ARTISTS CORNER: Baritone Sean Anderson

Sean Anderson, one of Sarasota Opera's favorite baritones, returns to Sarasota Opera this season as The Count Almaviva in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. In previous seasons, Mr. Anderson has won critical acclaim for his performances as von Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, George Milton in Carlisle Floyd's Of Mice and Men, and Iago in Verdi's Otello.  

Recent performances have included Belcore in L'Elisir d'Amore at Knoxville Opera, Zurga in Pearl Fishers at Opera Southwest, and Dandini in La Cenerentola at Intermountain Opera. Continue reading to learn more about this dynamic and versatile artist. 

Q. Where are you originally from and where do you base yourself out of today?
A. Born in Manhattan (New York, not Kansas), raised in Mississippi and Ohio. I am currently based in South Carolina with my wife, Erika and our 6 year old, Naomi.

Sean Anderson as von Eisenstein in
Sarasota Opera's Die Fledermaus

Q. Why Opera?  What drew you to become a singer? 
A. My father, Alfred Anderson, was an opera singer. He also taught voice and opera at University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Akron in Ohio.  I first became truly aware of what he did for a living around 7-yrs old during a production of Man of La Mancha in which he played the role of Cervantes/Quixote. I made myself a spear out of a broom stick, armor out of cardboard, and a helmet out of aluminum foil, and marched around the house singing “I am I Don Quixote!” at the top of my lungs. I’ve been hooked on theater ever since.

Q. What singing did you do as a teenager?
A. During my awkward years, I was in marching band and performed Shakespeare with a community theater company. After my voice changed, I was in several high-school choirs, including one that met every morning at 7:10am. I was also in a local show choir, and, of course, nearly every opera Dad’s students performed at the University. I made my operatic debut as Harry in Britten’s Albert Herring when I was 10. 

Q. What are you looking forward to most about performing the role of Count Almaviva in this season’s production of The Marriage of Figaro?
A. The Marriage of Figaro may very well be my favorite opera. Whenever I see it, I hear and experience something new. While I’ve performed just about every section of the role (in concerts, auditions, etc.), I have yet to perform it in a full production. I’m very excited to finally debut Il Conte (the Count), a role that, in my opinion, plays right to my wheel-house.  

Sean Anderson as The Pirate King in The Pirate of Penzance. 

Q. You have sung the role of Figaro in The Barber of Seville but now you are playing the role of Figaro’s employer. Are you afraid of suffering any kind of character identity crisis?

A. Who wouldn’t enjoy getting to be the loveable Figaro? That said, I don’t think I’ll have any problems. It’s always fun to play the antagonist.

Sean Anderson (left) as George Milton in Sarasota Opera's 2013 production of Of Mice and Men. 

Q. What do you find most challenging about this role?  What do you enjoy about it?
A. Without doubt, the recitative. Effective acting while singing so many foreign words is a great challenge. I’m striving for as much accuracy and character as I can achieve. My goal is for the audience to understand the text without having to look at the supertitles.

I enjoy that the Count has so many different moods and colors. Throughout the opera, the character displays a wide spectrum of emotions, perfectly reflected and enhanced by Mozart’s music.

Sean Anderson as the villainous
Iago inVerdi's Otello

Q. You have sung both wonderful comedic and tragic serious roles at Sarasota Opera. Do you have a preference of one over the other?
A. Not particularly, but the variety is nice. At other companies, I’m only regarded as appropriate for one or the other. Maestro DeRenzi has gently pushed me in many directions I wouldn’t have thought to go on my own, for which I’m grateful.

Q. Are there any famous Count Almavivas of the past you admire or enjoy listening to?

A. My father, Alfred Anderson

Q. You have been a steady presence at Sarasota Opera for several seasons.  You must enjoy singing here? 
A. Of course! Any artist wants to work with the best, and the best are consistently found at Sarasota Opera!

Q. What do you think makes Sarasota Opera so special from other opera companies?
A. The rapport we have with each other and with our audience. Seeing so many familiar faces over the years creates a family-like atmosphere that is wonderful to work in.

Sean Anderson as Marcello in
Puccini's La boheme

Q. Do you have any pre-performance rituals?  Performance superstitions?  Good luck charms?  If yes, why?
A. Experience has shown that a light meal (usually a smoothie of some sort), plenty of water, and a quiet hour reviewing my score makes for good performances. I am not superstitious.

