Sarasota Opera Raises The Curtain On The Season By Celebrating 10 Years Of General Director Richard Russell

Sarasota Opera's Curtain Raiser Dinner will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of General Director Richard Russell on October 16, 2022. Attendees will welcome the 2022-2023 Season at this annual event taking place at Michael's On the Bay at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Sip on cocktails while enjoying the beautiful grounds and socializing with fellow opera patrons. The event features a three-course meal, highlights about the upcoming season, and reminiscences of Richard Russell's history with the company.

Sarasota Opera Artists from the fall season will perform a special program for dinner guests. Purchase tickets for this event at SarasotaOpera.org/CurtainRaiser, by calling the Box Office at (941) 328-1300, or by emailing soaevents@sarasotaopera.org.

Sarasota Opera is entering its 64th Season of bringing world-class opera to Florida's Gulf Coast. The company was launched in 1960 in the historic 320-seat Asolo Theater on the grounds of Sarasota's Ringling Museum of Art. In 1984 the company moved into the former A.B. Edwards Theater-now the Sarasota Opera House. Since then, the company has gained an international reputation as one of the leading regional opera companies in the U.S. through initiatives such as the Masterworks Revival Series and the Verdi Cycle. The company's Sarasota Youth Opera is the most comprehensive Youth Program in the U.S. The Sarasota Opera House, which underwent a $20 million renovation and rehabilitation in 2007, has been called "one of America's finest venues for opera" by Musical America. Since 1983, the company has been under the artistic leadership of Victor DeRenzi and administrative leadership of General Director Richard Russell since 2012.