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{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Florentine Opera
| image = Florentine Opera Company Logo.png
| caption =
| image_size = 150px
| background = classical_ensemble
| alias =
| origin = [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin]], United States
| genre = [[Opera]]
| occupation = [[Opera|Opera company]]
| years_active = 1933–''present''
| label =
| associated_acts = [[Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra]]
| website = [http://www.florentineopera.org florentineopera.org]
| current_members =
}}
The '''Florentine Opera Company''' is one of [[Wisconsin]]'s oldest professional performing arts centers and the sixth-oldest [[opera]] company in the United States. The company presents three to five staged productions per season largely from the [[List of famous operas|standard operatic repertoire]]. The fabulous larger than life Opera productions take place at the [[Marcus Center]] in downtown [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Pawlyszyn|first=Melanie|title=Florentine Opera Company celebrates National Opera Week in Milwaukee|url=http://thewarrior.org/2010/11/10/florentine-opera-company-celebrates-national-opera-week-in-milwaukee/|work=Newspaper|publisher=The Warrior Periodical|access-date=February 6, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303170733/http://thewarrior.org/2010/11/10/florentine-opera-company-celebrates-national-opera-week-in-milwaukee/|archive-date=March 3, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
==History==
The Florentine Opera was founded in 1933 by John-David Anello. At that time, the group was called the Italian Opera Chorus, and it met at the Jackson Street Social Center. In 1942, the group became The Florentine Opera Chorus, remaining under the direction of John D. Anello. He explained that the change in name "was to honor the birthplace of opera as we know it. The craft originated in the Italian city of Florence, which has been known as a bustling center for the arts for many centuries." By this time, the chorus had grown to a group of 100 members of many nationalities, with a waiting list of over 100 more. In the program of the first "Opera Album" after the name change is written the Florentine Opera Chorus motto: "If our song has stopped one heart from aching, we have not lived in vain."
In 1950, the Florentine Opera Chorus extended its efforts from operatic choral performances to the production of complete operas and the company became a private venture, changing its name one final time to the Florentine Opera Company.
Notable performers at the Florentine Opera include James Courtney, Gilda Cruz-Romano, [[Plácido Domingo]], Dale Duesing, Marisa Galvany, Anthony Dean Griffey, Jerome Hines, Kristjan Johannsson, Spiro Malas, Adriana Maliponte, James McCracken, Morely Meredith, [[Sherrill Milnes]], Carol Neblett, Jan Peerce, [[Samuel Ramey]] and Beverly Sills. ▼
Over the past decade, the Florentine Opera has premiered several new American operas. It produced the American premiere of [[Lowell Liebermann]]'s opera [[The Picture of Dorian Gray (opera)|The Picture of Dorian Gray]] in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|last=Oestrich|first=James|title=OPERA REVIEW; Wilde With Shades Of Mahler and Strauss|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/08/arts/opera-review-wilde-with-shades-of-mahler-and-strauss.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|work=Theater Review|publisher=New York Times|access-date=February 6, 2012}}</ref> In 2009, the Florentine presented Robert Aldridge and Herschel Garfein's [[Elmer Gantry (opera)|Elmer Gantry]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Schuyler|first=David|title=Florentine's 'Elmer Gantry' garners three Grammy nominations with two subsequent Grammy Awards|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2011/12/02/florentines-elmer-gantry-garners.html|work=Online Article|publisher=Biz Journals|access-date=February 6, 2012}}</ref> A world premiere of [[Don Davis (composer)|Don Davis]]' Spanish language ''[[Río de Sangre]]'' opened in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|last=Reinardy|first=Kathryn|title=Florentine Opera presents Free "Rio de Sangre" Opera Insights|url=http://www.wauwatosanow.com/userstoriessubmitted/103714969.html|work=Opera Preview|publisher=wauwatosanow|access-date=February 6, 2012}}</ref> Another Aldridge opera, [[Sister Carrie (opera)|''Sister Carrie'']], premiered in 2016.
==Legacy==
Maggey Oplinger serves as the General Director and CEO of the Florentine, as of 2019. William Florescu was General Director from 2005 to 2018.
Francesco Milioto was named Artistic Advisor in 2019 and Music Director in 2023. Joseph Rescigno was the Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, having served from 1981-2018.
Benjamin Rivera was appointed Chorus Master in 2019. Scott Stewart was the Chorus Master and Associate Conductor from 1978-2019. The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra serves as the orchestra in performances for the Florentine Opera.
==Notable performers==
▲Notable performers at the Florentine Opera
==Associations and funding==
==External link==▼
The Florentine Opera is a charter member organization of the United Performing Arts Fund and receives funds from the city of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, the state of Wisconsin, corporations such as the [[Target Corporation]], patrons and foundations such as the [[Bradley Foundation]], and individuals.<ref>{{cite web|title=Florentine Opera Sponsors|url=http://www.florentineopera.org/support/sponsorship_opportunities.html|work=list of funders|publisher=Florentine Opera Company|access-date=February 6, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Bradley Foundation Grants|url=http://www.bradleyfdn.org/pdfs/Grants2010/10BradleyLegacy.pdf|work=List of donations|publisher=The Bradley Foundation|access-date=February 6, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111119102914/http://www.bradleyfdn.org/pdfs/Grants2010/10BradleyLegacy.pdf|archive-date=November 19, 2011}}</ref> The Florentine Opera Company is a member of Opera America.<ref>{{cite web|title=Opera America Membership list|url=http://www.operaamerica.org/applications/membership/company.aspx?loc=3089|work=Membership list|publisher=Opera America|access-date=February 6, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507201521/http://www.operaamerica.org/applications/membership/company.aspx?loc=3089|archive-date=May 7, 2012}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
* [http://www.florentineopera.org Florentine Opera website]
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Opera companies]] [[Category:Milwaukee]]▼
[[Category:Musical groups from Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1933]]
[[Category:American opera companies]]
[[Category:Performing arts in Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Performing groups established in 1933]]
[[Category:1933 establishments in Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Milwaukee]]
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