A message from the Executive and Artistic Directors
Welcome to Pensacola Opera’s 38th Anniversary Season — we’re glad you’re here! And by “here”, we mean either seated in the comfort of the Saenger Theatre as a member of our socially distanced audience of 387, watching a livestream of one of our mainstage performances in your own home, enjoying an Al Fresco performance in one of our city’s 90+parks, attending a limited seating recital at the Opera Center, enjoying one of the myriad programs that comprise our growing catalog of online content, or humming along during one of our impromptu performances presented on our new Wenger StageMobile. Wherever “here” is for you, we thank you for making room in your life for Pensacola Opera.
Nothing prepares you for the challenge of weathering a global pandemic like working in opera. Whether in a major metropolitan area or a town of 52,000, the efforts to sustain a vibrant opera company are herculean and never-ending. But it is honorable work. And it is rewarding work. Opera has not survived for 420+ years by accident. As it elevates the emotions of our human condition through the power of music, opera has proven itself to be one of life’s necessities. We are communal by nature, we need to meet as one to experience together the grace and healing which an operatic performance can provide.
As we continue to chart our company through this endless, ever-shifting maze of our current reality, we can only do so with your support. And we need your support now more than ever before. Again, we extend a heartfelt thank you to those of you who were able to sustain us through the donation of your Trovatore ticket purchase. We continue to appreciate your kindness and your genuine care for our company. It has provided us with comfort and courage during these dark months.
We are so very proud of our company, our board, our volunteers, and our community of donors, sponsors, and patrons who continue to provide the support which is essential for our present and our future. As we look forward to celebrating our 40th Anniversary Season in 2023 we do so with the confidence which is strengthened by your generosity, your care, and your humanity.
Welcome and thank you — we’re really glad you’re here.
Chandra McKern
Executive Director
Jerome Shannon
Artistic Director
