If you missed Sarasota Opera’s Thursdays at Four free Lobby Concert last week, you have two more opportunites to hear the company’s Apprentice Artists perform solos and ensembles from opera and operetta. The second performance is this Thursday, Oct. 29 at 4 p.m. The third and final performance in the series is Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. All performances are in the Opera House’s Victoria Leopold Grand Atrium. This themed presentation is titled Walt Whitman: His Poetry and Music. American writer Walt Whitman was an opera buff and the creator of more than 400 poems. There are more musical settings of his texts than of any other American author. The program features selections from operas that Whitman saw and commented on, including Verdi’s I Lomdardi, von Weber’s Der Freischütz, and Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. Popular music of Whitman’s day, including music performed by the Hutchinson Family Singers (Whitman’s favorite singing group) and the Civil War song “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again” is also of the program. In addition, numerous musical versions of Whitman’s poems will be heard. Limited seating is available.
Pictured here are tenor Bernard Holcombe, soprano Rebekah Diaz, and Roger Bingaman, Director of Sarasota Opera’s Apprentice Artist Program, at the Thursday, Oct. 22 free concert.

Seocnd photo, are soprano Carelle Flores Rebekah Diaz and Maestro Roger Bingaman, also at the Thursday, Oct. 22 free concert.