In late February, actor Timothee Chalamet suggested that no one cares about ballet and opera anymore. That’s definitely not the case in Southwest Florida.
During March, Sarasota Opera staged daily performances of four operas: Carlisle Floyd’s “Susannah,” Giuseppe Verdi’s “Il Trovatore,” Giacomo Puccini’s “La boheme” and Franz Lehar’s “The Merry Widow.”
Gulfshore Opera performed “Masked Moments of Opera” in the Daniels Pavilion and an abbreviated version of George and Ira Gershwin’s “Porgy & Bess” at the Charlotte Performing Arts Center in Punta Gorda and The Norris Center in Naples.
Opera Naples ended its annual Festival Under the Stars opera celebration with a free family community day, with performances of “Stars and Standards: An American Songbook Celebration" showcasing patriotic classics from Berlin, Bernstein, Gershwin and Porter, Puccini’s “Turandot” and Gaetano Donizetti’s “Elixir of Love,” and the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples International Voice Competition.
The festival also included a performance of by Gulfshore Ballet.
Timothee Chalamet notwithstanding, opera is alive and well in Southwest Florida. In fact, Naples and Sarasota are steadfastly becoming bastions of opera that attract attention from opera performers and lovers worldwide.
MORE ON PAVAROTTI VOICE COMPETITION:
During his lifetime, Luciano Pavarotti sponsored a voice competition to foster the career development of promising young opera singers from around the world.
Last year, his widow, Nicoletta Mantovani Pavarotti, and Opera Naples Maestro and Music Director Ramon Tebar resurrected the voice competition in Naples-Fort Myers to advance the same objective.
The competition returned in March to the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University.
Some 430 singers applied for a spot in the competition.
Nineteen were selected. Nine made it to the final round.
While it was scheduled to take place under the stars in Baker Park, rain forced contestants and the audience inside the Sugden-Gomez Pavilion at the last minute.
But neither the rain, hasty change of venue nor the illness of one of the accompanying pianists dampened the spirits of the finalists.
In the tradition of Luciano Pavarotti, they poured their hearts and souls into the two arias they each sang for the audience and a panel of 11 judges.
The Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples International Voice Competition does not award first, second and third place. Instead, it announces equal winners in different voice categories.
Five winners were chosen: two mezzo-sopranos, Grace Ryan and Kara Morgan; a baritone, Byung Jun Ko; and two tenors, Luke Norvell and Victor Cardamone.
Better than cash, each winner will receive a minimum of $10,000 in performance contracts, since aspiring opera stars need work and exposure to further their professional goals.
In that connection, all five will be offered roles by Opera Naples next season. One or more will appear in the Nesita Concert Series at FGCU’s Bauer School of Music and the Arts.
Spotlight on mezzo-soprano Grace Ryan
The first mezzo-soprano was Grace Ryan.
A national award-winning artist originally from Chicago, Ryan is currently pursuing her Master of Music in in Voice Performance at the University of Michigan. During her tenure at Michigan, she has appeared in the roles of Hansel in “Hansel and Gretel,” Dorabella in “Cosi fan tutte,” Cherubino in “Le Nozze di Figaro, Carmen in ‘La Tragedie de Carmen” and Juno/Ino in “Semele.” Among her awards and accolades are the Jessie Walker Memorial Award from the prestigious 2025 Opera Index awards, second place in the Classical Singer National Competition in the Emerging Artist division, first place in the University of Michigan Friends of Opera Competition and Encouragement Award from the Laffont Competition. She was also a 2025 Summer Studio Artist with Florentine Opera.
“To be a part of the Pavarotti competition and to have something representing such a wonderful and legendary opera singer has just been kind of the cherry on top of a really amazing year,” said Ryan following the semi-final round at FGCU. “I'm so honored to be here.”
Upcoming engagements include covering the title role in Berin’s “Fausto” with Opera Neo in its American premiere, followed by singing Cherubino in “Le nozze di Figaro” with Finer Lakes Opera.
“I'm very excited to be a studio artist at some really incredible companies coming up within the next year,” Ryan added. “I'm really excited to gain that real-life professional experience and get to work with some incredible seasoned professionals.”
Opera also enables her to indulge her passion for travel.
“I've been able to go to some incredible places,” Ryan noted. “I love getting to sightsee and do things while I'm in different places. I love being outdoors and going on hikes near the water, which is a huge benefit for this competition being in Fort Myers and Naples."
Ryan’s playlist includes both opera and pop.
“Operatically, my all-time favorites are Cecilia Bartoli, Joyce DiDonato and Denise Graves,” said Ryan. “Non opera, I'm a really big fan of Harry Styles.”
She gave a thoughtful response to Timothee Chalamet’s remark regarding the state of ballet and opera in American culture.