Q. How do you relax in between performances?  What hobbies do you enjoy at home and “on the road”?
A. I exercise and read. At home, my hobbies consist of taking care of a 6 year old. On the road, I love to get friends together for board games. 

Q. As you have been to Sarasota Opera for several seasons now, what do you enjoy doing in the area while you are not in rehearsal or performing?
A. Actually, I am not really a beach person, but I do enjoy the many wonderful restaurants in the area. I also frequent the FST (Florida Studio Theater) when I'm in town.

Q. How do you stay connected to family and friends when you are “on the road”?  Do you keep a blog?  Website? Facebook?  Twitter?
A. I Facebook a lot, and my family and I like to talk via FaceTime on our phones. I can’t imagine what life was like for my mother and father while he was on the road during his performing career. He would sometimes only get to make one call to her a week – from a payphone! Unbelievable.

I’m in the process of creating a new website, but you can keep up with my performance antics by liking my profession Facebook page: SeanAnderson, Singer.

Don't miss seeing Sean Anderson as the Count Almaviva in Mozart's most charming comedies The Marriage of Figaro opening Valentine's Day, February 14th and running for 9 performances through March 27th. Visit sarasotaopera.org or call (941) 328-1300 for more information and tickets. 

ARTISTS CORNER: Baritone David Pershall

Baritone David Pershall
Photo by Arthur Cohen

ARTISTS CORNER: Meet baritone David Pershall who will be making his role debut as the jealous and vengeful Count De Luna in this season's production of Verdi's Il trovatore.  With his "smooth, evenly produced lyric baritone" combined with his “persuasive” stage presence Mr. Pershall is quickly making a name for himself on stages around the world. This year he joined the roster at the Metropolitan Opera as well as bowed on the stages of Dallas Opera, Virginia Opera and El Paso Opera.  Upcoming engagements include appearances at Washington National Opera, Minnesota Opera, and several appearances at the Vienna State Opera House next season.  Continue reading to learn more about Mr. Pershall and how he came to opera.  



Q. Where are you originally from and where do you make your home now?
A. I was born in Oklahoma City OK, but grew up in Temple TX. I currently live in New Brunswick, NJ and will move to Vienna, Austria in September as the majority of my work next year will be with the Vienna Staatsoper.

As the birdman, Papageno, in Mozart's
The Magic Flute at Virginia Opera

Q. What drew you to become a singer?  Was there a specific “Aha!” moment of clarity?
A. I have always had a love for music – my mother is a piano instructor so naturally that was my first instrument. Through the years I began to take voice lessons. I have always ADORED opera, and I heard my very first one in high school on a record my first voice teacher loaned me. It was not until college when I was studying at Baylor University that I thought I would try to make a living singing opera.

Q. Did you have other career aspirations in the works before you decided on singing?
A. I have always been fascinated with math and the stars.  There was a time I thought I would become an aerospace engineer or astrophysicist

Mr. Pershall as Enrico in Donizetti's
Lucia di Lammermoor 

Q. Singing the role of the Count de Luna will be a role debut for you, correct?  What made you decide to take it on?
A. Yes, this will be my debut singing the role of Count de Luna. I was thrilled at the thought of taking on the part because Il trovatore is one of my most favorite operas.

Q. What can you tell us about this character?  What do you want the audience to know about him?
A. I think this opera tells a special story. De Luna is known as the BAD guy in this opera- which is true to a point. De Luna’s life sort of unravels as a result of love. This in and of itself inspires sympathy. However, the story of De Luna also teaches restraint, in that his life is torn apart because of the obsessive type of love he feels for Leonora.

Mr. Pershall in concert at the Beethoven
Easter Festival in Warsaw, Poland

Q. What is your process for preparing a role for performance?
A. First and foremost I begin technical preparations to ensure my body is up to the task at hand. Then I study the libretto to dig into the psychology of the character in the way he speaks and the way he relates to others. This is followed with a study of the score, which provides clarification on what the composer thought of the character and gives the ultimate indication on how to turn a phrase dramatically. The final step is putting it altogether. These steps provide the most efficient and effective way to communicate with the audience.

