Opera Santa Barbara‘s (OSB) General Director, Steven Sharpe recently revealed that an anonymously donated gift of $5 million was given to the association. The donor requested that the OSB put on one opera per year using the composers Verdi, Rossini, Leoncavallo, Gounod., Wagner, and Puccini‘s work. Sharpe and other boardmembers were thrilled to receive the donation, which will insure that future Santa Barbara generations will be able to enjoy the opera.
The Italian Passions Opera Festival debuted Saturday, February 23 with a showing of Pagliacci and Cavalleria Rusticana. There will be a myriad of other activities during the festival, which runs through Sunday, March 9. Some of the other activities in the festival include wine tours and Italian cooking lessons, the Cinema Classico Italiano Film Series, and pre-opera talks, among many other exciting events. For more information, check out operasb.com or call 898-3890.