EDITOR’S NOTE: The Oct. 22 Song and Dance event has been postponed.
Gulfshore Opera plans a variety of fall concerts at friendly local venues across three counties. These concerts include returning popular themes, two benefits and a new Latin theme concert.
GO will launch their ninth season on Oct. 22 with Song & Dance, a fall-favorite event, in partnership with Gulfshore Ballet. The evening will begin with a fundraiser cocktail reception. All proceeds with benefit Gulfshore Ballet. The performance, held at the ballet studio, provides a preview of memorable moments from GO upcoming productions of The Barber of Seville and Don Giovanni with interpretive dance by the Gulfshore Ballet Studio ballerinas. The Gulfshore Ballet dancers will perform scenes from the musical Aida. Tenor, Minghao Liu makes his Gulfshore Opera debut this concert, and will return in February to sing the role of Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville. He will join GO-favorite soprano, Erika Ramírez, who will perform the love duet from Lucia di Lammermoor and Caccini’s beautiful setting of “Ave Maria.”
In November, Gulfshore Opera will present Latin Infusion!, a festive concert in celebration of Hispanic Arts & Culture at unique venues across coastal Southwest Florida. A charismatic ensemble of celebrated international artists will perform a kaleidoscope of Latin music including boleros, Zarzuela, Latin pop and traditional songs from Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, Peru and Spain.
Returning favorite Cuban baritone, Fernando Gonzalez sings opera and pop music. He is a member of the international group Latin Divos. His partner on stage is the lovely Venezuelan soprano, Erika Ramirez who is a member of the GO Divas. They will perform this Hispanic Heritage concert with Cuban guitarist, Jose Alfredo Fernandez-Acosta (Joe Fredd), Cuban pianist, Daniel Escudero, and Cuban percussionist, Alfredo Chacon. A versatile program of crowd-pleaser famous songs like “Guantanamera” and “Girl from Ipanema” plus hits by Gipsy Kings and Santana will be performed in contrast to traditional jewels and semi-classical melodies for a diverse infusion of Latin culture.
Back by popular demand, GO Divas, the popular women’s vocal ensemble, returns with a series of fun and friendly concerts featuring rich harmonies from opera scenes to popular songs from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Their diverse, new program features pop favorites like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Happy Together,” ensembles from The Magic Flute and Carmen, and an exhilarating passage from Handel’s Dixit Dominus. The tour begins at Carmelo’s Italian Ristorante for an open air concert and dinner. Divas & Dinner followed by concerts at the Mercato lawn stage and the fall tour concludes at a new venue in Estero. GO is partnering with Lamb of God Church to present a benefit concert for Feeding the 5000, a Thanksgiving outreach mission.
For more info, visit gulfshoreopera.org or call 239-529-3925.