Q. Thus far, what is the most bizarre experience you have had during a rehearsal or performance?
A. My pants split in a performance of Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

Q. Do you have any pre-performance rituals?  
A. I pray and ask God to enhance the gifts He has bestowed upon me.

Mr. Pershall as Zurga in Bizet's The Pearl Fishers
at Virginia Opera.  

Q. How do you relax in between performances?  What hobbies do you enjoy at home and “on the road”?
A. I enjoy spending time with my wife, reading, going for walks, and checking out the local museums.

Q. How do you stay connected to family and friends when you are “on the road”?  Do you keep a blog? Website? Facebook?  Twitter?
A. I call my wife daily when she is not with me. I have a website which people can check out at www.DavidPershall.com.  I also keep a personal Facebook account, I am on Twitter (@DavidPershall), and people can enjoy clips of my performances on my YouTube channel.  Just search DavidPershallOPERA on YouTube (or you can just click here: http://www.youtube.com/user/DavidPershallOPERA.)

Don't miss the chance to see Mr. Pershall's debut as Count de Luna in Sarasota Opera's Winter Festival production of Verdi's Il trovatore opening February 8th and running through March 22nd.  Tickets are available at www.sarasotaopera.org or by calling (941) 328-1300.

ARTISTS CORNER: Bartitone Marco Nisticò

Baritone Marco Nistico

ARTISTS CORNER:  Italian born baritone Marco Nisticò's impressive combination of beautiful tone, exquisite artistry, and superior stagecraft has delighted audiences throughout North America, South America, and Europe. In 2013-14 he returned again to the roster of the Metropolitan Opera for the premiere of Nico Muhly’s Two Boys and sings Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore with Teatro dell’ Opera in Rome. He also returns to Sarasota Opera this winter to reprise the role of Figaro in The Barber of Seville, a role he sang with Sarasota Opera in 2008.  

Q. Where are you originally from and where do you base yourself out of today?

A. I am from Naples, Italy. I live in New York City, on the Upper West Side. One block from Maestro DeRenzi, which is very good, because he has a nice espresso machine and gives me coffee from time to time… 

Q. Why Opera?  What drew you to become a singer? 

A. My father is a singer and a voice teacher.  He’s my voice teacher in fact. I was born into this.

I heard opera every day, from my father’s students at home and attending his performances. When I was growing up, opera was ubiquitous in Italy, everybody would know opera tunes and in elementary school we would learn to play “Va Pensiero” from Nabucco, on our flutes (I was not very good at it).  However, that trend was already changing. Pop music was growing and things changed dramatically. Now most people know that Italy is the birthplace of opera, but never go to a show.

Marco Nistico as Dulcamara in
L'elisir d'amore in Bregenz

Q. What singing did you do as a teenager?

A. I don't know. It just happened.  As a teen I hated opera and did not want to sing.  However, I think I was kind of "destined" to fall into it. One day I asked my dad to help me sing a song I was learning a bit better (for a university assignment I was doing for Sorbonne in Paris).  After that, I was stuck...

Q. What are you looking forward to most about performing the role of Figaro in this season’s production of The Barber of Seville?

A. Figaro is one of my favorite roles. One of the first roles I ever sang. I have sung Figaro in at least 6 different productions and many performances. There have been some in Europe (Wexford in Ireland, Holland, Bulgaria, and Bologna in Italy), Mexico (Guadalajara and San Luis Potosì) as well as here in the United States (Toledo, OH, Opera Festival of New Jersey, and, of course, Sarasota Opera).  I love the free spirit of the character and the music goes perfectly with it.

Q. What is your process for preparing a role for performance?

A. I read the libretto and try to analyze the poetic aspect of the words. I then go to the music and sing it as much as possible, by myself and then with a pianist. Anyway, Figaro, it’s a role I have done many times.

Q. What do you want the audience to know about your character?  What do you find most challenging about this role?

A. Figaro is the smartest guy in the room (and I say “guy” because Rosina is at least as smart). He is also a revolutionary, since he’s a servant who always wins against his masters. What is challenging about the role of Figaro is the fact that it has been sung by all the great baritones of the past and there are some inevitable comparisons. However, I really enjoy being this character.

Marco Nistico as Guglielmo in Cosi Fan Tutte at the Teatro Regio di Torino

Q. You have been a steady presence at Sarasota Opera for several seasons.  You must enjoy singing here.  What do you think makes Sarasota Opera so special that people return season after season?

