Victor DeRenzi, iconic maestro, bringing opera vision to Selby Gardens

Selby Gardens recently announced a signature collaboration with Maestro Victor DeRenzi for its Spring 2027 season.

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DeRenzi, who is internationally recognized for his contributions to opera and Italian culture, brings decades of artistic excellence, visionary leadership, and an enduring cultural legacy to the partnership. Serving as Selby Gardens’ Honorary Curator, he will lend his artistic vision to create a dynamic and inspiring seasonal experience at Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus.

“This collaboration represents an extraordinary opportunity to bring together two powerful sources of inspiration,” DeRenzi said. “Music and gardens both invite us to slow down, observe, and experience beauty in profound ways. I am honored to work with Selby Gardens to create programs that celebrate these shared qualities.”

Selby Gardens and DeRenzi will celebrate the intersection of music, nature, and the arts through innovative programming designed to inspire, educate, and engage visitors of all ages. Guests will experience a unique journey that highlights the ways botanical environments have influenced generations of artists and musicians while celebrating the creativity that flourishes when disciplines come together.

The alliance reinforces Selby Gardens’ Living Museum model, which integrates horticulture, botanical research, education, and the arts to offer immersive experiences for visitors.

“Victor DeRenzi’s artistic vision has enriched our community for decades,” said Jennifer Rominiecki, president and CEO of Selby Gardens. “We are honored to have Maestro as the driving artistic force behind this special interdisciplinary program. … His remarkable legacy and insight will help create an inspiring spring 2027 season that highlights and celebrates the relationship among music, art, and nature.”

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DeRenzi is an acclaimed American and Italian conductor who has built a distinguished reputation as an artistic leader known for musical excellence, educational advocacy, and dedication to broadening access to the performing arts. He is best known as the long-serving Artistic and Music Director of Sarasota Opera, serving in that role for 44 years.

During his Sarasota Opera tenure, DeRenzi transformed the company into one of the nation’s leading opera institutions through his visionary leadership and acclaimed interpretations of the operatic repertoire. Conducting hundreds of performances and championing artistic excellence, he played a pivotal role in establishing Sarasota as a premier cultural destination.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens provides 45 acres of bayfront sanctuaries connecting people with air plants of the world, native nature, and our regional history. The Downtown Sarasota campus on Sarasota Bay is the only botanical garden in the world dedicated to the display and study of epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads and ferns, and other tropical plants. For more information visit selby.org.

Submitted by Nancy Seijas-Kipnis

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Victor DeRenzi, iconic maestro, bringing opera vision to Selby Gardens

Reporting by Special to the Herald-Tribune, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune

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This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 6:45 AM.