Romanza: Sposi Cantanti

Coronavirus Update: All events that are part of the Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts have been cancelled in response to the COVID-19 virus outbreak.

Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts presents Sposi Cantanti (the Singing Spouses) in the Festival's opening headliner concert on Friday, May 1, 2020, at Ancient City Baptist Church.

Lisa Lockhart, Soprano and Artistic Director of Sposi Cantanti, brought together this talented group of professional, classically trained singers: three married couples from the world of opera who perform both traditional and original material. Their show, "Love and Marriage: The Bliss and Agonies of the Heart," includes music from a variety of genres, including opera, operetta, art song, musical theater, and more.

The three couples are Shannon Kessler-Dooley (Soprano), John Dooley (Baritone), Olga Perez Flora (Mezzo Soprano), James Flora (Tenor), Dirk Gavin McCoy (Baritone), and Lisa Lockhart (Soprano and Artistic Director).

Two remarkable musicians will join the cast for this Romanza performance. Leila Warren, violinist, is a 5th grader at Ponte Vedra Rawlings Elementary School. She has been studying violin for seven years, currently as a student of Dr. Simon Shiao. She was the youngest finalist in the nine-state Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition and the youngest student to win the Grand Prize at the Brass Ring student competition in Jacksonville.

Michael Clark, keyboard artist, will be the accompanist for this event. He has earned degrees in piano performance from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and The Catholic University of America. Now retired after teaching at colleges in Tennessee and at the Florida School of the Arts, Mr. Clark has continued to serve as a musical director for over 50 productions along with composing, arranging, and recording soundtracks.

Admission: The concert is free.

When: Friday, May 1, 2020, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Where: The Ancient City Baptist Church is located at 27 Sevilla Street in St. Augustine, FL 32084.

Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts

To learn more about the Romanza Festivale 2020 in general and for a rundown of the full two weeks of events, visit here.

For details on Romanza Festivale, its goals, sponsors, organizers, and more, visit the Romanza website here.