After celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Sarasota Opera House last year, Sarasota Opera is moving right into its 68th season, with five mainstage productions slated for 2026-2027: Hansel and Gretel, La traviata, H.M.S. Pinafore, Ariadne auf Naxos and Jenůfa, plus the Sarasota Youth Opera’s revival of Rootabaga Country.

The upcoming season will also mark Richard Russell's first season as the opera's general and artistic director, as longtime artistic director and principal conductor Victor DeRenzi steps down after 44 years of leadership. Five guest conductors will lead the opera's mainstage productions in the 2026-27 season: Anthony Barrese, Marcello Cormio, John Spencer IV, Jessé Martins and David Neely.

The fall season will open on Oct. 30, 2026, with Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, followed by the Sarasota Youth Opera’s production of Rachel J. Peters’ Rootabaga Country on Nov. 7 and 8, which first premiered in Sarasota in 2017.

The opera's Winter Festival will open on Feb. 6, 2027, with a brand-new production of Verdi’s La traviata, followed by the company’s inaugural presentation of an operetta by Gilbert & Sullivan, H.M.S. Pinafore, opening Feb. 13. Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos opens next, on Feb. 27, and a new production of Janáček’s Jenůfa opens March 6, starring renowned Finnish soprano Karita Mattila in role of the Kostelnička. The season runs through March 21, 2027.

Another new highlight of the 2026–27 Season will be the launch of Sarasota Opera’s new artist‑in‑residence program, kicking off with Mattila. She will work closely with Sarasota Opera’s apprentice and studio artists, offering mentorship, artistic guidance, and individualized coaching throughout the season. 

This season will also introduce the opera's Emerging Artists Showcase, a new end‑of‑season concert featuring apprentice and studio artists in performance with a full orchestra. The concert will also include a special appearance by members of the Sarasota Youth Opera.

Other signature events slated for the 2026-27 season include the opera's annual Food and Wine Festival on Sept. 26, the annual gala on Jan. 30, and the Salute to the Stars Awards Luncheon on March 9.

Here's a closer look at the performances coming to the Opera House stage this season.

Hansel and Gretel

Oct. 30-Nov. 14, 2026
Music by Engelbert Humperdinck, libretto by Adelheid Wette

The season opens with Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, which follows two siblings who stray into the forest, encounter a Gingerbread Witch, and find courage in the face of peril. The music blends rich orchestration, performed by the Sarasota Orchestra, with folk-like melodies conducted by Anthony Barrese. Sung in English with English surtitles projected above the stage.

La traviata

Feb. 6-March 20, 2027
Music by Giuseppe Verdi, libretto by Francesco Maria Piave

This new production of La traviata, conducted by Marcello Cormio, tells the moving story of Violetta Valéry, a celebrated courtesan in 19th-century Paris whose unexpected love for Alfredo Germont conflicts with her world of parties and pleasure and forces her to make the ultimate sacrifice. Verdi’s music weaves elegance and drama, underscoring the timeless tale of Violetta’s love and
selfless devotion. Sung in Italian with English surtitles projected above the stage.

H.M.S. Pinafore

Feb. 13-March 19, 2027
Music by Arthur Sullivan, libretto by W.S. Gilbert

Sarasota Opera's inaugural staging of a Gilbert and Sullivan work, H.M.S. Pinafore is a Victorian comic operetta in which questions of love and social rank spark humor and delight. At the center of this story, set aboard a British Navy ship, is the earnest sailor Ralph Rackstraw and Josephine, the captain’s daughter, whose affection challenges the strict hierarchies of their world. This uproarious satire includes witty patter songs and memorable melodies that make it a perennial favorite for audiences of all ages. The conductor will be John Spencer IV.
Sung in English with English surtitles projected above the stage. 

Ariadne auf Naxos

Feb. 27-March 13
Music by Richard Strauss, libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal

A fusion of myth and comedy, Ariadne auf Naxos begins with a lively backstage prologue in which an opera troupe and a comedy ensemble are forced to perform
together. The resulting spectacle sets the mythical, mournful Ariadne alongside the playful Zerbinetta and her band of comedians. The opera showcases Strauss’s gift for intertwining emotional depth with theatrical spectacle, balancing lyricism with playfulness. Jessé Martins conducts. Sung in German with English surtitles projected above the stage.

Jenůfa

March 6-March 21
Music and libretto by Leoš Janáček

Presented by Sarasota Opera for the first time in three decades, this landmark follows young Jenůfa as she endures hardship, love, and the unyielding expectations of her Ukrainian village. Central to the drama is the Kostelnička, Jenůfa’s stepmother, whose desperate attempt to protect her stepdaughter leads to tragic consequences. Janáček’s score heightens the opera’s psychological intensity, with standout moments including Jenůfa’s poignant prayer and the
Kostelnička’s monologue at the opera’s climax. The opera will be conducted by David Neely. Sung in Czech with English surtitles projected above the stage.

Subscriptions for all five operas will go on sale March 16, 2026. Single tickets to individual operas will be on sale online on August 1, 2026, and at the box office and via phone beginning on Sept. 1, 2026. For more information on the 2026-2027 season, click here.