While the 2017 season of the Sarasota Opera marks the first time in 29 years that Verdi is not on the program, many things remain the same. "The mission hasn't changed," says Executive Director Richard Russell. "To do opera very well the way the composer intended, as we do, is increasingly rare in the opera world right now. What you'll see with us are musically high-class performances with a great attention to historical detail."

He adds, "We are an opera destination and a lot of people travel to see us, so we need to make sure that we do something you can't see anywhere else." Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi concurs. "We want to do an extremely popular opera as well as pieces that opera lovers may know, but are not necessarily in the standard repertory," he said. "It's a very diverse season. Even though three of the operas are Italian, they are very different."