A. To me what is really special about Sarasota Opera is the emphasis on doing things in the proper style, the importance of language, the care we must take on the connection between words and music, the highly professional production values. It is the fact that serving the composer is the most important thing. It’s the long rehearsal period that allows all of us the time to really explore the characters and their music. And it’s Lido Beach… yeah, that one too.

Marco Nistico as Guglielmo in Cosi Fan Tutte 
at the Teatro Regio di Torino

Q. You have performed all over the world.  Do you find audiences behave differently in all the different countries you perform in?

A. Perhaps… some audiences are more responsive than others. Some like to let you know clearly how they feel and if they like what you do. Some are more quiet during the show, but very enthusiastic at the end. In South Korea we had to go to the hall of the theater right after the show, in costume, and sign autographs for at least an hour. Everybody wanted their kids to take a picture with us… Anyway, I like every kind of audience. Without them, there would be no show. 

Q. Thus far, what is the most bizarre experience you have had during a rehearsal?  During a performance?

A. Maybe this one: During a performance of The Barber of Seville, the orchestra did not come in and I had to sing a cappella a good part of my duet with Rosina. At the moment it was not “fun”, but now it’s a good story to tell. And I will never forget my Rosina’s face, looking at me as to say: “good luck with that, buddy”.

Marco Nistico as Rigoletto
at Sarasota Opera

Q. Do you have any pre-performance rituals?  Performance superstitions?  Good luck charms?  If yes, why?

A. Not really. Just relax during the day and then warm up before performance. I tend to eat only chicken and rice the day of a performance and bring at least a banana in my dressing room.

Q. How do you relax in between performances?  What hobbies do you enjoy at home and “on the road”?

A. I enjoy watching Netflix. I also go to the gym and spend time with friends.

Q. What music do you listen to when you are driving in the car or commuting around New York City?

A. I don’t own a car. The rare times I rent one I listen to NPR (talk). I do not listen to music while “commuting” around NYC. I want to be in touch with the people around me.

Q. How do you stay connected to family and friends when you are “on the road”?  Do you keep a blog?  Website? Facebook?  Twitter?

A. I really do not like personal blogs. I use Facebook, emails, Skype and the phone to talk to family and friends. I talk with Marina, my wife, several times a day on the phone. Blogs?? Unless you are a professional writer, That’s pure vanity…

Marco Nistico (right) as Figaro in Sarasota Opera's 2008 production of The Barber of Seville

Don't miss Marco Nisticò's return to Sarasota Opera as the schemeful Figaro in The Barber of Seville opening February 15th and running for 9 performances through March 21st.  Tickets are available online at www.sarasotaopera.org or by calling (941) 328-1300.  

ARTISTS CORNER: Baritone Lee Poulis

ARTISTS CORNER:  Baritone Lee Poulis, who made his Sarasota Opera debut as Don Giovanni in 2011 and returned to sing Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor last season, will make his Sarasota Opera debut as Zurga in this season's opening production of Bizet's The Pearl Fishers.  Mr. Poulis has sung all over the United States and for many years was based in Germany.  We asked Mr. Poulis to answer a few questions about his life as a singer, the difference between being an opera singer in the United States versus Europe, and what he is looking forward to this season with Sarasota Opera. 



Baritone Lee Poulis

Q.  What drew you to become a singer?  Was there a specific “Aha!” moment of clarity?

A.  I actually began in music as a trumpet player in the 4th grade.  Pretty soon I realized I enjoyed hearing the trumpet being played in an orchestra rather than in the band, which was where I played.  I began listening to the classical station and heard some opera in the mix.  I was immediately drawn to it and wanted to hear and know more about it.  I began renting opera videos from Blockbuster at the age of 12 and saw my first opera at the Metropolitan Opera in that same year.  As years passed and I buried myself in recordings and videos from the public library, I could sing along with many of the operas while reading the libretto.  I also did my first Pavarotti impression pretty early on, handkerchief and all.  When I was 15 after some long-term nudging from my parents, who knew nothing about opera but apparently had an ear, I sang for my high school chorus teacher.  The rest is history.

