Opening the 2023 Winter Opera Festival will be Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, followed by Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Verdi’s Ernani, and Massenet’s Thérèse. “As we hopefully return closer to normal, we are thrilled to present a varied season with some of our favorite works, along with operas that we’ve never given before,” says General Director Richard Russell. “During our 64th season, we look forward to introducing our audience to some important, lesser-known operas,” adds Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi.

The 2023 Winter Opera Festival will open on Saturday, February 18, 2023, with Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. A young geisha known affectionately as Madama Butterfly is swept off her feet by an American Naval officer. Left with a promise that he would return one day, Butterfly waits faithfully for three years, but is met with heartbreak in one of opera’s most enduring tragedies. Ten performances: February 18, 21, 23, 26(m), and March 1, 4(m), 10, 15, 21(m), and 24, 2023. Madama Butterfly was last seen in 2017.

Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart’s most famous opera is a comic and tragic masterpiece. Set in 17th century Spain, this tale of obsession, betrayal, crime, and retribution centers around the infamous lover Don Juan. Eight performances: February 25 and 28, March 2, 5(m), 8, 12(m), 18, and 25, 2023. Don Giovanni was last seen in Sarasota in 2011.

Ernani by Giuseppe Verdi. The bandit Ernani has lost his land, wealth, and title, and faces competing suitors, including the king, as he pursues his true love, Elvira. One of the greatest of Verdi’s early works, Ernani encompasses love, honor, and tragedy with passionate choruses, emotional arias, and an exciting score. Six performances: March 11, 14, 16, 18(m), 22, and 26(m), 2023. Ernani was last seen in 1997.

Thérèse by Jules Massenet. A love triangle during the French Revolution is the setting for this rarely heard work. Thérèse is torn between love for her former lover and her affection and duty towards her husband. Moments of lyrical beauty are punctuated by the drama of the “Reign of Terror.” Five performances: March 17, 19(m), 21, 23, and 25(m), 2023. Thérèse is a Sarasota Opera debut.