Saturday, March 25 at 7 p.m.
Morsani Hall at the Straz Center
Regularly priced concert-only tickets are $48.50-$78.50
Opera Gala tickets begin at $450.00
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Tampa, Fla. ─ Opera Tampa Coppola Conducts: 100 Years Young on Saturday, March 25 at 7 p.m. in Morsani Hall.
Honoring the 100th birthday of Opera Tampa’s founding artistic director Anton Coppola, Coppola Conducts: 100 Years Young promises to be a glittering, golden gala and the highlight of the opera season. Maestro Coppola himself (at 100 years old!) will conduct a full orchestra, chorus and soloists in a concert of his own compositions and favorite works including a new piece written to honor his nephew, acclaimed film director Francis Ford Coppola along with selections from his own opera Sacco & Vanzetti and the world premiere of his new ending for Turandot.
Among the soloists scheduled to perform are Jessica Best (mezzo-soprano), Adam Diegel (tenor), Lisa Houben (soprano), Stefanos Koroneous (baritone), Diana McVey (soprano), Cleyton Pulzi (tenor) and Mark Walters (baritone).
During his illustrious career, Maestro Coppola has conducted almost all of the important opera companies in the United States and Canada including the San Francisco and New York City Operas. Known for his range and versatility, Coppola conducted the world premieres of Lizzie Borden, Deseret and Of Mice and Men, as well as many Broadway musicals. He worked with the Royal Opera Orchestra and opera soprano Angela Gheorghiu to release a complete recording of Puccini works. After serving four years as an army bandmaster during World War II, he moved on to conduct at Radio City Music Hall. For 15 years, he was the director of both the Symphony and Opera Departments at the Manhattan School of Music and holds a master’s degree in composition. Among his larger works are a symphony, an opera, a violin concerto and numerous film scores. Coppola conducted important revivals of Zaza, Mireille and Falstaff, and appeared in his nephew Francis Ford Coppola’s film, Godfather III. He also conducted the score for the Coppola film Dracula. Coppola has received honorary Doctorates from the University of Tampa and Quinnitiac University in Connecticut. He was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Puccini Foundation and recognized by the Italian government as Cavaliere, Gran Ufficiale. He is the founding artistic director of Opera Tampa and conducted all of Opera Tampa’s productions including Madama Butterfly, Carmen, La Bohème, Tosca, Hansel and Gretel, La Traviata, The Marriage of Figaro, the world premiere of his own opera Sacco & Vanzetti, Otello, Turandot and many more, until his retirement in April of 2012.
Coppola Conducts: 100 Years Young and the Opera Gala are presented by Dr. Yi-Hwa Outerbridge, M.D. and Mr. Felix Cannella, Jr.
Regularly priced tickets for Coppola Conducts: 100 Years Young on Saturday, March 25 at 7 p.m. are $48.50-$78.50 and may be purchased by calling 813.229.STAR (7827) or 800.955.1045 outside Tampa Bay, in person at the Straz Center Ticket Sales Office or online at www.strazcenter.org. Handling fees will apply. For more information about the Straz Center for the Performing Arts and its upcoming events, please visit the Straz Center’s website at www.strazcenter.org. For more information about Opera Tampa, please visit www.operatampa.org.
Events, days, dates, times, performers and prices are subject to change without notice.