South Florida Lyric Opera

We love Renée!

Renée Fleming uses her soprano to amplify the healing power of music Renée Fleming, “the people’s diva,” will receive the Kennedy Center Honors for a legacy that extends beyond the opera stage.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: SFLO welcomes soprano Maija Lisa Currie as Madam Patacha cover in "Pierrette & Jacquot" and Rose cover in "A Husband at the Door". Maija is overjoyed to be back on stage, after taking a professional hiatus to have a family and raise two beautiful children. Recent performances include her house and role debut with St. Pete Opera as The Mother in "Amahl and the Night Visitors" and a solo recital with Opera for Earth. Maija has performed with Opernhaus Zürich, Indianapolis Opera, Kentucky Opera, Mobile Opera, Dicapo Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, and the Zürcher Festspiele. Operatic roles include Violetta, Manon, Gretel, Pamina, Susanna, Zerlina, Papagena, Tytania, Miss Wordsworth, Mabel, Adele, Valencienne, Wanda in "Die Grossherzogin von Gerolstein", Ida in "Der Musikfeind", Donna Fulvia in "La Pietra del Paragone", La Fornarina in "Raphaello", Cécile de Volanges in "Dangerous Liaisons", and Beauty in "Beauty and the Beast". She completed a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice and a Performance Diploma in Opera from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and her Master of Music degree in Voice from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: SFLO welcomes soprano Maija Lisa Currie as Madam Patacha cover in "Pierrette & Jacquot" and Rose cover in "A Husband at the Door". Maija is overjoyed to be back on stage, after taking a professional hiatus to have a family and raise two beautiful children. Recent performances include her house and role debut with St. Pete Opera as The Mother in "Amahl and the Night Visitors" and a solo recital with Opera for Earth. Maija has performed with Opernhaus Zürich, Indianapolis Opera, Kentucky Opera, Mobile Opera, Dicapo Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, and the Zürcher Festspiele. Operatic roles include Violetta, Manon, Gretel, Pamina, Susanna, Zerlina, Papagena, Tytania, Miss Wordsworth, Mabel, Adele, Valencienne, Wanda in "Die Grossherzogin von Gerolstein", Ida in "Der Musikfeind", Donna Fulvia in "La Pietra del Paragone", La Fornarina in "Raphaello", Cécile de Volanges in "Dangerous Liaisons", and Beauty in "Beauty and the Beast". She completed a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice and a Performance Diploma in Opera from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and her Master of Music degree in Voice from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Lyric soprano Jennifer Lamont is very excited to be working with SFLO as Pierrette cover in “Pierrette and Jacquot”, Narrator in “A Husband at the Door”, and featured in “Acis and Galatea”. This past May, she graduated from Florida State University with her B.M in Voice Performance. While at FSU, she performed as Queen of the Night in “The Magic Flute”, Cherubino in “Le nozze di Figaro”, Beàtriz in “La hija de Rappaccini”, Parasha in “Mavra”, Second Lady in “Die Zauberflöte”, and Soprano Trio Member in “The Filthy Habit”. Recent soloist engagements include Dan Forrest’s “Requiem for the Living” with Universidad de Puerto Rico and Craig Hella Johnson’s “Considering Matthew Shepard” under the baton of Dr. Micheal Hanawalt. This season, Jennifer will be making her chorus debut with both Opera Tampa and St. Pete Opera. In addition to performing, Jennifer works with the International Alliance for Women in Music and has published original research in musicology.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Fresh off a European tour performing Ferrando in "Cosi Fan Tutte", SFLO welcomes back tenor Robert Sherman as Florestan cover in "A Husband at the Door" part of the Offenbach One-Acts! @ Barness Recital Hall. Robert was last seen locally in a moving portrayal of Acis in "Acis and Galatea" (Part One of SFLO's "Opera Rara" Lecture Series) and as the Tenor in "Masterclass" at The Studio @ 620 in St. Pete. Robert has performed extensively abroad and in his native New York, notably with the New York Holiday Singers singing private and public events, including as a featured soloist on ABC's Good Morning America. Robert currently holds the position of Graduate Teaching Assistant at the USF School of Music where he is also completing his Master's degree in vocal performance.