Thea Lobo

While I earned vocal performance degrees from New England Conservatory and Boston University, and established an international performance career as a mezzo-soprano based in the Northeast U.S. for quite a few years, truth is I'm a hometown girl at heart.

I attended high school at Booker's Visual and Performing Arts Magnet Program in Sarasota, and returned to Sarasota in 2019 where I currently live with my husband (organist and conductor Sam Nelson) and two young kids, in addition to my parents.

The roots go deeper too — my Tampeño great-grandparents met at a social club dance in Ybor City! Their son, my grandfather Richard "Dick" Lobo, storied broadcaster and TV exec, served as president and CEO of WEDU PBS from 2002 to 2010.

JS Bach is a huge inspiration and specialty of mine (so much so I got his stylized initials tattooed on my foot), but I also can't get enough of under-explored corners of music history, plus newly composed and experimental works.

I take great pride in helping to enrich the artistic community of the Suncoast, whether through performing, producing, advocacy, or sharing music with listeners on the air.

You can hear me 7 days a week, 5-10 p.m., on Florida's Classical Music Station, WSMR.