The Palmetto Opera

06/01/2026

Come hear the beautiful voices of Taylor Johnson and Dr. Johnnie Felder accompanied by pianist Blade Boulware this Thursday at Villa Tronco!

Opera Thursday was created to entertain lifelong aficionados and introduce new listeners to the beauty of opera. Join The Palmetto Opera each month at Villa Tronco for an unforgettable evening of fine dining, lively company, and captivating performances of arias and Broadway favorites by Midlands-area opera singers.

Dinner begins at 6:00 PM.
The performance starts at 7:00 PM.
Reservations are required.

To make a reservation, please call the restaurant at 803-256-7677. See you there!

at Villa Tronco Italian Restaurant featuring Taylor Johnson, soprano and Dr. Johnnie Felder, tenor with Blade Boulware, pianistJoin The Palmetto Opera on June 4thfeaturingTaylor Johnson, soprano and Dr. Johnnie Felder, tenorwithBlade Boulware, pianistIf you wish to reserve a table for June 4th, plea...

05/05/2026

It’s Midlands Gives!

We invite you to join The Palmetto Opera again this year to help us reach our goal. We are proud to announce that we still have $1800 available in matching funds. That means your gift through Midlands Gives can be doubled!

Over the past 20 years, The Palmetto Opera has become a valuable stakeholder in bringing consistent high-quality opera performances to South Carolina.

Your generosity will ensure that we can continue:

-serving over 1,000 members of the arts community every year through a main stage opera production. This upcoming year is Don Giovanni!

-monthly concerts with Opera Thursday at Villa Tronco Italian Restaurant and other Columbia businesses.

-building meaningful relationships with public schools in South Carolina through Opera is Awesome!

We provide continuous performance opportunities for local classical singers and boost opera’s presence in South Carolina. Small or large, your contribution today will help make a difference in your arts community now.

Thank you for being a part of our opera community and for thinking of The Palmetto Opera when giving to your favorite organizations today!

03/03/2026

Join The Palmetto Opera each month at Villa Tronco for an unforgettable evening of fine dining, lively company, and captivating performances of arias and Broadway favorites by Midlands-area opera singers!

This Thursday:
Katie Gatch, soprano
Grant Ebert, baritone
with pianist, Catherine Black

Reserve your table today by calling the restaurant 803-256-7677.

at Villa Tronco Italian Restaurant featuring Katie Gatch, soprano and Grant Ebert, baritone with pianist, Catherine Black. Learn more about the performers Katie Gatch, soprano, is from Lexington, SC and the the Director of Choirs and Music Department Chair at Cardinal Newman School Ms. Gatch is a si...

01/24/2026

‼️Two-hour delay for Sunday’s performance, final update‼️

Thank you all for your patience as we have continued to carefully monitor weather conditions. After thorough review, The Palmetto Opera has decided to perform Carmen at 5:00 PM on Sunday, putting in place a two-hour delay.

This decision reflects our commitment to presenting Carmen at the highest artistic and production standards. Adjustments in performance would have been necessary for any alternative date.

To enhance your arrival experience, free valet parking will be available for all guests starting at 3:30 pm in the traffic circle of the USC School of Music 813 Assembly Street Columbia, SC 29201. The Will Call desk will be open beginning at 4:00 pm in the Koger Center lobby. Tickets will be available at the desk for purchase.

We appreciate your flexibility and understanding throughout this process. Please help us spread the word. As always, thank you for your continued support. We look forward to welcoming you to a memorable 25th Anniversary performance.

01/23/2026

Final update scheduled tomorrow at 12:00 pm.

Thank you for your patience as The Palmetto Opera continues to carefully evaluate weather conditions. We are taking a thoughtful and measured approach to ensure we have the most accurate information before making any final decisions.

As shared previously, our goal is always to present the performance as planned whenever possible. At the same time, the safety, comfort, and overall experience of our patrons, musicians, staff, volunteers, and community remain our highest priorities.

