By Ella Shockley
For FishHawk resident Lois Larsen, her love for classical music extended much farther than just a casual listen or a trip to the local theater. With 10 years of experience under her belt, Larsen founded Sunny Side Opera; through her strong sense of passion and partnership, she is bringing her aspirations to the community to share with artists alike. With its first production this July, The Marriage of Figaro, Sunny Side’s mission is to honor the artist’s vision for their individual craft, blending unique perspectives into a production while creating an affordable opportunity for aspiring opera singers and classical musicians.
Larsen has studied opera since her freshman year of college back in 2013. Navigating her way through this unknown craft, she soon found her passion for this timeless art form. After performing in a dozen productions throughout her undergraduate and graduate career, she had a newfound joy for creating recitals to share small segments of operas with locals. After 10 years of performing, Larsen realized a larger aspiration to include her own artistic vision in the art that she admired dearly.
“I love performing, but I wanted more of a say in the way productions are accomplished, with an emphasis on respecting colleagues’ time and personal artistic visions. Having more control over the production allows me to pour more of my energy and passion into the project as a whole, which hopefully translates into a more successful performance overall,” Larsen said in reference to her inspiration for the creation of Sunny Side Opera.
Sunny Side Opera’s opportunities are specifically created with the artist in mind while considering performers’ time and resources, as well as making sure efforts are mutually beneficial. The goal is for passionate artists to incorporate their visions into their performances with a sense of community. Larsen makes this accessible for aspiring artists all over the area to participate, serving as a local and affordable opera. Sunny Side Opera resides at the Hutchinson Auditorium at Florida College, located at 119 N. Glen Arven Ave. in Temple Terrace.
The Marriage of Figaro is showing on Friday, July 21 at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, July 22 at 5 p.m. Larson hopes this is the beginning of an ongoing, exciting series of performances to the public. Tickets are available to purchase at www.sunnysideopera.com or at the venue day of show.
If you or anyone you know is interested in being involved with Sunny Side Opera, visit www.sunnysideopera.com or reach out at sunnysideopera@gmail.com.
