Opera Tampa

Opera Tampa is an American opera company based in Tampa, Florida. It is the main opera company at the beautiful Straz Center for the Performing Arts. Opera Tampa brings exciting and moving stories to life through singing and music, making the art of opera accessible to everyone in the community. The company works with talented singers, musicians, and creative teams to offer a variety of performances throughout the year. It plays an important role in enriching the cultural life of Tampa and surrounding areas.

History

Opera Tampa began in 1996 with its first show, Madama Butterfly. Every year after that, the company put on one or more big operas. These shows had singers from all over the world, the Opera Tampa Orchestra, and a choir of about 50 to 60 people. A key person in getting the company started was composer and conductor Anton Coppola. He was the artistic director from 1996 until he retired in 2012. One of the best moments for the company was when they first performed his opera Sacco and Vanzetti on March 17, 2001.

Today

Daniel Lipton, who was born on September 23, 1941, in Paris, is the new artistic director of Opera Tampa. He used to lead Opera Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. In his first season, he started the "Florida Opera Festival." This is a month-long event with many opera performances and concerts. Famous singer Katherine Jenkins was one of the guests. The festival began with the opera A Masked Ball (Un Ballo in Maschera) and ended with La Bohème, which were Opera Tampa's main shows in 2013.

Judith Lisi is the general director of Opera Tampa and also the president of the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. The big performances happen in the Carol Morsani Hall, which can hold 2,600 people. Robin Stamper, who went to the Juilliard School, is the current musical director.

Award

In 2008, Opera Tampa decided to create the Anton Coppola Excellence in the Arts Award to honor its first director. Each year, this award goes to an artist who has done great work for Opera Tampa and for music in general, especially in helping opera grow and stay strong. Anton Coppola himself received the award in 2012 when he retired.

Recipients by year