On Saturday, October 11, 2025, Sotto Voce, Buffalo’s Newest Opera Company, will
present a Gala Evening of operatic scenes and original short films paired with themed
food offerings, at 7pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo. Proceeds from the
event will support Sotto Voce’s March 2026 production of Cavalleria Rusticana.
To kick off Sotto Voce’s third season, new and returning vocal artists will perform
excerpts from a variety of operas – sung in German, Italian, and French – and be
featured in original short films in English by Director Alex Huddleston. Sotto Voce will
present the “Shining Light of Music Award” to Opera-Lytes, accepted by Artistic Director
Lisa Berglund, celebrating the organization’s 30 year legacy of bringing operetta to
Buffalo.
The 2025 Gala Performances will highlight the lighter side of opera, with staged
excerpts from Mozart’s Entführung aus dem Serail and Don Giovanni, Bizet’s Carmen,
and a special “toast” to Opera-Lytes from Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus. The video
components of the program will serve as playful segues between comedic musical
numbers. Previews of Sotto Voce’s upcoming production of Mascagni’s Cavalleria
Rusticana and the August 2026 production of Beethoven’s Fidelio will also be shared.
Gala Tickets are $50. Before and after the Gala Performances, food offerings echoing
the indulgent gaiety of the evening will be provided, with Cash Bar available. On the
Gala Evening, attendees will be encouraged with additional opportunities to support the
2025-26 season, including Silent Auction, donations, sponsorships and underwriting for
specific production elements. Funds raised will support artists’ fees, film & stage
production materials, and outreach.
Sotto Voce is a collectively run opera company based in Buffalo, NY. 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. Its repertoire
consists of both canonical and new dramatic vocal works, and its performances feature
both regional and national talent.
# CONTACT: Jessie Downs [email protected] 862-219-8705