Center Stage

Opera Theatre St. Louis is a proven incubator for young singers, with its Gerdine Young Artist Program providing coaching, master classes and stage experience proving quite successful. Sydney Mancasola, this year's Violetta in La traviata, and her Alfredo, Geoffrey Agpalo, are both former Gerdine Young Artists. Center Stage is OTSL's annual end-of-season showcase for emerging talent, pairing singers and members of the St. Louis Symphony with classic arias and even some lesser-known songs from opera's deep repertoire. Center Stage begins at 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 19, at the Loretto-Hilton Center (130 Edgar Road; www.opera-stl.org). Tickets are $25 to $50.