“Obviously, people do care and there are so many people that dedicate their lives to this art and this craft and ballet as well. That being said, I do think there is something to be said about how the arts are not being appreciated in society. A lot of people throughout the world go their whole lives having never been to an opera or never been to a ballet and I think there's so much that newcomers can experience, and the more we can welcome people in that don't know anything about opera or ballet, the better off our industry will be. As artists, the more that we respect each other's crafts, the better.”
Ryan received her undergraduate degrees in Vocal Performance and Music Education at DePaul University in 2024.
Spotlight on mezzo-soprano Kara Morgan
Joining Ryan as a Pavarotti Voice Competition winner in the mezzo-soprano category was Kara Morgan. She brought the audience to its feet with her high range, trills and intricate melodic figures.
So far, Morgan has had mainstage performances at Minnesota Opera, Fargo-Moorehead Opera, Pacific Opera Project and An Opera Theatre; apprenticeships with Merola Opera, Sarasota Opera and Sante Fe Opera; and recognition from the Schubert Club, Opera Tampa D’Angelo Young Artist and Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competitions.
As a resident artist with Minnesota Opera in the 2025/26 season, Morgan returns to the role of Dorabella in “Cosi fan tutte” and debuts as Jane in “My Name is Florence” and Tigrana in “Edgar.” Previous credits include Rosina in “Il barbiere di Siviglia,” Stephano in “Romeo et Juliette,” Isolier in “Le comte Ory,” Anna 1 in “Die seiben Todsunden,” Romeo in ‘I Capuleti e Montecchi,” Mercedes in “Carmen,” Ottone in “Agrippina” and the titular roles in “Hansel and Gretel,” “L’enfant et les sortileges,” “The Rape of Lucretia” and “Dido & Aeneas.”
Ryan doesn’t have a formal playlist. She listens nonstop to whatever role she’s tackling next.
“Otherwise, my favorite indie artist is called flipturn,” she noted. “They're this really cool band that has a bunch of light shows happening during their songs.” [According to “Guitar World,”] flipturn’s music is characterized by its energetic live shows and self-reflective lyrics. The Fernandina Beach, Florida, group draws inspiration from a wide range of influences, including 2010's rock and film scores. The band's discography captures the feeling and sound of an endless summer, making them a favorite among indie rock fans.
While Ryan didn’t appreciate the way Timothee Chalamet couched his remarks about ballet and opera, she concedes that the actor does have a point.
“The way that he said it was not polite, and I did hear that his mom was a ballet instructor, so I'm like, you're kind of insulting your own family, which I did not appreciate,” she said. “But opera is not doing great. We do need more people to come and support us. All the opera houses in the entire country are constantly saying that, constantly trying to get new, younger people in. There's also a lot of barriers, even for people who want to sing, it's sometimes still inaccessible.”
Among the barriers Ryan delineated are the length of opera performances in comparison to the abbreviated attention spans most people have. [In that regard, research indicates that the average amount of time people can focus on a given task has decreased from 2.5 minutes in 2003 to just 47 seconds in recent years. Those studies cite the influence of social media, digital media and the fragmented way people receive and digest information.]
“Even so, opera can still be very captivating, so, I hope people give it a try. In a backhanded way, [Timothee Chalamet is] almost doing opera a favor. He's at least putting it in the spotlight.”
Spotlight on Korean baritone Byung Jun Ko
Also a Pavarotti Voice Competition winner was Byung Jun Ko, a Korean baritone, who is presently based in Germany and appearing throughout this season at the Landestheater Niederbayern in the title role in Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi.” He performs regularly on opera and concert stages throughout Germany, with recent appearances at venues such as Tonhalle Dusseldorf and the Stadthalle Wuppertal.
In the summer of 2025, Jun Ko sang the role of Marcello in Puccini’s ‘La boheme” at the Seoul Arts Center. In May 2025, he appeared as a soloist at the Royal Opera House Muscat in a gala symphony concert conducted by Maestro Placido Domingo.
Jun Ko continues to broaden his repertoire and artistic scope, steadily building an international career across diverse operatic and concert repertoires.
Spotlight on tenor Luke Norvell
Luke Norvell was one of two Pavarotti winners in the tenor category.
The fourth-year resident artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts said merely being included in the Pavarotti Voice Competition meant “a ton. “
“Luciano Pavarotti is one of my favorite tenors of all time; maybe the greatest of all time,” said Norvell. “Just the opportunity to sing for an international panel in the United States is not something that can be done commonly.”
He’s hoping the win will help him “jumpstart” an international opera career.
