About the Guild
Nearly fifty years in service of opera
The Sarasota Opera Guild is an all-volunteer organization devoted to supporting Sarasota Opera through fellowship, education, and fundraising.
Our history
From Fourteen Opera Lovers to a World‑Class Legacy
In the 1970s, opera in Sarasota was performed at the Asolo Theater, now housed at the Ringling Museum of Art. Opera devotees soon realized that an organization to help publicize and raise funds would benefit Asolo Opera, and in 1977 the Asolo Opera Society was formed. That first meeting attracted fourteen people. In 1989, we became the Opera Guild.
Deane Allyn, the Guild’s second president, discovered that the A.B. Edwards Theatre property was for sale while searching for a permanent opera house. Her alarm to then Board Chair Leo Rogers rang true: he sent the down payment with instructions to form a business group to carry the initial mortgage. In 1984, Sarasota Opera opened its first season in the rehabilitated Opera House.
After a major renovation, the house grandly reopened in 2008 under the leadership of Maestro Victor DeRenzi. In 2015–16, Sarasota Opera completed the final season of its 28‑year Verdi Cycle, becoming the only opera company in the world to perform every note of music for performance that Verdi ever wrote. Bravo, Sarasota Opera!
1926–2026
The Edwards Theatre
The Edwards Theatre was the dream of Sarasota County’s native son and early notable mayor, Arthur B. Edwards, who dedicated himself to the proposition that a modern city be built on the shores of Sarasota Bay. The theatre, of Mediterranean Revival style architecture, was designed by Roy A. Benjamin to accommodate the many varieties of entertainment available at the time: silent movies, vaudeville and opera. The best offered by film and stage was featured here, through the last of the “Roaring Twenties” and early thirties, from grand opera to The Ziegfeld Follies.
In December 1936, the name was changed to The Florida Theatre. One of the most popular events held there was the world premiere of Cecil B. DeMille’s The Greatest Show on Earth on January 31, 1952, which had been filmed in Sarasota the previous year. Later, in the mid‑fifties, a rising young singer, Elvis Presley, appeared upon the stage.
The building was purchased by the Sarasota Opera Association in 1979 and underwent a significant renovation in 2008. In 2026, Sarasota Opera celebrates the 100th anniversary of the A.B. Edwards Theatre, now named The Sarasota Opera House.
2026–2027 Season
The season we’re supporting
This season’s promotional artwork was designed by Victoria “Tori” Abramov, a student at the Ringling College of Art and Design, originally from Ukraine.
Explore more
Get to know the Guild
Board of Directors
Meet the volunteers who lead the Guild.
Photo Gallery
Scenes from our luncheons, meetings, and celebrations.
Documents & Newsletters
Printable forms and our monthly newsletter archive.
Membership
Join us, and be a part of Sarasota’s opera.
The Sarasota Opera Guild is part of the Sarasota Opera Association, Inc., a not‑for‑profit, tax‑exempt corporation. Contributions are tax‑deductible (EIN 23‑7089047). Learn more about Sarasota Opera at sarasotaopera.org.