Sarasota Opera
Sarasota Opera is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional opera company producing a four-opera Winter Festival and summer film/concert series at the historic 1926 Sarasota Opera House, serving Florida Gulf Coast patrons and operating a national costume and set rental business for peer opera companies and theaters.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersSarasota, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sarasota Opera does
Sarasota Opera Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional opera company headquartered at the historic 1926 Sarasota Opera House in Sarasota, Florida. The organization produces a four-opera Winter Opera Festival (January–March), a Fall Season, and an expanding summer series of HD screenings, classic films, and tribute band concerts, serving a regional patron base across the Florida Gulf Coast. Core operations are anchored in the 1,119-seat William E. Schmidt Opera Theatre and complemented by venue rental spaces, the Steinwachs Artist Residences (30 artist-housing apartments), and one of North America's largest opera costume and set rental libraries (50,000+ costumes across 135 productions), the latter generated significant B2B rental revenue from peer opera companies and theaters nationwide. Underlying infrastructure consists of conventional theater technology — HD film projection, professional lighting and sound, and digital ticketing systems accessed via a free mobile app — with no proprietary AI or software platform of note.
The business model blends earned and contributed revenue across four streams: (1) ticket sales via subscriptions, single tickets, group sales, and the Opera Lovers Weeks package, (2) B2B rental of the Opera House facility and of theatrical sets and costumes, (3) individual and corporate philanthropy including the Opera Club and Legacy Society, and (4) grants and public funding from regional foundations (Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Selby Foundation, Community Foundation, The Patterson Foundation, Manatee Community Foundation) and federal sources (NEA). An artist development pipeline — Youth Opera, Summer Camp, Vocal Academy, Apprentice Artists, and Studio Artists programs — feeds into Principal Artist engagements. Customer segments are diversified across individual opera patrons, students and young artists, corporate/private event clients, peer opera companies and theaters, and the general public. Recent material developments include the December 2025 departure of longtime Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi after 44 years, the 2026 centennial of the Opera House, and ongoing execution of a $40 million Comprehensive Campaign launched in 2019.
Sarasota Opera firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sarasota Opera
- Legal name
- Sarasota Opera Association, Inc.
- Website
- https://sarasotaopera.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Sarasota Opera is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional opera company producing a four-opera Winter Festival and summer film/concert series at the historic 1926 Sarasota Opera House, serving Florida Gulf Coast patrons and operating a national costume and set rental business for peer opera companies and theaters.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sarasota Opera industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts / Opera Production
- NAICS
- Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Opera & Operetta (MPAGABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)
Keywords
Where Sarasota Opera is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sarasota
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sarasota Opera business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from single tickets, subscriptions, and group sales for opera performances, concerts, and special events including classic movies, HD screenings, and tribute band concerts
- Venue and Production Rentals: Rental income from the Sarasota Opera House facilities including the William E. Schmidt Opera Theatre, grand atrium, courtyards, and meeting spaces. Also includes rental of theatrical sets and costumes to other opera companies
- Individual and Corporate Giving: Philanthropic contributions from individuals including the Opera Club, Legacy Society planned giving, and corporate/foundation support through sponsorship and partnership programs
- Grants and Public Funding: Government and foundation grants supporting operations, education outreach, and capital projects such as the NEA grant for Susannah production and Selby Foundation grants for piano purchases
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Season Subscriptions - 4 operas per season |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Single Performance Tickets |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Salute to the Stars Luncheon - Patron Level |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Salute to the Stars Luncheon - Standard Level |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Student Tickets |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Group Sales |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Sarasota Opera product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sarasota Opera Association, Inc. is a non-profit professional opera company producing live mainstage opera performances during its annual Winter Opera Festival and Fall Season at the historic 1,119-seat Sarasota Opera House. Beyond productions, it operates a full ecosystem of education and training programs (Youth Opera, Summer Camp, Vocal Academy, Studio and Apprentice Artist programs), rents its venue and one of North America's largest costume and set collections to other companies, and runs ancillary programming including summer film screenings and tribute band concerts.
Product overview
Sarasota Opera is a performing arts organization offering a comprehensive portfolio centered on live opera productions. The core offering consists of mainstage opera performances during Winter Opera Festival (January-March) and Fall Season, complemented by extensive education programs including Sarasota Youth Opera, Summer Camp, Vocal Academy, and professional development through Apprentice and Studio Artists programs. The company provides venue rental services for its historic Sarasota Opera House (1,119-seat William E. Schmidt Opera Theatre) and adjoining event spaces. Additional revenue streams include one of North America's largest costume rental collections (50,000+ costumes), set rentals for various productions, Steinwachs Artist Residences for visiting artists, and patron-facing digital services including a mobile app and podcast. Summer programming features film series (Classic Movies and HD screenings) and tribute band concerts. The company serves opera enthusiasts through subscriptions, group sales, and Opera Lovers Weeks packages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sarasota Youth Opera: Youth opera education and performance program
- DaCapo Society
- Steinwachs Artist Residences
Products and services
- Live Opera Performances (Winter Opera Festival and Fall Season) Mainstage opera productions presented during the annual Winter Opera Festival (January-March) and Fall Season, featuring classic and contemporary opera repertoire performed by professional singers and orchestra in the 1,119-seat William E. Schmidt Opera Theatre.