At this time, Carmen is still scheduled to take place on Sunday as planned. Should weather conditions necessitate an adjustment, our alternate option would be to move the performance to Monday, January 26 at 7:00 PM.

To allow adequate time to review the latest forecasts and make the most informed decision possible, a final announcement will be made by 12:00 PM on Saturday, January 24, confirming whether the performance will proceed on Sunday or move to Monday evening.

Updates will be shared via email, on our website, and across our social media channels. We encourage patrons to subscribe to our email list and continue checking our website and social media for the latest information.

We thank you again for your flexibility and understanding. We truly appreciate your continued support and look forward to sharing a memorable 25th Anniversary performance with you.

01/22/2026

‼️Carmen is still on this Sunday, but weather watch is ongoing‼️

The Palmetto Opera is monitoring weather conditions very closely as we approach this weekend's performance of Carmen.

If at all possible, the show must go on.
Also, the safety and experience of our patrons, musicians, staff, volunteers and many more is important to us.

We are planning to provide an official announcement by Friday, 1/23 end of day as to whether we will need to reschedule or carry on with the performance as scheduled on Sunday. Stay tuned!

Updates will be shared by email, on our social media channels, and on our website. We encourage you to subscribe to our email list, check your email, and follow along for the latest information.

Thank you for your flexibility and understanding.
We truly appreciate your support and look forward to sharing a wonderful 25th Anniversary performance with you.

01/16/2026

Next up on our artist introductions, we’re thrilled to shine a spotlight on homegrown South Carolina talent as we introduce Le Remendado!

“As a traveling artist, it’s always so gratifying to come back to the Palmetto State and do what I love. South Carolina raised me, taught me, and allowed me to become the artist I am today.”

American tenor Seth Younglove is a born-and-raised South Carolinian, and we’re especially proud to welcome him back to the Koger Center stage in Carmen. Seth earned his BA in Music (Vocal Performance) and Theatre (Performance) from the College of Charleston, where he continued his artistic growth as an Artist in Residence with the School of Music.

Seth was recently selected as an Emerging Artist for the Seagle Festival’s 2025 season, where he appeared as Billy Crocker (Anything Goes), Don José (cover) (Carmen), and Beckmann/Henry (Mayo Buckner). This marks his second collaboration with Teatro Lirico D’Europa, following his performance as Spoletta in Tosca during their 2025 season.

Recent highlights include Remendado (Carmen) with Charleston Opera Theater, Normanno (Lucia di Lammermoor) with Gulfshore Opera, Rodolfo (La Bohème) (cover), and leading roles such as Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Hoffmann (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), and Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus) with the College of Charleston Opera.

📅 Carmen | January 25, 2026 | 3:00 PM
📍 Koger Center for the Arts | Columbia, SC
🎟️ Tickets: www.kogercenterforthearts.com
| www.palmettooperasc.org/tickets

01/15/2026

Next up on our artist introductions, we’re excited to spotlight Le Dancaïre!

Versatile baritone John Tibbetts brings commanding presence and a richly resonant voice to the stage. Praised for his “unexpectedly rich voice” and “reverberating tones” (Palm Beach Post), John is a dynamic performer and the current Artistic Director of Amelia Island Opera, where he recently appeared as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly and in the title role of Rossini’s Il Signor Bruschino.

In 2024, John made his Opera Tampa debut as Masetto in Don Giovanni, a role he has also performed with Gulfshore Opera. His symphonic and concert work includes appearances as a soloist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, as well as performances of Britten’s War Requiem and Orff’s Carmina Burana with the American Festival Orchestra and Utah Festival Opera.

