Opera Orlando

06/12/2026

Happy Weekend!! Big announcement here: Opera Orlando is partnering with the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation for PATRIOTISM ON PLANT: A Musical Journey Celebrating America's 250th, a stirring commemoration of our nation's 250th anniversary at the historic Garden Theatre on Plant Street in Downtown Winter Garden!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

This special performance traces the American story through song and cinematic imagery, weaving together patriotic music with historical film spanning the decades. From the earliest days of our republic through the moments that defined each generation, audiences will experience America's journey as only live performance can tell it.

At the heart of this celebration, we pause to honor the veterans and active military members whose service and sacrifice have shaped our nation. Their stories are America's story, and this evening is dedicated to them.

Two performances only: Saturday, July 25 at 7:00 PM Sunday, July 26 at 2:00 PM
Venue: Garden Theatre on Plant 160 West Plant Street Winter Garden, FL 34787

Tickets on sale NOW!!

https://www.wghf.org/event-details/patriotism-on-plant-a-musical-journey-celebrating-americas-250th-2026-07-26-14-00

06/11/2026

Making her mark as an "especially impressive" (The New York Times) soprano, Australian/American NOLA RICHARDSON is a rapidly rising star praised for her "astonishing balance and accuracy,” “crystalline diction,” and “natural-sounding ease” with "spellbinding acting-singing... substantial powers of melisma, melodic agility, and timbre modulation." 🎶🎻🎼

In the 2025-2026 season she made her debut with LA Opera and Beth Morrison Projects creating the title role in the new opera HILDEGARD by Sarah Kirkland Snider. This season she takes on the role of Adina in ELIXIR OF LOVE with Opera Orlando. Woohoo!! 🍾🍾🍾

She won first prize in all three major American competitions focused on the music of J.S. Bach (Bethlehem Bach, 2016; Audrey Rooney Bach, 2018; Grand Rapids Symphony Linn Maxwell Keller Award, 2019). In 2024 she debuted as a soloist at the Leipzig Bach Festival while here operatic appearances such as her debut at the Kennedy Center with Opera Lafayette (Fraarte in Handel’s Radamisto) have drawn praise for her “particularly appealing freshness and directness” (Washington Post).

An Australian by birth, Nola has spent most of her life in the US. She was a young artist with the Boston Early Music Festival, a vocal fellow at Tanglewood, a Marc and Eva Stern Fellow at Songfest, and most recently, a Carmel Bach Festival Virginia Best Adams Fellow. Nola attended the Institute of Sacred Music Program and in May of 2020 she was the first and only female singer to receive the prestigious DMA degree in Early Music Voice from Yale​.

Learn more about Nola here: https://www.nolarichardson.com/

AND hear her in concert on Sunday, August 16 at 2pm at Orlando Museum of Art for the kickoff to our SUMMER CONCERT SERIES. Tickets already going fast with only 20 VIP seats left.

Individual tickets start at $59 and are now available for SUMMER CONCERT SERIES here: https://bit.ly/43r2rlr

Series subscriptions are also available - save up to $50 by subscribing!!!
Purchase a subscription here: https://bit.ly/OOSCS26

06/10/2026

Let the scoring begin!!! Our competitors for OPERA-OKE are ready for this Sunday and YOU, the audience, get to determine their scores. Scroll right to check out the list of songs up for grabs from Michael Jackson to Elvis to the Goo Goo Dolls. 🎎🎎🎎

This event is unlike anything else we have done and their are only 3 seats left for our 5pm show and 20 seats left for our 7:30pm show, so secure your seats now. Tickets start at just $35 here: https://bit.ly/Operaoke26

Here’s how it works. YOU pick the songs, YOU score the artists, YOU can sing along if you want and get your favorite artists additional points and win special door prizes for yourself, as well.

🎤✨ Opera meets karaoke at OPERA-OKE on June 14 at JUDSON'S LIVE!!✨️🎤

Judson’s Live at Dr. Phillips Center
Sunday, June 14, 2026
Performances at 5 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Food and drinks available at an additional costs

06/09/2026

on a true Orlando favorite ROBIN ANDREW STAMPER who returns as our pianist for our upcoming SUMMER CONCERT SERIES this August at Orlando Museum of Art. 🎹🎹🎹

Currently the Artistic Director and Chorus Master for Opera Tampa, Robin continues a versatile career as a coach-accompanist, chorus master, and opera conductor. Credits include director of music for the Kentucky Opera where he made his conducting debut in THE MIKADO.