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Fresh off a European tour performing Ferrando in "Cosi Fan Tutte", SFLO welcomes back tenor Robert Sherman as Florestan cover in "A Husband at the Door". Robert was last seen locally in a moving portrayal of Acis in "Acis and Galatea" (Part One of the "Opera Rara" Lecture Series) and as the Tenor in "Masterclass" at The Studio @ 620 in St. Pete. Robert has performed extensively abroad and in his native New York, notably with the New York Holiday Singers singing private and public events, including as a featured soloist on ABC's Good Morning America. Robert currently holds the position of Graduate Teaching Assistant at the USF School of Music where he is also completing his Master's degree in vocal performance.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Beth Lucey (artistic director, Rose in "A Husband at Door"). Beth has worked in music and theater in the Tampa Bay area for the past decade, equally at home directing and performing. Beth served on the adjunct voice faculty for Loyola New Orleans and New York University where she also received her Undergraduate and Master’s degrees in voice and theater performance, respectively. She has performed extensively as a lyric soprano, including season appearances with Opera Tampa, under the late, great Maestro Anton Coppola, St. Pete Opera under Maestro Mark Sforzini, Opera Mobile, headed by Arlene Saunders, The Frederick Loewe Theater under the direction of Greg Ganakis, and on tour with SSMA summer music festival in Siena, Italy led by Anastasia Tomasewska-Schepis. Notable roles include Galatea (Acis and Galatea), Nedda (Pagliacci), Countess (Le Nozze di Figaro), Fiordiligi (Cosi Fan Tutti), Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus), Marguerite (Faust), and Carrie (Carousel). Beth has also collaborated on the concert stage with Florida Orchestra's acclaimed cellist, Fred Gratta, and Bronx Opera's director Ben Spierman. She has directed numerous shows at the Red Room and Frederick Loewe theaters in NYC, Rousell Hall, Marquette Theater and the UNO Performing Arts Center in NOLA, and led scenes workshops at both NYU and USF. Beth offers private voice and performance workshops across the nation.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Beth Lucey (Rose in "A Husband at Door"). Beth has worked in music and theater in the Tampa Bay area for the past decade. Beth served on the adjunct voice faculty for Loyola New Orleans and New York University where she also received her Undergraduate and Master’s degrees in voice and theater performance, respectively. She has performed extensively as a lyric soprano, including season appearances with Opera Tampa, under the late, great Maestro Anton Coppola, St. Pete Opera under Maestro Mark Sforzini, Opera Mobile, headed by Arlene Saunders, The Frederick Loewe Theater under the direction of Greg Ganakis, and on tour with SSMA summer music festival in Siena, Italy led by Anastasia Tomasewska-Schepis. Notable roles include Galatea (Acis and Galatea), Nedda (Pagliacci), Countess (Le Nozze di Figaro), Fiordiligi (Cosi Fan Tutti), Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus), Marguerite (Faust), and Carrie (Carousel). Beth has also collaborated on the concert stage with Florida Orchestra's acclaimed cellist, Fred Gratta, and Bronx Opera's director Ben Spierman. She has directed numerous shows at the Red Room and Frederick Loewe theaters in NYC, Rousell Hall, Marquette Theater and the UNO Performing Arts Center in NOLA, and led scenes workshops at both NYU and USF.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: SFLO welcomes American soprano, Marina Renée Nuñez as Pierrette in Offenbach's comic one-act "Pierrette and Jacquot". This season, Ms. Nuñez will be performing the role of Elle in Poulenc’s, La Voix Humaine in NYC, and in a film adaptation of the opera with Tirgan Records and Killer Queen Opera. She will be also joining St. Pete Opera and SFLO for their 2023/2024 seasons. Marina was recently a fellow with Opernfest Prague where she performed excerpts from Thäis at the historic Divadlo Vinohradech. Other, recent appearances include her cinematic debut as the title role in the film, "Poppea", an adaptation of Monteverdi’s opera, the world premiere of the opera, "Rendezvous with Bloody Mary", singing the role of the Storyteller, and the Older Sister in the New York premiere of "Who Married Star Husbands" with Four Corners Ensemble at the Polish Consulate General. Ms. Nuñez is an alumna of the Castleton Festival Young Artist program, International Vocal Arts Institute, Bel Canto Institute, and Miami Summer Music Festival. She completed her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Michigan and Master of Music degree from San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: SFLO welcomes American soprano, Marina Renée Nuñez