PHOTO CREDIT ALEX HUDDLESTON

From left: Beth White as ADALGISA (in Norma), Jessie Downs as LUCIA (di Lammermoor), and Helen Lowry as CARMEN.

Join Buffalo’s newest opera company SOTTO VOCE for a celebratory gala evening of operatic scenes, food, and the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement award to local opera legend Frank Scinta on Saturday, October 26, at 6:30 P.M. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo. 

To kick off Sotto Voce’s second season, several of this year's key artists will present a program of staged live performances and cinematic music videos showcasing the our signature multi-media production style. The program will consist of scenes from the operas Madama Butterfly, Suor Angelica, and Il Tabarro by Puccini, Carmen by Bizet, Norma by Bellini, and Herodiade by Massanet; songs by Sandoval, Mahler, and Debussy; and several previews of our upcoming production of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.

The Sotto Voce Award For Lifetime Achievement & Service To The Arts will be presented to Frank Scinta, Founding Co-Director of Opera Sacra, honoring his 40 years of dedication to resourceful and thoughtful operatic productions. The Gala Evening will include a meal, echoing the Italian and French musical selections of the program, with a cash bar and a silent auction.

Funds raised by this event will support Sotto Voce's Lucia di Lammermoor production expenses - including artists’ fees, performance venue costs, production materials, and outreach initiatives. In addition to purchasing a ticket, gala attendees will have the opportunity to further support Sotto Voce by participating in the silent auction or sponsoring a specific aspect of the upcoming production.

Sotto Voce’s mission is to celebrate the power of the human voice, collaborate across artistic disciplines, and present music drama in innovative performance contexts that reimagine familiar stories and bring to life new ones. 

Visit sottovocevocalcollective.com to learn more!

We can not do this work without your support, THANK YOU!

Featuring performances by...

Jessie Downs - Founding Director, soprano (Lucia for Lucia di Lammermoor 2025)

Beth White - Board Member, zwischen (Alisa for Lucia di Lammermoor 2025)

Helen Lowry - mezzo-soprano (Third Lady inThe Magic Flute 2023)

Tim Flynn - bass (Raimondo for Lucia di Lammermoor 2025)

and SPECIAL GUEST TENOR David Freides

also with

Jamie Gangemi - Social Media Coordinator, soprano (The Monitor in Suor Angelica 2024)

Erin Alexander - mezzo-soprano (The Mistress of the Novices in Suor Angelica 2024)

Ky Ver Hoef - baritone (Priest in The Magic Flute 2023)

and support from

Jonathan Vogtle - pianist

Alex Huddleston - Stage and Screen Director

With additional on-screen appearances by:

Beth White - LIVE PREMIERE of Sotto Voce Mahler music video

Ola Rafalo - mezzo-soprano (La Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica 2024)

Jax Hassler - tenor (Edgardo for Lucia di Lammermoor)

Stephen Walley - baritone (Enrico for Lucia di Lammermoor)