Internationally, John debuted as Adam in Edwin Huizinga’s film Angel with Toronto’s Opera Atelier. Additional highlights include Ping in Turandot with Opera Grand Rapids and Le Dancaïre in Carmen with the Richmond Symphony alongside Denyce Graves. A former Benenson Young Artist with Palm Beach Opera, he was lauded for his “adept, well-characterized performance” as Fiorello in Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

John has also performed with Cincinnati Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Sarasota Opera, Kentucky Opera, Opera Saratoga, Virginia Opera, and Hawaii Performing Arts Festival. He holds a Master’s degree in Voice from the Cincinnati College–Conservatory of Music.

We’re thrilled to welcome John Tibbetts to Palmetto Opera as Le Dancaïre in Carmen!

📅 Carmen | January 25, 2026 | 3:00 PM
📍 Koger Center for the Arts | Columbia, SC
🎟️ Tickets: www.kogercenterforthearts.com
| www.palmettooperasc.org/tickets

Check back soon to meet more of the Carmen cast!

01/14/2026

Next up on our artist introductions, we’re thrilled to spotlight our Frasquita!

New York/Boston–based soprano Stephanie Foster brings sparkling musicianship, versatility, and charisma to the stage. A multifaceted performer and dedicated educator, Stephanie has quickly built a vibrant career across opera, musical theater, concert, and recital stages in both the U.S. and Europe.

Stephanie holds a master’s degree and Performance Certificate from the Manhattan School of Music, with undergraduate studies completed at Connecticut College. Her recent operatic credits include Frasquita (Carmen), Musetta (La Bohème), Morgana (Alcina), Adele (Die Fledermaus), Erste Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Miss Jessel (The Turn of the Screw), and Zerlina and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni). Concert highlights include performances with the Vista Philharmonic and Hillyer Festival Orchestras, as well as multiple presentations of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater.

In addition to her work on stage, Stephanie is active behind the scenes as a production artist, having served as assistant stage director at both Manhattan School of Music and the Aspen Music Festival. She is also a passionate teacher, specializing in voice, piano, music theory, and ear training.

Stephanie made her debut with Teatro Lirico D’Europa in Autumn 2025 as Zerlina in Don Giovanni, and we’re excited to welcome her this winter as Frasquita in Bizet’s Carmen!

📅 Carmen | January 25, 2026 | 3:00 PM
📍 Koger Center for the Arts | Columbia, SC
🎟️ Tickets: www.kogercenterforthearts.com
| www.palmettooperasc.org/tickets

Check back tomorrow to meet more of the Carmen cast!

01/12/2026

Next up on our artist introductions, we’re excited to spotlight our Mercédès!

Brazilian mezzo-soprano Rebecca de Almeida brings power, passion, and undeniable presence to the stage. Praised for a “staggeringly commanding performance” as Carmen, critics have called her rise meteoric—and for good reason.

After transitioning from a successful career as a pianist to opera just a few years ago, Rebecca has quickly established herself as one of Connecticut’s leading mezzo-sopranos. She has performed throughout the U.S., Latin America, and Europe in beloved roles such as Carmen, Charlotte (Werther), Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), and Orfeo (Orfeo ed Euridice), among many others.

Rebecca has been celebrated for her “luscious voice and warm timbre” and an “exhilarating presence” on stage. Recent highlights include her Carnegie Hall debut, performances in Mexico at Teatro Ángela Peralta, and recurring solo appearances with the New Haven Chorale and Hartford Chorale in works such as Duruflé’s Requiem, Messiah, and Magnificat.

She recently debuted as Maddalena in Rigoletto with Teatro Lirico D’Europa and will appear as Mercédès in Carmen at major U.S. venues in winter 2026.

We’re thrilled to feature Rebecca de Almeida—an artist whose voice, artistry, and energy continue to captivate audiences everywhere!

📅 Carmen | January 25, 2026 | 3:00 PM
📍Koger Center for the Arts | Columbia, SC
🎟️Tickets: www.kogercenterforthearts.com | www.palmettooperasc.org/tickets

Check back in tomorrow to meet more of the Carmen cast!