As baseball season swings into full gear, First Coast Opera is stepping up to the plate with a concert that blends America’s favorite pastime with the timeless magic of music. On Friday, May 8 at noon, music lovers, baseball fans, and families alike are invited to enjoy a free concert as part of St. Augustine’s Romanza Festivale of Music & the Arts — and this performance promises to be a true home run.
Titled around the spirit of baseball’s golden age, the concert draws inspiration from the sheet music archives of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. Audiences will enjoy a lively “9-inning” musical lineup featuring early 20th-century baseball classics, including the beloved “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” along with a special extra inning featuring selections from the opera The Mighty Casey and a dramatic reading of the legendary poem Casey at the Bat.
Guests are encouraged to get into the spirit by wearing their favorite baseball jerseys, caps, or team colors for the festive afternoon performance.
For First Coast Opera’s General & Artistic Director Curtis Tucker, the program is more than entertainment — it’s deeply personal.
“Music and baseball might seem like strange bedfellows, but this combination is particularly meaningful for me,” Tucker shared. “My Dad was my first music teacher and my first baseball coach. These two activities not only dominated my youth, but have remained present throughout my life.”
Tucker says the songs chosen from the Cooperstown collection carry a sense of nostalgia and storytelling that resonates far beyond the baseball diamond.
“Everyone knows ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game,’ but these songs are also wonderful storytelling vignettes about love, relationships, humor, and life — all set to melodic, catchy tunes,” he said. “I hope audiences will join us and enjoy this program. I will be there, and so will, at least in my heart and mind, my Dad.”
The concert features an impressive lineup of performers, including Tucker himself, soprano Haley Kirk, tenor Edward Brennan, and pianist Michael Giuliani.
Giuliani, a highly sought-after collaborative pianist and organist, currently serves as Director of Music & Organist at Trinity Parish in St. Augustine. Brennan, described as a “fierce” and “baritonal” tenor, has performed major dramatic roles with opera companies nationwide while also serving as First Coast Opera’s Director of Development. Kirk, a Jacksonville native pursuing her master’s degree in vocal performance, recently made her First Coast Opera debut in Carmen and has become a familiar face at Romanza Festivale performances.
And because no baseball-themed event would be complete without a little ballpark excitement, attendees can also enter a raffle for a chance to win four field reserve tickets to a Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp game, generously donated by the team.
Whether you’re an opera enthusiast, a baseball fan, or simply looking for a unique and family-friendly way to spend a Friday afternoon in St. Augustine, this concert promises a memorable blend of Americana, nostalgia, and artistic talent.
The event is free and open to the public. Friday, May 8, 2026 at 12pm, 184 San Marco Ave.
