Sarasota Opera: A Celebration!

Sarasota Opera: A Celebration!
Friday, April 23, 2021 | 7:30pm

A virtual celebration of you, the Sarasota Opera Community!

The past year has presented unprecedented challenges to Sarasota Opera's mission to entertain, enrich, and educate our larger community. This event honors the commitment of the donors, subscribers, and ticket-buyers who have gone above and beyond to make it possible for us to spread the joy of music across the Sun Coast.

To highlight how the support of our generous community has made our success possible--not only during this extraordinary year, but season after season--we will look back at stellar performances and welcome special Celebration Guest Artists to perform exclusively for you. As we look ahead with hope and anticipation, the Fund the Mission Drive gives you the opportunity to applaud our work on stage or reward the resiliency of the Sarasota Youth Opera program with special gifts that enable us to move forward with strength and confidence.

The Silent Auction also provides you the chance to bid on unique jewelry, exciting trip packages (with plenty of time to travel), and packages for you to experience the world-class Sarasota arts scene. We will be adding to the silent auction over the next few weeks, so check back to see what's new!

We look forward to you joining us! Tickets start at $75, and sponsorships are available at $250, $500, and $1,000. 

CELEBRATION GUEST ARTISTS!

In addition to sharing stunning highlights from the past five years, we will be joined by a group of Celebration Guest Artists who have recorded individual performances exclusively for you. This list of artists will be updated weekly as we announce their participation.

MICHELLE JOHNSON, soprano
LISA CHAVEZ, mezzo-soprano
MATTHEW VICKERS, tenor
STEFANO DE PEPPO, bass-baritone
and
THE SARASOTA OPERA STRING QUARTET
L.P. How, violin
Thomas Hofmann, violin
Alexandra VandeGeijn, viola
Julia Henderson, cello

Helpful Tips...

Here are some helpful links, provided by GiveSmart, that will give you more information on how you can participate in Sarasota Opera: A Celebration!

How it Works (including by Text)

How to Bid by Text Message

How to Donate by Smartphone

Other help articles can be found by clicking here. 

We will send all ticket purchasers a link on April 23 via text message and email that will allow you to watch the Celebration event. There are two ways you can watch:

-- On the GiveSmart site, where you can bid on items or make donations while you watch

-- On YouTube where you can chat with other viewers and just enjoy the show, or follow your auction bids or make donations via another device

If you have any questions, contact Corporate & Special Events Officer Michael Ayres at (941) 366-8450, ext. 402.

Thank you to our Celebration Sponsors for raising your voice in support of world-class opera, made in Sarasota!

(updated daily; list is current as of April 16, 2021)

Celebration Platinum Sponsors ($1,000+)

Peggy Allen & Steve Dixon | Sumner & Irene Bagby | Katherine Benoit & John Brooks | Steve & Lynn Blackledge | Carol & Les Brualdi | Edie & David Chaifetz | Anne Terry Brennan Davis | Murray Bring & Kay Delaney | Syble Di Girolamo | Gulf Coast Community Foundation | Mr. Waldron Kraemer & Ms. Joan Lovell | Art Siciliano & B. Aline Blanchard | Susan K. Straus | John Suhre & Carla Koeffler                                Don & Rachael Worthington

Celebration Premium Sponsors ($500 - $999)

Stan & Alma Abshier | Ron & Barb Archbold | Alfonso & Elizabeth Aversa | Frances Daly Fergusson
James & Ann Magee | Drs. Louis & Rosanne Martorella | Dr. George Straschnov & Colette Penn
Skip & Janis Swan | Robert & Camille Thinnes

Celebration Sponsors ($250 - $499)

Moses S. Lee | Virginia & Joseph Mallof | Mary J. Mitchell | Margaret Renner | Margaret Romanes
Sue Rupp | Ann Waller & Len Solimene

Celebration Silent Auction Donors

We are grateful to these friends, businesses and local organizations for their invaluable gifts of time, talent and treasure that helped make Sarasota Opera: A Celebration! a success.