Subsequently, he became Artistic Director for the Nevada Opera where he conducted several productions. Following his tenure at Nevada Opera, he became the music director for the Orlando Opera Company where he conducted several productions and helped grow the Orlando Opera Chorus. Several of those chorus members still sting for Opera Orlando today.

In addition, he conducted LA TRAVIATA and CAMELOT for the Augusta Opera and, as artistic director for the Florida Opera Theatre, COSI FAN TUTTE and THE BARBER OF SEVILLE. Having received his degrees in piano performance at the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard School, Stamper is a frequent performer as recital pianist and accompanist.

Individual tickets start at $59 and are now available for SUMMER CONCERT SERIES here: https://bit.ly/43r2rlr

Series subscriptions are also available - save up to $50 by subscribing!!!

Purchase a subscription here: https://bit.ly/OOSCS26

Sunday / August 16, 2026 at 2 p.m.
Nola Richardson, soprano

Sunday / August 23, 2026 at 2 p.m.
Yeawon Jun, soprano

Sunday / August 30, 2026 at 2 p.m.
Johanna Will, soprano

A pre-show beverage service and post-show reception with appetizers and desserts are included with every ticket. VIP tickets include valet parking and preferred seating. Individual tickets for each concert cost $59 for general seating and $79 for VIP.

06/08/2026

From PAGLIACCI in VEGAS to DISNEY WORLD!! Renowned tenor BEN GULLEY is coming back to Opera Orlando this weekend for OPERA-OKE!! 🎙️🎤🎧

Ben just completed a run as Canio in PAGLIACCI at Opera Las Vegas and now he heads to the land of Mickey Mouse and Harry Potter for OPERA-OKE at Judson’s Live.

🎤✨ Opera meets karaoke at OPERA-OKE on June 14 at JUDSON'S LIVE!!✨️🎤

Join Opera Orlando for a one-night-only interactive experience featuring iconic pop hits, audience games, live vocals, and plenty of surprises along the way. From “Bohemian Rhapsody” to “I Will Survive,” this playful evening brings together the excitement of karaoke with the power and drama of opera.

Tenor Ben Gulley and Soprano Susie Hellman Spatafora return to Orlando alongside host and fellow Baritone Gabriel Preisser as the three competitors face off in a lively musical showdown where the audience gets to sing along, play along, and be part of the fun. 🎶

Whether you’re a longtime opera fan or experiencing it for the very first time, OPERA-OKE is the perfect night out with friends, music lovers, and anyone ready for something a little unexpected.✨

Judson’s Live at Dr. Phillips Center
Sunday, June 14, 2026
Performances at 5 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Tickets starting at $35: https://bit.ly/Operaoke26

06/07/2026

Our audience is growing (thanks to YOU!!) at STEINMETZ HALL, so much so that we are adding a third performance on SATURDAY EVENINGS for each of our Steinmetz Hall performances at Dr. Phillip Center for the Performing Arts next season. Woohoo!!! 🥳 ‼️‼️

That means….
MADAME 🦋 = 3 performances!!!
✈️ DUTCHMAN = 3 performances!!!
🍾OF ❤️= 3 performances!!!
SHOW 🚢= 3 performances!!

AND you can subscribe now to Saturday night performances and save up to $150!!! What a deal!!!

Subscribe now here: https://bit.ly/2627OOSeason

06/06/2026

One final look back at the 2025-26 10th Anniversary Season... I'm not crying, you're crying!!! 😭😢😭

From Shanghai to Pontevedro, from ALL IS CALM to SILENT NIGHT, from opera outdoors at Mead Garden to vocally high flying divas at Steinmetz Hall, this season was a big one for sure and we are so grateful to all of the amazing performers, production team members, musicians, stagehands, staff that made it possible. THANK YOU!!!

