Sarasota Opera Presents Re-imagined Sarasota Youth Opera Fundraiser TASTE OF DOWNTOWN

Since 2013, Sarasota Opera's annual Taste of Downtown has given food and wine enthusiasts an opportunity to support the Youth Opera and sample the best of downtown restaurants and specialty food shops on the stage of the Sarasota Opera House. Due to current health restrictions, this year Taste of Downtown has been re-imagined as an online fundraiser. Donors will have the opportunity to dine at leisure with a discount at many of the restaurants that have participated in past years. For a gift of $75 or more made between Monday September 21, 2020 and Friday October 2, 2020, donors will receive a discount card to use at Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi, Mattison's City Grille, Mattison's Forty-One, Clásico Italian Chophouse, Brick's Smoked Meats, Mediterraneo, Nancy's Bar-B-Q Lakewood Ranch, Five-O Donut Co., and Noela Chocolate. Discounts vary by restaurant and the card will be valid October 1 through November 15, 2020. See details at sarasotaopera.org/taste-2020 or call Sarasota Opera's Development Director, Scott Guinn, at 941-328-1304.

Sarasota Youth Opera staff and participants aren't letting COVID-19 slow them down

Following a successful Online Summer Camp, the Youth Opera online fall semester is underway and continues to provide a robust and well-rounded curriculum through a virtual platform. Programming includes acting lessons taught by Sarasota Opera stage director Martha Collins, Music 101 to further develop participants' music reading skills, and special guests who work in the opera industry to talk to the students about different career paths and jobs that make up the artform. Inclusiveness and accessibility are founding principles of Sarasota Youth Opera. Youth aged 8 to 18 can participate regardless of musical skill or ability to pay tuition.

The generosity of donors who support the program through their annual gifts and Taste of Downtown enable Sarasota Youth Opera to provide tuition assistance to one-third of participants each year. This year, there is an increase in requests for this assistance, making support for the Taste of Downtown fundraiser even more important. For more information about Sarasota Youth Opera, visit SarasotaOpera.org.