His repertoire already includes Rodolfo in “La boheme,” the title role in “Faust,” Lensky in “Eugene Onegin,” Alfredo in “La traviata,” Rinucci in “Gianni Schicchi,” Male Chorus in “The Rape of Lucretia” and tenor soloist in Verdi’s “Messa di Requiem." He recently won first place in the Young Patronesses of the Opera at SAS Performing Arts competitions.
Of course, Norvell’s playlist includes a lot of opera. But it also encompasses electronic music.
“I was always fascinated by Bruno Mars growing up just because he not only was a great performer, but he also had an incredible voice,” Norvell said. “Even for a pop singer, just amazing high notes. He can go higher than just about any operatic tenor. So that's something that really impressed me.”
He’s also impressed with Oracle Park in San Francisco where the Giants play.
“I love baseball. One of my goals is to go to all 30 Major League parks,” he said. “But of all the parks I’ve been to, Oracle Park is amazing because if you hit a ball far enough to right field, it'll land in the water. So, it just has the most amazing view of any stadium.”
He has a one-word message for Timothee Chalamet.
“Boo.”
Spotlight on high lyric tenor Victor Cardamone
The fifth Pavarotti Voice Competition winner was Pittsburgh high lyric tenor Victor Cardamone, a graduate of Youngstown State University, the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music and the Adler Fellowship Program at San Francisco Opera.
He had been performing since February at Opera Naples, most recently in Puccini’s “Turandot.”
Cardamone said that just being invited to participate in the competition was a huge honor.
“I'm just thankful to be here,” he said after singing two arias in the semi-final round of the competition. “I’m hoping this will be a springboard for me to go to the places and work at the places where everybody wants to work. I'm not going to say any names or mention any places. I'm sure those listening can fill in the blanks there. But I'm hoping to advance my career, because it's very, very difficult. It's more difficult than people realize, and certainly more difficult than people let on.”
Over the past decade, critics have described his voice as “beautiful,” “bright,” “clear,” “gorgeous,” “heroic,” “ideal,” “lovely,” “powerful,” “strong,” “sweet” and “thrilling.”
Major role credits include Ferrando in “Cosi fan tutte,” Rinuccio in “Gianni Schicchi,” Don Ramiro in “La Cenerentola,” Jenik in “The Bartered Bride,” Don Ottavio in “Don Giovanni,” Count Almaviva in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia,” Rodolfo in ‘La boheme” and Tamino in “Die Zauberflotel The Magic Flute.”
Major cover credits include Ernesto in “Don Pasquale,” Pinkerton in “Madama Butterfly” and Chevalier de la Force in “Dialogues des Carmelites.”
When not singing or studying scores, Cardamone can be found in the kitchen cooking something delicious (“love to cook; I’m a big guy”) or chilling with his favorite feline, a black cat named Bill (“shout out to all the black cats out there”).
Cardamone does not cop to having a playlist, but if he were stranded on a deserted island and could only listen to one song for an indeterminate amount of time, that song would be "Che gelida manina" from “La boheme.”
“Probably my favorite aria, my favorite opera aria,” he said. “It's something that I love to sing and I hope to never grow old of it. I've sung it for a long time, and I hope to sing it for many years to come. Especially the way that Pavarotti sang it, it just like sticks with your soul. It's like etched in my heart and in my soul.”
As for Timothee Chalamet: “Oh, my goodness, Timothee, would you like to trade places? I would love to make millions of dollars doing what you do. Not saying that I could do it better than you, but let's give it a try. I want to see you do what I do and see how it goes. That's all I'm going to say.”
More on the state of the art
To date, Chalamet has issued no apology for or retraction of his comments. But many others have issued rebukes.
"I'm sure you could walk into an opera theater right now, seats would be filled out, and nobody is saying a word as the performance is going because everybody has that much respect for it," said pop star Doja Cat.
His comments were also the brunt of jokes from Conan O’Brien and several presenters during the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, which was, coincidentally, the same night as the Pavarotti Voice Competition finals.
A four-year study ending in 2024 conducted by OPERA America that surveyed more than 11,000 operagoers across 36 opera companies of all sizes and formats across the country found that:
- most new-to-opera attenders initially come for a new “experience,” and they tend to stick to the classics;
- many new-to-opera attenders listen to and watch opera recordings before they attend in person;
- new-to-opera attenders have positive experiences and are eager to recommend opera to others;
- ticket cost prevents audiences from returning more frequently — especially those who are new to opera; and
- new-to-opera attenders who return tend to be more engaged with the performing arts generally.
The report did not quantify the number or percentage of people who patronize opera companies and performances, nor did it offer a universal solution for attracting and retaining new audiences, but it points to numerous avenues for additional analysis and experimentation.
For full disclosure, FGCU holds the broadcast license for WGCU. WGCU is a member-supported service of FGCU.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
