On the eve of the three-month anniversary of the June 12 Pulse nightclub shooting in downtown Orlando, Opera Orlando coordinated a one-night-only concert on Sunday, September 11, to benefit six Central Florida organizations, including one that treated the Pulse massacre survivors.
With Apopka native Gabriel Preisser, who now resides in Winter Garden, as the executive and artistic director, Opera Orlando coordinated “One Voice Orlando: A Celebration in Song,” the 80-minute concert that featured music from classic opera and musical theater at the Walt Disney Theater at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Orlando.
“We’ll be almost exactly at three months from the date of the shooting when the concert is held,” Preisser was quoted as saying in a press release about the event. “Over this time, we’ve witnessed a remarkable outpouring of support and generosity for the victims, their families and those directly impacted by this horrific shooting. As I spoke to fellow artists and administrators from around the country, it became clear that our art form had to become a part of this effort to respond to the pain, sadness and confusion caused by the death and injury of so many innocent people. Some great individuals and organizations have stepped forward.”
Money raised from One Voice Orlando will benefit the following organizations that serve a strong presence in the Central Florida community:
- Orlando Regional Medical Center
- The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida
- Proyecto Somos Orlando
- The GLBT Center of Central Florida
- The Interfaith Council of Central Florida
- The Zebra Coalition
Throughout the night, sopranos, mezzo-sopranos, tenors, baritones and ballet dancers performed, as well as chorus members from the following opera companies:
- Opera Naples
- Opera Tampa
- St. Petersburg Opera
- Palm Beach Opera
- Sarasota Opera
- Opera Orlando
- Florida Grand Opera
- First Coast Opera
David Charles Abell was the conductor and Robert Hill was the choreographer. Legendary baritone Sherrill Milnes and News 13 personality Ybeth Bruzual hosted the concert. The Timucua Arts Foundation coordinated the orchestra.
For more details and highlights of the concert, pick up the September 16 edition of The Apopka Chief.
