¡La Feria! A Spanish Carnaval at Arizona Opera

More than a quarter million dollars raised at this annual fundraiser.

Phoenix, AZ (March 25, 2019) – Arizona Opera’s 2019 Gala Luncheon, held on Saturday, March 16, at the Omni Montelucia Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, was an overwhelming success. More than 334 patrons attended the event that raised more than $340,000 for the company, an increase of nearly 60 percent over the previous year’s event.

Kate Specter and Craig Bohmler chaired the Spanish carnaval-themed gala luncheon with the support of honorary chairs Billie Jo and Judd Herberger. In recognition of extraordinary support to Arizona Opera, President and General Director Joseph Specter presented Crystal Key Awards to Shoshana and Robert Tancer of Phoenix; Linda Staubitz of Tucson; and the Arizona Spark Commissioning Club, founded by Dr. Judith G. Wolf.

In addition to silent and live auctions, the program included musical performances by Craig Bohmler, recipient of a 2019 Governor’s Arts Award and composer of Riders of the Purple Sage, along with performances by Houston Grand Opera studio alumnus Octavio Moreno, baritone, Scottsdale native Lacy Sauter, soprano, and members of the Marion Roose Pullin Arizona Opera Studio.

About Arizona Opera

Founded in 1971, Arizona Opera elevates the transformative power of storytelling through music. Since its inaugural year, Arizona Opera has produced more than 170 fully-staged operas and concerts. The company’s artistic history is rich with a blend of opera’s traditional repertoire featuring baroque, bel canto, and verismo works, turn-of-the-century masterpieces, operettas, and contemporary operas. On stage, Arizona Opera presents artists of both international stature and emerging talent, and each season balances debut artists, Studio Artists, and the return of favorite performers. In addition to producing five operas each year that perform in both Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona Opera offers in-school touring productions and numerous outreach events for children and adults of all ages. # # #