Luncheon Celebration of Giuseppe Verdi and the Opera

Join us for a celebration of Giuseppe Verdi’s contribution to opera on February 14, 2024.

Busseto’s favorite son is Verdi, who spent much of his life in and contributed to improving the lifestyles of Bussetans.

This luncheon is sponsored by the City Directorship of Busseto and is co-hosted by SCAS and the Sarasota Opera Guild.

We are in for a 2-part program treat!

The first part of the luncheon will feature a presentation about Verdi by the Director of Education at Sarasota Opera, Martha Collins. Following, a short singing program featuring soprano Elizabeth Novella commences.

Meal choices consist of:

• A meat entree (chicken marsala)
• A vegetarian option (eggplant stack)
• A gluten-free option (gluten-free chicken marsala)

About Elizabeth Novella, Soprano

Ms. Novella holds a M.M. in Voice from Manhattan School of Music and a B.A. in Music from Bard College.  She is a native New Yorker and resides in NYC.  Among many, Elizabeth’s notable performances include:  Giovanna in Ernani and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni at the Sarasota Opera; the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors at the St. Petersburg Opera; Adele in Die Fledermaus with The Muses Project. She’s covered several roles with the Sarasota Opera:  Leila in Les Pecheurs des Perles, Marie in La Fille du Regiment, and Musetta in La Boheme as Studio Artist.  She has performed at the Aspen Music Festival and School, Caramoor, Manhattan School of Music, and the Amalfi Coast Music Festival among others.

About  Martha Collins, Director of Education Sarasota Opera

Ms. Collins has a long association with Sarasota Opera, having first joined the company in 2004 as a stage director for the Apprentice Artists program. She has since directed numerous mainstage productions, including Dialogues of the Carmelites (2017), Nabucco (2019), and Romeo and Juliet (2020), and most recently was stage director of The Happy Deception, and Dido and Aeneas, performed during the 2021 Winter and Spring Opera Festivals. She has directed the annual Sarasota Youth Opera production since 20025.

Born in Ottawa, Ms. Collins gained much acclaim in Canada as both a concert and operatic performer. She has appeared with numerous opera companies throughout Canada.  In 1986 she was chosen to perform for Prince Charles and Princess Diana at the opening gala of the World’s Fair in Vancouver, British Columbia.

She has also directed at numerous other organizations including Tri-Cities Opera, Opera Southwest, New York University, and New England Conservatory. She has extensive teaching credits, including New York University, Swarthmore College, Brevard Music Center, and the Florence Voice Seminar in Italy. Ms. Collins will continue to direct productions for Sarasota Opera.