Inkwatu

History & Past Productions

St. Petersburg has surprised itself by evolving into a city were fine arts is the focus of its high quality of life. Within walking distance of downtown condos there are well over a dozen galleries, more than four museums, three major performance venues, equity theater, and innumerable small businesses that support the cultural scene.

One important measure of any city’s artistic reach is the breadth of its musical life. Does it extend beyond a symphony orchestra? Does it exist outside of academic institutions? Are there recitals? A lively chamber music scene? Contemporary and even avant-garde presentations? Opera?

St. Petersburg can answer Yes to all of that, especially to opera: the
St. Petersburg Opera!

The creative and motivating force behind the St. Pete Opera is Maestro Mark Sforzini (http://www.marksforzini.com and http://stpeteopera.org/sforzini.html). Sforzini (seen above in a casual promotional presentation at the Saturday Morning Market) has been at the core of the St. Pete Opera since its inception as it grew out of a series of productions at the Palladium Theater. Past seasons of the SPO (St. Petersburg Opera) have, under his baton, included The Barber of Seville, Die Fledermaus, La Bohème, L’Elisir d’Amore, and most recently, Don Giovanni.

In addition to his role as Artistic Director and Conductor of the St. Petersburg Opera, Sforzini is Artistic Director of FloriMezzo, Artistic Director of the Encore Series at the Palladium, and was Principal Bassoon of the Florida Orchestra for 15 years (1992 – 2007). Also a composer, he is currently completing a major commission to compose a full length opera to be premiered in the near future.

Emerging Artists Program

Maestro Sforzini has brought outstanding performers from New York and Europe to fill the principal roles: Richard Cassell, Alisa Cassola, Elizabeth Claxton, Kevin Courtemanche, Todd Donovan (a St. Petersburg native), Michelle Giglio, Jonathan Hodel, Michael Wade Lee, Kathy Pyeatt, Jacqueline Quirk, Nathan Resika, Jennifer Sanchez, Wade Thomas, Jon Truitt, and Bryce Westervelt, to name but a few.

However, even more remarkable has been St. Pete Opera’s Emerging Artist Program in which newer singers serve as understudies for all the principal roles. As part of the program, they take master classes from Maestro Sforzini and various guest artists and directors. Pictured above is Maestro Sforzini coaching Emerging Artists at such a workshop.

The Emerging Artist Program provides a very unique opportunity in that these understudies (called “covers” in opera lingo) have the chance to sing with full orchestra during the orchestra rehearsals! This is a very rare experience, more valuable, perhaps, than any amount of verbal instruction.

In addition to their duties as covers, the Emerging Artists perform in the opera chorus alongside local singers who have successfully passed a rigorous audition, usually involving at least one aria in Italian (or the language of the current production). For more information on the Chorus, the Emerging Artist Program, and future audition dates and requirements, see the opera’s website.

The FloriMezzo Orchestra

The orchestra which performs for the St. Petersburg Opera productions is the FloriMezzo Orchestra. FloriMezzo is the creation of co-founders, Jessica Calandra and Mark Sforzini. (Ms. Calandra’s photo is the insert in the above picture of members of the FloriMezzo Orchestra performing my bassoon concerto with Mark Sforzini as bassoon soloist and John Bannon, Principal Timpanist of the Florida Orchestra, conducting.)

The FloriMezzo website describes their mission well: “FloriMezzo provides educational and performance opportunities to students, music educators and community musicians. Members of the Florida Orchestra and other professional musicians serve as mentors (clinicians/coaches) by leading rehearsals and playing in the ensembles that perform in FloriMezzo concerts.”

I have often seen nationally recognized professionals from the Florida Orchestra playing in the FloriMezzo, with their sons or daughters playing right along side them. An unforgettable experience for both. When you put an advanced student next to a seasoned professional, the student rises to the occasion. It’s educational magic.

Featured Artists & Directors

Large production companies such as the St. Petersburg Opera aren’t born through the efforts of one person alone. The single most important midwife to the birthing of the St. Pete Opera is Dar Webb. Originally the founder of a software company and now, with her husband Clint Page, a prominent supporter of the arts in St. Petersburg, Webb was for a time interim Executive Director of the Palladium (pictured above), an historical restoration project that has become an important music venue in the city. It was during her tenure as director of the Palladium, and through her professional advice and marketing savvy, that the St. Petersburg opera became established as the first-class operation that it is.

An early presence at the St. Pete Opera was the stage director for several of the first productions, Jon Truitt, Director of Opera at the University of Evansville. Truitt has also sung several roles with the SPO, including the title role in this season’s production of Don Giovanni.

The Sets

The famous musicologist, Eugene Selhorst once said something that has really stuck with me: [paraphrasing] Effective opera is primarily visual—good opera will “work,” even if the sound is turned off! Think about it: when you think of opera you see, in your mind’s eye, heroines dramatically dying in the arms of matinee idols, swashbuckling sword fights, troupes of marching soldiers with rifles and plumed hats, dramatic lighting, and comic love triangle participants hiding behind pillars. And, we understand the plot even though the words are completely unintelligible!

Visually cradling all that action and theatrics is the set. It’s the thing that makes audiences go (quite literally), “Oooooo!”

The special vision of the Set Designer for La Bohème and Don Giovanni, Allen Loyd, has, I believe, contributed to the St. Petersburg Opera’s reputation for originality. Loyd’s style has a quirky, imaginative quality that is unmistakable. Mr. Loyd has designed many sets for American Stage (professional equity theater), Live Arts Peninsula Foundation, Banyan Theater, and the Gorilla Theater. As well as a set designer, he is an artist with exhibits at area venues. The unusually high proscenium at the Palladium Theater has given Mr. Loyd the opportunity to build very striking, “skyscraper” sets that tower above the audience, creating spectacularly emotional scenes (see Don Giovanni picture at top of article). At his page on the opera website, you can view photos of his sets and artwork. Pictured immediately above this paragraph is a portion of his set for La Bohème, complete with falling snow special effect.

Graphic Designs

The montage above displays the posters for the past St. Petersburg Opera productions. They have been worthy souvenir items. All were done by Phillip Gary Design (475 Central Ave Ste 305, St Petersburg; 727-895-4092). Starting with Elixir of Love, the SPO began featuring the artwork on t-shirts and other marketing items. For more information on the St. Petersburg Opera, past, present, and future artists and productions, please visit http://stpeteopera.org.

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