A scenic wide-angle photograph of the Straz Center for the Performing Arts at twilight, taken from across the Hillsborough River. The building's modern architecture is illuminated by warm interior lights and a glowing purple fountain in the foreground, with its reflection shimmering on the dark blue water.The David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Florida. Credit: Rob.Harris Productions / Straz Center Media Room

Opera has always been a jaw-dropping affair—and don’t try to say that it’s only for the blue hairs.

Launched by former Opera Tampa board chair Gina d’Angelo to honor her parents’ Pennsylvania competition, the D’Angelo Young Artist Vocal Competition seeks to build opera stars of the next generation.

The winner gets $5,000 and a role in an upcoming Opera Tampa production.

There’s no cover, but tickets are required, for D’Angelo Young Artist Vocal Competition happening Sunday, Jan. 4 inside TECO Theater at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa.

This article appears in Dec. 25 – 31, 2025.

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Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief…
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