Q.  What are you looking forward to most about performing this particular role?

A.  I like that I’m playing the leader of everyone else in the opera.  Sounds like a lot of power.  So far it’s one fishing village, but I hope to expand my sphere of influence as soon and as widely as possible and take over all of Sri Lanka, where this opera takes place.

Lee Poulis as Zurga in Sarasota Opera's 2013 production of Bizet's The Pearl Fishers 

Q.  Is there something unique about your process when preparing a role for performance?

A.  I don’t know if it’s unique, but it’s how I do it!  It’s a process of singing through, translating, feeling, putting myself in the character’s shoes, singing it through with a pianist, working on it with my voice teacher, and raising the stakes dramatically and vocally wherever it’s called for in the story and the music.  Almost all of these facets of preparation are occurring all the time and in no particular order from day one of my role preparation until the last performance is over and sometimes beyond that too!

Lee Poulis as Papageno in Mozart's
The Magic Flute at Washington National Opera

Q.  Beyond the musical work, what other kind of preparation/research work do you incorporate in the learning process?  Historical?  Character study?  What sources have you relied on? 

A.  Normally I would go to the place where the opera is set but Sri Lanka is a bit far and bit expensive for that!  In lieu of that, I’ve watched movies set there, researched its culture, eaten at a Sri Lankan restaurant (I live in New York City so this was not hard), and I continue to read or do anything interesting related to Sri Lanka that I come across.  I’m currently absorbing a lot of cultural information from a memoir about Sri Lanka called Running in the Family by Michael Ondaatje, the author of The English Patient.

Q.  This will be a role debut for you, correct?  How does your preparation process differ between a role you have performed before and a role you are doing for the first time? 

A.  Yes, this is a role debut and I’m very excited about it!  If I already know the role, the preparation is much quicker; I just have to reawaken the character and sing the role back into my voice.  For a new role, I have to develop the character completely anew and figure out how to sing it from square one.  In one sense doing a role I have already done before can be a more complete and developed performance for the audience whereas in a role debut, there are many unknowns that reveal themselves only in performance.  This can perhaps make performances in a new role feel somewhat experimental but always exciting!



Q.  You have performed extensively all around Europe, particularly in Germany.  How does life as an opera singer differ in Europe than the United States? 

A.  In Germany, singing felt more like a full time job, if that is even possible to feel as an opera singer.  I had a multi-year contract with Opera Bonn, a theater funded by the city.  I earned a monthly salary, received health insurance, and all the other benefits full time employees would normally get.  After successful auditions, I was often engaged simultaneously as a guest singer by other theaters in Germany and abroad.  Anytime a theater was holding auditions, I would have to go to that actual theater to sing for a specific part or position.  Rehearsal periods in Germany were much longer, sometimes two months, and performances were often spread out over the course of two seasons, with performances of a specific opera occurring anywhere from 1-4 times a month in rotation with other operas.



Lee Poulis as Enrico in the 2012 Sarasota Opera
production of Lucia di Lammermoor



In the US, I think there are only a handful of opera singers that have anything that looks like a full time job.  It’s almost completely freelance and without benefits.  You’re on your own!  There is also a lot less work in the US than there is in Europe.  Thankfully American companies will come to NYC to hear their auditions, so at least travel isn’t necessary.  But I have to say, I didn’t mind gallivanting around beautiful Europe for auditions and then writing it off!  Also auditions in the US tend to be of a more general nature, so you can find out if you got “the part,” whatever that may be, in 1 day to five years.  Rehearsal periods in the US are much more concentrated, usually two to three weeks, and the run of performances is also more highly concentrated, usually within 1-5 weeks.

Q.  Thus far, what is the most bizarre experience you have had during a rehearsal?  During a performance?

A.  I had a director one time who upon the first rehearsal told us five guys involved in a scene to get on a truck, drive the truck on stage, and do the scene.  We naturally thought: Do what scene?  We haven’t been directed yet. Well, off we went and drove the truck on stage and made up a scene out of thin air.  The director laughed, said it was very good, wished us a good afternoon and that he would see us tomorrow.  We left stunned.  What had just happened?  The scene was never really developed and remained basically the same through opening night!  The audience loved it though!