as Pierrette in Offenbach's comic one-act "Pierrette and Jacquot". This season, Ms. Nuñez will be performing the role of Elle in Poulenc’s, "La Voix Humaine" in NYC, and in a film adaptation of the opera with Tirgan Records and Killer Queen Opera. She will also be joining St. Pete Opera and South Florida Lyric Opera for their 2023/2024 seasons. Marina was recently a fellow with Opernfest Prague where she performed excerpts from Thäis at the historic Divadlo Vinohradech. Other, recent appearances include the title role in the film, "Poppea", an adaptation of Monteverdi’s opera, the world premiere of "Rendezvous with Bloody Mary", singing the role of the Storyteller, and the Older Sister in the New York premiere of "Who Married Star Husbands" with Four Corners Ensemble at the Polish Consulate General. Ms. Nuñez is an alumna of the Castleton Festival Young Artist program, International Vocal Arts Institute, Bel Canto Institute, and Miami Summer Music Festival. She completed her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Michigan and Master of Music degree from San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Musical Director Efrain J. Del Pilar began his musical journey as a flutist, winning Puerto Rico’s Instrumental Soloist competition. then performing as soloist at Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Arecibo Band. At age 16, Efraín went on to perform the Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto with the Disney Orchestra. He began cello lessons with prominent composer Nicky Aponte, performing his first complete cello recital only six months later. He graduated with a double major in Music Education and Performance (cello and flute) from the Universidad Interamericana de San German, Puerto Rico and was appointed principal cellist of the Mayagüez Symphony Orchestra. After graduation, he joined the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, while studying privately with Jesus Morales at the Puerto Rico Music Conservatory and with Nilda Betancourt. Efraín relocated to Miami after being invited to join Florida International University’s cello quartet. In 2007, he assumed the role of principal cellist of the Tampa Bay Symphony, under the direction of Maestro Jack Heller. In 2012, Efraín moved to Los Angeles to join the Los Angeles Cello Quartet. Southern Californian appearances include concerts with Whittier Regional Symphony, the Southland Symphony Orchestra (principal), LA Phil sub, ABC Studios, Hollywood Studios Score recordings, and several opera houses, and recitals at universities including University of California Los Angeles and Cal State University Los Angeles, and facilitated master classes of Puerto Rican Danza structure at UCLA. He's thrilled to be back in Tampa to lead the Opera Rara Lecture Series with SFLO.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Lyric tenor Stephen Fee joins the cast of the Offenbach one-act "A Husband at the Door", in the role of Florestan. He is thankful and blessed for the opportunity to share the stage with SFLO again after ten years, last being seen as Alfred in "Die Fledermaus". A St. Pete native and USF graduate, he has spent the last decade raising a family and growing a financial services business. He has kept his performance chops in shape with such notable appearances as Jesus in "Jesus Christ Superstar", Rutledge in "1776", and Gomez in "Addams Family". You can catch him again, flexing his French, in Part 3 of the Opera Rara Lecture Series, "Phryne and La Navarraise", coming Fall 2023. He is grateful to his wife, Amy, for always supporting him and encouraging his creative outlets, and for sharing this passion with him. 143

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Lebanese-American soprano, Jodi Karem, makes her SFLO debut next month as Madam Patacha in Offenbach's comic one-act "Pierrette and Jacquot". Recent appearances include covering the role of Leonore (Fidelio) with St. Pete Opera under the baton of Maestro Sforzini, and the title role of Lady Macbeth with Opera for Earth both in New York City and in Austin, TX for the Neill Cochran House Museum’s Porch Concerts Series. Ms. Karem is a prize winner in the Lyra New York International Vocal Competition, Opera Division and performs extensively throughout the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. Notably, she has performed with Springfield Regional Opera, Long Leaf Opera, Union Avenue Opera, Inter Cities Opera, Florentine Opera, Skylight Opera, Natchez Opera Festival, Center for Contemporary Opera, Armel Opera Festival and Opera Grand Avignon as well as at the Music @ Moccasin Lake festival in Clearwater, FL and Mississippi's Arts Earth festival. 🌎