VERO BEACH — When the stars in this weekend’s Vero Beach Opera’s “Three Divas” concert suddenly dropped to two, organizers scrambled to find a replacement and have apparently scored a winner.
Sharin Apostolou, who drew strong reviews when, on opening night, she stepped into the title role in Handel’s “Rodelina” after the scheduled performer developed a bronchial infection.
That was in 2008 and Apostolou was nearby: she was part of Portland Opera’s Student Opera program.
She went on to sing the title role in Cavalli’s “La Calisto” for Portland, and Almarina in Handel’s “Rinaldo.” She was the soprano soloist in Mozart’s “Requiem” and Handel’s “Messiah” at Avery Fisher Hall.
Known for her comic antics on stage, Apostolou has sung at Glimmerglass for the past two summers, and at Tanglewood in 2011 in an all-Baroque program with Susan Graham and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
It took fast action from Vero Beach Opera’s new musical director Bruce Stasyna and VBO artistic director Roman Ortega-Cowan to find a replacement for Cuban soprano Maria Aleida, who is laid up with a throat infection in Italy. Aleida is resident artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia.
“Bruce and Roman really had to act quickly to find a new diva,” said Tania Ortega-Cowan, who handles opera PR. “Sharin looks to be amazing. She’s nice and funny and accomplished. It should be great.”
The concert also features two Metropolitan Opera sopranos: soprano Susan Neves, well-known to Vero audiences as a one-time resident of the barrier island and friend of top Met soprano Deborah Voigt; and mezzo-soprano Megan Marino, first-place winner of last year’s Marcello Giordani Foundation International Vocal Competition in Vero.
The Three Divas concert is Saturday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Vero Beach High School’s Performing Art Center. Tickets are $30, $40, and $50. Go to www.verobeachopera.org.