Another event in the same production: I had a small dog with me in one scene.  It kept yanking me aside during my singing and I couldn’t imagine why.  Normally it was well behaved.  My colleagues began laughing during their singing to me.  What thousands of audience members and my cast-mates saw that I did not because I was busy singing was that my dog had just pooped and peed onstage!

Q.  Do you have any pre-performance rituals?  Performance superstitions?  Good luck charms?  If yes, why?

A.  I just try to take it easy and check the voice every now and then.  I like to take a good walk, hydrate, and eat well.

Q.  How do you relax in between performances?  What hobbies do you enjoy at home and “on the road”?

A.  I like to go to the gym regularly where I lift weights and do cardio exercise.  I also love spending time at the beach and going to movies.  I try to get reading done and to work on the next role!



Lee Poulis in the title role of the 2011
Sarasota Opera production of Don Giovanni

Q.  How do you stay connected to family and friends when you are “on the road”?  Do you keep a blog?  Website? Facebook?  Twitter?

A.  I have a Fan Page on Facebook and I personally maintain my webpage at www.leepoulis.com.  I always love to hear from those who love to see me perform!  The internet is a great thing to keep in touch with friends and family when you are on the road.  I have video calls when it’s been too long since I’ve seen someone’s face.  I have yet to keep a blog but you never know.  It could happen!

           

Q.  As we have people that travel from around the United States to attend performances at Sarasota Opera, are there any towns or cities that you have a strong connection with whether from growing up or attending school?

A.  I have a strong connection with Cambridge, MA (college), Santa Barbara, CA (training) Washington DC (young artist program), and Cologne (where I spent my three years in Germany).  I’m orginally from Greenlawn, NY on Long Island and currently live in New York City. 

Don't miss Mr. Poulis' performance as Zurga in this season's production of The Pearl Fishers running now through March 22nd.  Tickets are available online at www.sarasotaopera.org or by calling the box office at (941) 328-1300. 

 

Artists Corner: Baritone Marco Nisticò

Artists Corner:  Artistic Administrator, Greg Trupiano, interviews baritone Marco Nisticò and his thoughts on making his role debut as the jester Rigoletto this fall. 

Greg Trupiano, Artistic Administrator of Sarasota Opera, here.  I recently had the pleasure to chat with one of Sarasota audiences’ favorite singers, baritone Marco Nisticò. Marco returns for the fall production as the title character in Rigoletto, having last been heard with the company as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly. Since last year, he has appeared as Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore at the Landestheater Bregenz in Austria, as well as singing Guglielmo in Così fan tutte at Italy’s Teatro Regio di Torino.



Baritone Marco Nisticò

I asked Marco about his thoughts as he prepared to sing the role of Rigoletto for the first time. Here are some of the things that Marco says about his next assignment at Sarasota Opera.

“For a baritone, the title role of Rigoletto is as good as it gets. Vocally it’s a very rewarding opera but also challenging because of its dramatic intensity and length. There are qualities in Rigoletto’s character that I can relate to. Rigoletto loves his daughter, and even though I don’t have children myself, I can identify with this feeling through my love of my own family. Also, Rigoletto sings lovingly about his deceased wife who felt such pity for him and loved him despite his deformity. Rigoletto is a complex character. I do not think he is evil at all. Whatever he does he does because he is trying to protect his daughter from a serious threat to her honor.”

Marco continues, “Performing Rigoletto is a personal achievement, a place I arrive at after having performed a number of Verdi roles. Maestro DeRenzi has taught me to sing Verdi by producing a strong vocal line. When I work with Maestro DeRenzi, I trust what is going on because artistic decisions come from a place of respect for the opera and respect for me. When you work on an opera by a great composer, a crazy staging doesn’t work. You must go with the music and not against it. With a great composer, 90% of the work is done for you. It’s your job to believe in it.”

Because it is such a challenging role, Marco has been working on the music for months, long before arriving in Sarasota. But even before then, he started to learn the role of Rigoletto; it’s a dream role for any baritone.

I concluded my conversation with Marco by asking him what other roles he would like to perform after Rigoletto. He said, “I would love the chance to sing the roles of Macbeth and Simon Boccanegra. Please note that these are major characters, sung by baritones—not tenors-- that have the operas named after them!”

Don't miss your chance to see Marco make this important debut this season.  Performances run October 26 through November 12, 2012.  More information can be found at http://www.sarasotaopera.org/.