By Anne W. Semmes
A Greenwich couple, Marcelo Guzzo and wife Anelle De Beer have brought a new music dimension to the Town, Greenwich Opera, Inc., offering “high-quality performances with world-class artists, innovative educational initiatives, and meaningful community partnerships.” Since its 2024 founding tells executive director Guzzo, a baritone opera star singing across the world, “We’ve been humbled by what we’ve achieved so far…We were founded on the belief that music has the power to unite, uplift, and inspire.”
Guzzo describes their four “Manor Series” concerts occuring last year in select Greenwich homes such as the last one held at the “extraordinary Robin Hill Farm and Smokey Hill Farm in the bucolic backcountry at 7 John Street,” tells De Beer. “We chose the name Manor Series,” she adds, “to represent refined experiences set in distinctive, character-rich locations… spaces where culture, craftsmanship and community naturally meet,” with audiences reaching “between 100 and 150 attendees.”
Guzzo shares another Manor Series set in a transformed hangar in Stratford bringing a “sold-out opera experience for more than 3,000 guests, with nearly 40 percent of that audience having never attended opera before.” And with those Greenwich Manor Series, he notes, “about 30 percent were first-time opera attendees, and they were captivated.”
But the space this Greenwich Opera couple now aspires to is a proposed Havemeyer Performing Art Center on Greenwich Avenue. “A performing arts center,” says Guzzo, “could create a deep sense of belonging and long-term impact, not only for young audiences, but for people from all over. People often say, ‘We can just go to the city,’ but in reality, most people don’t and they rarely bring their children.”
“We’re less than 50 minutes from New York,” adds Guzzo, “and there are many top-tier and emerging artists who would love to perform here and include Greenwich as part of their circuit. It could be a space for distinctiveness and community interaction.”
“And as an educational center,” notes De Beer, “why deprive young people here of exposure to performing arts and culture? Why should families have to leave town to experience high-quality performances? The arts and performing arts especially help young people develop communication, empathy, and emotional awareness. Introducing classical music and performing arts at a young age has a lasting impact. What could be better than going on a Sunday or Wednesday evening with your parents, dressing up, and experiencing something meaningful together?”
Guzzo is familiar with the Havemeyer auditorium. “It has a natural intimacy. It could become an icon for the town, a place where nonprofits unite rather than struggle independently, while honoring the building’s original purpose and legacy. And this isn’t just about us. It’s about what the space can leave for the future. If we have one chance to fight for a performing arts center, we must take it. Performing arts teach us to pause, reflect, and connect emotionally—an experience that is becoming increasingly rare, especially for younger generations.”
“In our 2025 Holiday Backcountry Estate Performance [at 7 John Street],” adds Guzzo, “we transformed a private residence into an intimate concert featuring world-class musicians and two rare Stradivarius instruments from the early 1700s – a truly unique opportunity… presenting Metropolitan Opera artists alongside Yale graduates. It was about sound, voice, truth, and connection. That simplicity, and the discipline it requires, is what audiences crave.”
But Guzzo emphasizes, “The Havemeyer could be central not only for us but for a broad group of nonprofits, and respect the original intention of the Building…The performing arts center would revitalize downtown by bringing artistic energy back into the area. It could also be a collaborative space where nonprofits unite through art, one of the most powerful tools our society has.”
De Beer adds, “We envision world-class concerts and opera, masterclasses, youth exposure programs, competitions, and partnerships with schools, serving Greenwich weekly, not just occasionally. We’ve already spoken with one of the major vocal competitions in the world. They loved the idea of coming to Greenwich and be part of a cultural experience, we just need a more formal performance space.”
“Long-term,” says De Beer, “we would love to develop an Opera Festival, using the arts center as a central pillar. Over several days, performances could expand throughout town, from parks and museums to historic landmarks, creating a small ‘Aix-en-Provence’ style experience in downtown Greenwich that benefits restaurants, hotels, and the local economy.”
A Havemeyer art center notes De Beer “could become a showcase for educational programs developed with both public and private schools, a center for outreach initiatives for the elderly population as well.” She pauses, “We’re not in a rush. We won’t launch initiatives without real support and structure. What we’re doing now, through the Manor Series is about building connection and belonging, casting the platform one concert at a time.”
Add to those Manor Series their debuting an Opera Supper Club as described by De Beer. “It offers an exclusive dining and musical journey, hosted in collaboration with distinguished restaurants, premier wine estates and select private homes.” Cuisine along with “performances by both celebrated and rising artists.” Another way says Guzzo “to build connection first and then, hopefully, transition audiences into the performing arts center.”
And note also that Greenwich Opera has an international reach. “The Manor Series has spanned elegant locations including Westport, the Hamptons, New York, Scotland, and London,” says De Beer. “Every performance,” adds Guzzo, “is guided by purpose, creating meaningful experiences, nurturing young talent, expanding education, and bringing outstanding artistry into architecturally significant and unexpected spaces.”