- Sarasota Youth Opera Program
- Summer Opera Camp
- Sarasota Opera Vocal Academy
- Studio Artists Program
- Apprentice Artists Program
- Venue Rental Services
- Costume Rental
- Set Rental
- Steinwachs Artist Residences
- Sarasota Opera App
- Summer Series (Classic Movies at the Opera House, HD at the Opera House, Classic Tribute Bands)
- Opera Lovers Weeks Package allowing opera enthusiasts to attend all four operas of the Winter Opera Festival over 3-4 days (e.g., March 3-14, 2027) with a 10% savings on tickets.
- Behind the Blue Curtain / At Home Podcast
Companies that use Sarasota Opera
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Sarasota Opera technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Sarasota Opera partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Floridacentral Credit Unionminor2026 App Sponsor for the Sarasota Opera mobile application
- The BayminorPartnership for Opera at the Bay outdoor screening events, bringing opera performances to The Bay location in April and May 2025 and 2026
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Sarasota Opera competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pittsburgh Opera: Mid-size U.S. regional opera company producing a multi-opera season with comparable repertoire mix, artist development programs, and reliance on contributed income. Closely comparable in budget scale and operational scope.
- Nashville Opera: Tennessee-based regional opera company presenting a mainstage season of comparable scope, with parallel education and community programs. Similar mix of ticket revenue and contributed income.
- Palm Beach Opera: Florida-based regional opera company producing a mainstage season with similar scope and patron demographics. Comparable in scale, programming model, and reliance on subscriptions and contributed income.
- Michigan Opera Theatre: Detroit-based regional opera company with comparable season structure, education/outreach programs, and patron-base profile. Useful comparable for understanding ticket, subscription, and earned-income economics.
- Florida Grand Opera: Miami-based regional opera company producing a multi-opera season with comparable repertoire and audience size. Already a documented customer of Sarasota Opera's costume rental business, making it both a peer and a B2B counterparty.
- Opera Tampa: Tampa-based regional opera company presenting mainstage productions in the same Florida market. Also a documented customer of Sarasota Opera's costume rentals, sharing operational scale and repertoire overlap.
- Kentucky Opera: Louisville-based regional opera company with similar season structure and production scale. A documented customer of Sarasota Opera's costume rentals, reinforcing direct operational comparability.
Broad incumbents
- Santa Fe Opera: Nationally prominent U.S. opera company operating on a larger scale and with stronger international brand recognition. Comparable in repertoire ambition but with a substantially bigger budget, endowment, and summer-festival model.
- Lyric Opera of Chicago: One of the largest U.S. opera companies with a significantly larger budget, endowment, and season scope. Useful benchmark for production scale, fundraising capacity, and artist-tier economics.
- The Metropolitan Opera: The largest U.S. opera company, operating a full season at Lincoln Center and globally distributed via The Met: Live in HD. Sets the ceiling for production scale, brand reach, and digital distribution — relevant context for Sarasota's HD programming ambitions.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sarasota Opera social profiles
Digital presenceSarasota Opera financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sarasota Opera leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Sarasota Opera funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sarasota Opera M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sarasota Opera
What does Sarasota Opera do?
Sarasota Opera Association, Inc. is a non-profit professional opera company producing live mainstage opera performances during its annual Winter Opera Festival and Fall Season at the historic 1,119-seat Sarasota Opera House. Beyond productions, it operates a full ecosystem of education and training programs (Youth Opera, Summer Camp, Vocal Academy, Studio and Apprentice Artist programs), rents its venue and one of North America's largest costume and set collections to other companies, and runs ancillary programming including summer film screenings and tribute band concerts.
Is Sarasota Opera a public or private company?
Sarasota Opera is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sarasota Opera founded?
Sarasota Opera was founded in -1. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Sarasota Opera based?
Sarasota Opera is headquartered in Sarasota, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sarasota Opera make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are venue and Production Rentals, individual and Corporate Giving and grants and Public Funding.
Who are Sarasota Opera's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pittsburgh Opera, Nashville Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Florida Grand Opera, Opera Tampa and Kentucky Opera. Broad incumbents are Santa Fe Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and The Metropolitan Opera.
Does Sarasota Opera have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sarasota Opera.
What industry is Sarasota Opera in?
Sarasota Opera's product category is Performing Arts / Opera Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAF, Opera & Operetta, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAB, Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music). Its NAICS code is 71111.