival opens on February 9th with Puccini's Turandot. The festival will continue with Mozart's The Magic Flute, Verdi's Nabucco, and the premiere of a rare and delightful comic double bill: Donizetti's Rita (Two Men and a Woman) and Wolf-Ferrari's Susanna's Secret. Special events, lectures, recitals, and concerts continue through the season. Capping off the festivities will be the Diamond Anniversary recital and dinner on April 5th.

Victor DeRenzi, Artistic Director, and Richard Russell, Executive Director, are pleased to announce the casting for Sarasota Opera's new Recital Series. The new series, which was inspired by the rich operetta and song traditions from around the world, will feature favorite artists performing opera, operetta, and art songs with piano accompaniment.

One of the nation's most adventurous opera companies, Odyssey Opera, begins its sixth season with the U.S. premiere of La reine de Saba by French composer Charles Gounod (1818-1893). This powerful love story of the famed Queen of Sheba will be presented as a concert performance in French with English subtitles marking the Boston debut of singers Kara Shay Thomson (Queen of Sheba) and Dominick Chenes (Adoniram), and the return of Kevin Thompson (King Solomon). This kick-starts the company's 2018-19 season: a two-part journey with the first in Fall 2018 memorializing the 200th anniversary of Gounod's birth (as well as the 125th death anniversary), and the second in Winter/Spring 2019 inspired by one of the most enigmatic figures in ancient history, Helen of Troy.

Sarasota Opera will celebrate its 60th anniversary season in 2018/2019 as it announced today at a press conference held on the main stage of the Sarasota Opera House in Sarasota, FL. The event was overseen by Maestro Victor DeRenzi, artistic director and principal conductor, and Richard Russell, Executive Director. Performances were offered by soprano Kara Shay Thomson who sang "In questa reggia" from Puccini's Turandot and bass Young Bok Kim who sang "La calunnia" from Rossini's The Barber of Seville. In addition, the audience participated in a community sing of the famous chorus "Va, pensiero" from Verdi's Nabucco.

Arizona Opera is proud to present the first Mainstage production of its 2017/18 Season, Giacomo Puccini's Tosca, one of the most exciting and dramatic operas of all time.

World premieres, new productions, and exciting artist debuts will make the 59th season at Sarasota Opera a season not to miss. Highlights of the upcoming year include the return of Giuseppe Verdi, the 6th Sarasota Youth Opera world premiere, and operas by composers such as Vincenzo Bellini and Eugen D'Albert whose operas have not been heard on our stage.

THE MAGIC MARKSMAN (DER FREISHÜTZ) at George Mason University and present by Virginia Opera certainly offered a spectacle. Directed by Stephen Lawless, the show's well-crafted sets, designed by Benoit Dugardyn, brought you into the small German-esque town. The lighting, designed by Patricia Collins, was very interesting and truly set the scene. The music composition was absolutely beautiful; it was a great show to simply listen to.

Utah Opera takes audiences on a heart-stopping journey of forbidden love, loyalty, betrayal and tragedy in the 2015-16 season opening production of Puccini's "Tosca". The performances, held at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theater, are tonight, October 10, October 12, 14, and 16 at 7:30 PM, then October 18 at 2 PM.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT (Sept. 28, 2015) – Utah Opera takes audiences on a heart-stopping journey of forbidden love, loyalty, betrayal and tragedy in the 2015-16 season opening production of Puccini's “Tosca”. The performances, held at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theater, are October 10, 12, 14, and 16 at 7:30 PM, then October 18 at 2 PM. Tickets, priced from $18-$89, are available for purchase through www.utahopera.org or by calling (801) 355-2787.

Sarasota, FL – Sarasota Opera is proud to announce casting for the 2015-2016 fall and winter season, truly the most climactic in the company's 57 year history. The season will feature the final two installments of the 28 year Verdi Cycle – The Battle of Legnano and Aida- in a grand spectacle of music, vocal prowess, awe-inspiring choruses, sumptuous scenery, and luxurious costumes. In addition, the company will present Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, and Mozart's comedic Così fan tutte. 

Sarasota Opera is proud to announce casting for the 2015-2016 fall and winter season, truly the most climactic in the company's 57 year history. The season will feature the final two installments of the 28 year Verdi Cycle – The Battle of Legnano and Aida- in a grand spectacle of music, vocal prowess, awe-inspiring choruses, sumptuous scenery, and luxurious costumes. In addition, the company will present Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, and Mozart's comedic Così fan tutte.

Utah OperaArtistic Director Christopher McBeth today announced Utah Opera's 2015-16 season. The company's 38th season will feature four productions between October 2015 and May 2016 that encompass some of opera's greatest tales of love and sacrifice.

Single tickets go on sale at the Sarasota Opera Box Office (61 N. Pineapple Avenue) Today, September 2nd for Sarasota Opera's 2014-2015 Fall and Winter Season, one of the grandest seasons in the company's history. Box office hours are Monday through Friday, 10am to 4pm, and is located at 61 N. Pineapple Avenue in the Pavilion Building at the Sarasota Opera House. Visit www.sarasotaopera.org for more information.