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NAPLES, FL (February 17, 2026) – Opera Naples will host a press conference in advance of the 2026 Festival Under the Stars on Tuesday, March 10 at 10am in Baker Park, located at 50 Riverside Circle, Naples, FL 34102. The press conference will feature key festival representatives, including Opera Naples Executive Director Melanie Kalnins and Artistic and Music Director Ramón Tebar. Members of the media are encouraged to RSVP for the event at ralbaugh@operanaples.org or by calling 239-844-SING.
2026 OPERA NAPLES FESTIVAL UNDER THE STARS
Wang Opera Center, Baker Park, Florida Gulf Coast University and Moorings Presbyterian Church, February 13 to April 7
Opera Naples Artistic and Music Director Ramón Tebar leads the festival’s musical activities, conducting the Naples Festival Orchestra, which includes several musicians from the nation’s most prestigious opera and symphonic organizations, including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Nashville Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Houston Ballet Orchestra, Hans Zimmer Live/Touring Orchestra and San Francisco Opera Orchestra, including the San Francisco Opera Orchestra’s concertmaster. The festival is notable for being the only outdoor winter opera festival in the United States. Festivalgoers will enjoy three operas featuring internationally renowned artists, special concerts featuring the Opera Naples Chorus and Resident Artists, the second Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples International Voice Competition, a performance of Don Quixote by the Gulfshore Ballet and an intimate recital featuring mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey with Ramón Tebar on piano. Tickets: Reserved Seating $38-$157. VIP Tables start at $390, including access to a VIP reception from 6-7pm.
Feb 13 | Voices of Triumph: A Celebration of the Opera Chorus, 7pm, Wang Opera Center
Feb 21 | Scalia/Ginsburg by Derrick Wang, 7pm, Wang Opera Center
Feb 22 | Scalia/Ginsburg by Derrick Wang, 2pm, Wang Opera Center
Feb 28 | Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus with Gulfshore Ballet, 6:30pm, Wang Opera Center
March 7 | Family & Community Day, 10am, Baker Park (Free; no tickets required)
March 7 | Stars and Standards: An American Songbook Celebration, 7pm, Wang Opera Center
March 11 | Turandot by Giacomo Puccini, 7pm, Baker Park
March 12 | The Elixir of Love by Gaetano Donizetti, 7pm, Baker Park
March 13 | Turandot by Giacomo Puccini, 7pm, Baker Park
March 14 | Semifinal Round of the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples International Voice Competition, 1pm, FGCU’s Bower School of Music & the Arts
March 14 | The Elixir of Love by Gaetano Donizetti, 7pm, Baker Park
March 15 | Final Round of the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples International Voice Competition, 7pm, Baker Park
April 7 | An Evening with Opera Star Samantha Hankey with Ramón Tebar on piano, 7pm, Moorings Presbyterian Church
Voices of Triumph: A Celebration of the Opera Chorus
Join the Opera Naples Chorus and Resident Artists for an unforgettable evening celebrating the power and beauty of the human voice with famous opera choruses. Featuring highly recognizable repertoire with selections from popular works such as Carmen and La Traviata, this uplifting program showcases timeless works that have inspired audiences for generations. Experience the rich harmonies that only a full chorus can deliver.
Scalia/Ginsburg by Derrick Wang
Scalia/Ginsburg is a witty and heartfelt comic opera that brings Supreme Court justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg to life in a powerful musical dialogue about law, friendship and the Constitution. Blending operatic drama with sharp legal humor, this unique production celebrates the unlikely bond between two ideological opposites united by mutual respect. The composer Derrick Wang will also be in attendance at the Toast to Opera event on February 19 to provide more insight into his opera. More details about Toast to Opera events are included below.
Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus, performed by Gulfshore Ballet
Don Quixote is a three-act ballet based on Miguel de Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote de la Mancha, featuring choreography by Iliana Lopez and Franklin Gamero after Marius Petipa and music by Ludwig Minkus. Gulfshore Ballet presents a ballet renowned for its Spanish theme and Spanish-inspired melodies. Join us for an unforgettable evening of bold adventure and fiery spirit!
FREE Family & Community Day!