Let us know in the comments what your favorite moment from the past season was and make sure to secure your season tickets now for next season with added performances and our first Music Theater production... SHOW BOAT!! We have lots to look forward to... 😃😄😃

Full details here: https://operaorlando.org/season26-27

06/05/2026

We can’t wait for ROBERT MELLON to come join us as Dr. Dulcamara in ELIXIR OF LOVE next season!! 🍾🍾🍾

Check out Robert singing Modern Major General here in a current production with See him In our brand-new production of ELIXIR inspired by Fellini’s La Dolce Vita — its glamour, absurdity, and impossible longing — Donizetti’s ELIXIR OF LOVE is transported to the backlot of a 1960s film studio in Rome at Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts for three performances on April 23, 24, and 25.

Soprano Nola Richardson — praised by The New York Times as “especially impressive” — makes her Company debut as Adina, joined by tenor Randy Ho as Nemorino, baritone Eleomar Cuello as Sgt. Belcore, and bass-baritone Robert Mellon as Dulcamara. Directed and conceived by Opera Orlando artistic director Grant Preisser and conducted by Maria Sensi Sellner, making her Company debut.

Nemorino is an aspiring screenwriter hopelessly in love with Adina, the studio’s reigning star. Helping this rom-com along: Dulcamara, the lot’s fast-talking food truck impresario, and a bottle of very dubious wine he’s calling a love potion. It probably won’t work. It does. And then, without warning, “Una furtiva lagrima…” — Nemorino alone with his feelings and the whole theater suddenly alone with theirs “...ooooh, OPERA!”

Full details at season link in bio.

Individual tickets go on sale on July 10 but why wait??? Subscribe now to the 2026-27 season and save up to $150!!! Subscriptions include BUTTERFLY, FLYING DUTCHMAN, ELIXIR OF LOVE, and the option to add on SHOW BOAT!!

Subscribe now and save at season link in bio.

06/05/2026

A very important article about the “state” of things for arts groups in Florida. (I see what you did there… 😜🤪😝)

https://www.yourcommunitypaper.com/articles/funding-the-heart-of-the-community/

Opera Orlando is included in this write up along with several other local groups.

“We remain hopeful that the government leaders at the state level will realize that the arts are everywhere,” Opera Orlando general director Gabriel Preisser.

Can you imagine a world without art? Without creative expression or cultural identity? Probably not, because our surroundings are immersed in it. From the fine arts to musical theater, art plays a pivotal and fundamental role in the infrastructure of our communities. In recent years, funding cuts ha...

06/04/2026

We had so many people excited about our cast for SHOW BOAT next season we just had to share a little clip of Brandon Coleman singing OL’ MAN RIVER…. Wow! What a voice!! 😲🤩🤯

Hear the whole recording at his website here:

https://brandoncolemanopera.com

AND let us know which production or cast member you are most excited about for next season in the comments.

SHOW BOAT comes to Steinmetz Hall in a semi-staged concert production — with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in the pit and a combined chorus drawn from Opera Orlando and Bethune-Cookman University on May 14, 15, 16, 2027.

Acclaimed bass-baritone Brandon Coleman returns to the role of Joe for which he was praised for his performance of Ol' Man River. "Coleman was born to sing this anthem... with his cavernous lungs and his deep, rich dynamics." He is joined by Opera Orlando favorites Kimberly Hernandez as Queenie, Laura Hodos as Parthy, and Grammy Award winner Gabriel Preisser as Ga***rd Ravenal. With stage direction by Roberta Emerson, OPERA America grant recipient and one of Orlando's most versatile theatrical voices, and conductor Dr. Everett McCorvey, founder and music director of the American Spiritual Ensemble who has led two world premieres with the Company, this is the right team to bring Show Boat home.

Full details here: https://bit.ly/OOShowBoat27

Individual tickets go on sale in December, but why wait??? Subscribe now to the 2026-27 season and save up to $150!!! Subscriptions include BUTTERFLY, FLYING DUTCHMAN, ELIXIR OF LOVE, and the option to add on SHOW BOAT!!

Subscribe now and save: https://bit.ly/2627OOSeason

Recording taken from a beautiful production of SHOW BOAT by our friends at Utah Festival Opera