Saint Augustine's Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts

St. Augustine’s Romanza Festivale of MUSIC and The Arts returns in 2024 with two weeks of daily events

featuring dozens of concerts, shows, exhibits and much more at locations throughout the city. 

Showcasing productions by dozens of St. Augustine’s talented Arts and Cultural nonprofit organizations.

Most events are FREE!

Schedule:

12:00pm - 4:00pm - Reflections: 100 years of St. Augustine Artists

Bringing together the past and present, this exhibit will feature works from the St. Augustine Art Association’s Permanent Collection along with artwork by today’s artists. Works from the Plein Air Paint Out will also be featured, creating an irresistible artistic tapestry of the nation’s oldest city. An art collector’s delight! The Reflections Exhibit is on display both in-gallery (hours listed below) and online at any time from May 3 - June 2.

Location: St. Augustine Art Association, 22 Marine Street

5:00pm - 9:00pm - First Friday Art Walk

Join the Art Galleries of St. Augustine on the first Friday of every month for First Friday Art Walk from 5 - 9pm. Participating galleries open their doors to offer new art exhibits and receptions to the public making it the perfect time to support local artists or shop for gifts.

Location: St. Augustine Art Association, 22 Marine Street

7:30pm - ACT presents Couples - a Musical

Join us for a delightful musical production celebrating relationships directed by Cliff Parrish!

The fun begins with the first act, from the musical The Apple Tree, This comic look at the relationship troubles facing Adam and Eve is adapted from Mark Twain’s Extracts from Adam’s Diary. We have several ACT favorites for this production, including Jason Whitfield (Lullaby of Broadway, Cox and Box-Penelope Ann’s Revenge), Anna Vera (Silent Sky, Salon de Paris), and Dexter McDaniel (The Immigrant, The Lifespan of a Fact).

Location: The WaterWorks, 184 San Marco Ave

7:30pm - 9:00pm - Lisa Lockhart and Friends present “Duetti Deliziosi”

Delightful Duets from Opera, Operetta, Sacred and Secular Songs, Musical Theatre and More! Our own Lisa Lockhart is producing, directing and performing in her fifth consecutive program for Festivale. Other featured artists are Dirk Gavin McCoy, Emily Heumann and Jack Sumrall III.

Soprano Lisa Lockhart is frequently seen on opera and concert stages locally and throughout the US and abroad. Lisa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Boston Conservatory of Music and is a current Masters degree candidate in Music Performance/Music Education at Columbia University Teachers College. She has been an adjunct vocal professor at Florida State College in Jacksonville since 2021, maintains a thriving private studio and is often called upon to produce and/or musically direct productions, most recently serving as the music director for Annie Jr. at Fort Caroline Middle School for the Performing Arts.

Dirk Gavin McCoy, baritone, is a familiar face on St. Augustine stages, having most recently appeared with First Coast Opera in Copland’s America and The Stranger’s Tale. He has enjoyed singing in several Romanza events including the opera Trouble in Tahiti and the Lullaby of Broadway concert. Mr. McCoy has sung many operatic roles including Marcello in La Boheme, Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Guglielmo in Cosi Fan Tutti and the title role in Gianni Schicci.

Emily Heumann has gained recognition for her “delicious vocals” and “credible” storytelling through her singing. Emily is an alumna of the St. Petersburg Opera Company Emerging Artist Program and holds a Master’s Degree in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Houston and a Bachelor’s degree from Rollins College. Among her many roles across the country, recent highlights include performances as the alto soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas with Capella Nova and alto soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass with the St. Augustine Community Chorus.

Jack G. Sumrall III is an American conductor, tenor, composer and champion of new music. He has studied choral and orchestral conducting at Stetson University and completed his Master’s degree in that field at the University of North Florida. Mr. Sumrall has premiered several works by voice and also by baton and is currently an Academic Advisor at UNF for all music and fine arts students. His music is published by JW Pepper.

The above artists will be joined by Ms. Lockhart’s voice students: Elio Elhajj, who is currently pursuing an AA in Music at FSCJ; Daniel Holt, who is looking forward to working towards a music education degree at UNF; Carol Pearson Stocchi, a jazz lover currently expanding her repertoire into the classics; Ismaeli Rodriguez, who performed in last year’s Festivale and Ethan Walls, a member of the FSCJ Chorale and vocal ensembles.

The program will be accompanied on the piano by Ted Munn who holds a degree from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in sacred music. He has been the Director of Music and Worship at Avondale United Methodist church since 1998 and also serves as the accompanist for Voices of Jacksonville.

Location: Ancient City Baptist Church, 27 Sevilla St

Date: May 3-19, 2024