This event features activities and special performances for the whole family. A children’s-themed opera performance presented by the Opera Naples Resident Artists, plus fun activities and games, bounce house, face painting and balloon artistry. Admission is free; no tickets required.
Stars and Standards: An American Songbook Celebration
Step into an evening of timeless tunes as Opera Naples brings iconic melodies to life, featuring beloved classics from composers such as Berlin, Bernstein, Gershwin and Porter. It’s a night of nostalgia, charm and pure American musical magic.
Turandot by Giacomo Puccini
Puccini’s Turandot is a grand and emotionally charged opera set in ancient China, where a cold-hearted princess challenges suitors with deadly riddles. Featuring the iconic aria “Nessun dorma,” this visually stunning production delivers a powerful blend of passion, mystery and unforgettable music. Sung in Italian with English supertitles.
The Elixir of Love by Gaetano Donizetti
Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love is a charming romantic comedy filled with playful twists, heartfelt melodies and irresistible humor. When a lovestruck young man tries to win the heart of his beloved with the help of a “magic” potion, chaos and laughter ensue. This delightful opera sparkles with warmth, wit and timeless appeal. Sung in Italian with English supertitles.
Semifinal Round (at FGCU) and Final Round (at Baker Park) of the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples International Voice Competition
The second Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples International Voice Competition, presented by Opera Naples in partnership with the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation and The Bower School of Music & the Arts at Florida Gulf Coast University, continues to take the opera world by storm bringing together talented up-and-coming singers from around the world to compete for coveted contracts with top opera houses. Get ready to be awestruck by astonishingly virtuosic voices from across the globe.
An Evening with Opera Star Samantha Hankey with Ramón Tebar on piano
A much sought after recitalist who has been praised by the Financial Times for her “much elegance and youthful tone,” Hankey has enjoyed a rapidly rising career with appearances at The Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, Royal Opera House, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center, among other premier performance halls around the world. Hankey will be joined for this performance by Opera Naples Artistic and Music Director Ramón Tebar at the piano.
VIP tickets: $250, GA tickets: $50.
Ticket availability varies by event. For tickets, please visit OperaNaples.org.
Millennium Club and members may purchase tickets with Concierge Ticketing by calling Rita Albaugh at 239-844-SING or emailing ralbaugh@operanaples.org.
Opera Naples is grateful for sponsorship support from Larry and Louise Ost, Jan Burrus, Sally Gleason, John and Nicoletta Pepe, Melody Sawyer Richardson, Cindy Stegemann, Susan Gibbons, Elizabeth Harrington, Kathleen Field Orr and Roy Beck, Steve and Kathy Nichols, Bruce and Lois Selfon, Ronald C. Smith, Ice Miller, PNC Private Bank, Freeman’s, Bentley Naples, Ciccarelli Advisory Services, FineMark National Bank & Trust, Florida Trust Wealth Management, Peacock + Lewis Architects and Planners, Stock Development, Luciano Pavarotti Foundation, Gulfshore Life, The Naples Press, Naples Daily News, Gulfshore Ballet, Winfield Coffee, The House of Turk & Turk, Driftwood Garden Center, City of Naples, National Endowment for the Arts, Florida Theatrical Association and the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau, Florida’s Paradise Coast.
Opera Naples is an artistic powerhouse, dedicated to presenting high-quality opera productions and concerts featuring prominent international, national and regional performers and directors. Opera Naples has presented well-known grand operas such as La bohème, Carmen, Faust, La Traviata, Madama Butterfly, Rigoletto, Tosca and more. An advocate of community service and education outreach, Opera Naples introduces opera to thousands of children each year through various programs, including in-school programs and performances in Collier and Lee counties, the Resident Artists Program and Summer Youth Program. The company is also committed to nurturing promising young talent through the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples Academy led by a faculty of prominent opera luminaries who offer an immersive program of vocal instruction, lectures and masterclasses. In collaboration with the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation, Opera Naples also hosts an International Voice Competition, in partnership with Florida Gulf Coast University. The company has earned local, regional and state government support. For more information, visit OperaNaples.org.
Opera Naples, Inc. • 2408 Linwood Avenue • Naples, FL 34112 • 239.844.SING • OperaNaples.org