First Coast Opera

It is the mission of First Coast Opera to serve Northeast Florida with professional opera performances for the education, cultural enhancement, and enjoyment of our communities, combining artistic excellence and the development of local and regional talent.

Tickets available here for An Operatic Feast October 8-9 and Verdi’s La Traviata December 31 & January 2.

St. Augustine, FL — The enjoyment of food and entertainment has long been an important social ritual. The tradition of the roman banquet is often described as a feast for the senses, and was an opportunity for a host to impress his guests not just with the bounty of his larder, but with extravagant entertainment.

First Coast Opera opens the 2021-2022 season in October with A Operatic Feast, A Celebration of Fine Dining and Operatic Excerpts that includes local performing artists Lisa Lockhart, Brittany Fouche, Regina Torres, John Daughtery, and Brandon Smith.

The first offering will take place on Friday, October 8 at Jax Beach Brunch Haus, 610 3rd St S, Jacksonville Beach. Doors open at 6 p.m. and includes dinner, performance and general seating. Cost is $75 per guests.

The second night of the event will take place on Saturday, October 9 at St. Anastasia Catholic Church, 5205 A1A S, St. Augustine. Doors open at 6 p.m. with catered dinner by La Cucina, the performance and general Seating. Tickets are $75 per guest. A VIP option includes a pre-show reception at 5:30 p.m., with an artist Meet and Greet, Preferred Seating, dinner and performance. Tickets are $125 for this special offering.

Composers in the 16th century developed works specifically for their wealthy patron’s feasts. In European cities, restaurants and cafes began to provide music in their establishments for their diners. In his “A Tribute To Vienna With The Philharmonics,” Joseph Joachim cheekily wrote, “a more unintellectual, eating and drinking, dancing and music-loving people do not exist than the good people of Vienna. As long as they can eat gebackene Hendel at the Sperl, or dance in the Augarten, and listen to the immortal Strauss as he stamps and fiddles before the best waltz band in Europe.”

VERDI’S LA TRAVIATA

Plan now to raise a glass to toast La Traviata on New Year’s Eve in Lewis Auditorium at Flagler College. What better way to ring in the new year than with this classic Verdi masterpiece, fully staged with orchestra? Treat yourself, and consider giving the gift of an experience to someone you know. This opera will be offered again on Sunday, January 2. s

TICKETS HERE

ABOUT FIRST COAST OPERA

In January 2000, soprano Barbara Norris and her husband Anthony Fast produced a concert titled An Evening of Opera, leading to the formation of First Coast Opera in St. Augustine. Serving Northeast Florida’s First Coast region, the company began a series of concerts and staged productions of operas and operettas featuring local talent. Since that time, fully staged operas with live orchestras have been produced each year, with guest artists from throughout the United States.