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When Opera Naples made its downtown debut under the band shell at Cambier Park last fall, there was one unlikely listener in the satisfied crowd. Sitting attentively in her wheelchair, Ina LaValley, 93, was encountering her first experience with opera.

“She totally surprised me — she was absolutely enthralled,” said her daughter, Laura Fusco. “And coming tonight was all her idea. She saw an ad in the newspaper and said, ‘Look! Opera Stars Under the Stars — how do they do that?’ I said, ‘Well, let’s go find out.’ What a treat this has been for both of us.”

But the biggest treat was yet to come. After the sustained ovations, including an encore, guest baritone Nelson Martinez calmly climbed off the stage and ambled over to meet the new fan.

“Oh, my goodness, I think we’re in love with opera,” Fusco said as she watched her adoring mother being greeted by the former star of the Cuban National Opera. “We’ll definitely be back for more opera.”

For Steffanie Pearce, founder and artistic director of Opera Naples (ON), such scenarios are the stuff that dreams are made of, and increasingly, she has come to count on them.

“It’s the philosophy from “Field of Dreams” — that if you build it they will come,” Pearce said. “We believe that Naples wants to mirror ON’s mission of contributing to the quality of our community. And as we succeed together, so will Southwest Florida. After all, it’s an international destination. Its cultural capacity is tremendous.”

Pearce did not spring from Zeus’s head with such aspirations. A critically acclaimed soprano of both opera and concert venues, she earned her stripes throughout Europe and the U.S. playing the classic tragic heroines. Violetta, Leonora, Marguerite, Donna Anna and Tosca populate her oeuvre. But there came a time when the girl from Chagrin Falls began to quest for something of lasting significance — something that would exceed the accomplishments of her glamorous, whirlwind life style.

The fates cooperated in 2000 during a Christmas visit with her family in Bonita Springs.

“When I was growing up we vacationed here,” Pearce said. “My folks and two brothers settled here. At the time, I was going through a major change in my personal life and decided to move here to be closer to my family. I bought a 1960’s bungalow in need of remodeling and one day I headed off to Home Depot to get some info and supplies.”

That Home Depot excursion proved to be life-altering for Pearce. It was there that she met architect and builder Samuel Vasquez II, her future husband.

“I never knew remodeling could be so much fun!” she jests.

In Vasquez, Pearce also found a soul mate, someone who shared not only her passion for the arts — opera in particular — but her vision of founding a professional, regional opera company.

“I wanted to be able to foster local talent while blending it with featured guest soloists, and to make this a constant in the ongoing experience of performance,” she said. “This professional interface has great educational potential. It’s strategic in terms of development, and the cultural and economic impact on a community can be profound.”

“The arts should be experienced as intimately and inspiringly as possible, not something distant that happens on a stage and then leaves the next day, all for the price of a ticket. I know what it’s like to perform out of a truck,” she said, reflecting on her 15 years touring throughout Europe and the U.S. with Teatro Lirico D’Europa.

“I did ‘Traviata’ and ‘Don Giovanni’ at the Phil with them, and Tosca at the Barbara B. Mann. Audiences commend with applause, sometimes a few will even come backstage, but seldom is there an opportunity to establish a relationship with a given community — or foster its aspiring talent,” she reflected. “Without this, how will we impart the arts to our youth? Direct access is what’s needed.”

But Pearce is not about erudition only. Her pragmatic side is well acquainted with another dimension critical to the success of performance.

“Production — its design, artistry, efficiency — these are critical components in any arts endeavor. The high level of aesthetic that ON presently enjoys would not be possible without our stage director Carl Ratner, and of course Sam (Vasquez),” she said, making special note of her husband’s contributions.

The Vasquez factor would first reveal its genius on December 31, 2005, at the New Year’s Eve Opera Ball where a magnificent crystal chandelier centered the expansive parachute ceiling, transforming the gymnasium of The Community School of Naples into a Viennese salon, complete with classic arias and ensembles performed by renowned artists.

And, it was all done in concert with rising stars from the community. Some comprised the chorus, while other volunteers worked shoulder to shoulder in fulfillment of the many facets of set production.

Indeed, the grandeur and success of the Opera Ball set the bar for ON’s arrival on the cultural and societal scene throughout Southwest Florida. And as it prepares to introduce its third season this month, the Vasquez factor will again be visible — as well as the Pierce presence. When the stage lights dim on January 25 for ON’s production of Verdi’s “La Traviata,” Pearce will be starring as the famed courtesan, Violetta Valery.

Pearce continues to be blessed by many finds, from casting to musicians to community. Perhaps most impressive has been the discovery of the Metropolitan Opera connection in Naples. Recently retired violinist, Raymond Gniewek, who served as Met concertmaster for 40 years; and his wife, star soprano Judith Blegen, have been generous in their endorsement and support of the ON initiative.

“They’re like godparents to ON,” Pearce said. “They provide us with such credibility and encouragement.”

While Gniewek maintains his chair with ON’s orchestra — presently served by revolving maestros — Blegen serves as ON’s Artistic Advisor, helping to shepherd the Young Artists program. Last month marked its debut in several Collier County elementary schools with “Intro to Opera.” An estimated 1000 children enjoyed excerpts from classic operas especially chosen for young listeners, presented by accomplished peers from the community.

Another player who factors highly into the success of the ON equation has been Maestro William Noll, also a Neapolitan. Despite his busy schedule conducting internationally, he continues to make time for ON, even lending his home salon for gala fund raisers. Noll conducted “Stars Under the Stars” and will return to conduct La Traviata this month.

But the cultural common denominator that Pearce has come to rely on most is that of the Naples Opera Society (NOS). Ron Bowman, NOS president, has been instrumental in helping expand Pearce’s reach through opera.

“Without Ron, would my vision be viable?” she wonders. “He has exceeded largesse in extending ON every opportunity to interface with like-minded lovers of opera from within our community.”

To its lasting credit, NOS earned an historic footnote when, in the summer of 2005, Bowman invited Pearce to the NOS stage at Norris Community Center to make her first public announcement of establishing a world class, regional opera company.

At the time, she received ‘cautious enthusiasm’ as many wondered if Naples could sustain such an ambitious undertaking.

But, timely connections have continued to emerge — sometimes almost mystically — and as it draws toward the completion of its first three years (a critical time frame for any arts endeavor), the ON vision is very much alive. As proof, ticket sales for the upcoming season are up a whopping 400 percent.

Pierce cites the recent success of “Stars Under the Stars” at Cambier as a case in point.

“When we booked it, we had no idea of the amazing connection that awaited us,” she said. “It turned out that Naples Art Association was having its annual Arts and Crafts Fair in the park that same weekend. Suddenly there were all these people milling about, interested in us.”

Vasquez, realizing the impromptu opportunity for performance, quickly constructed a mini-stage in the midst of the canopied craft booths, thus providing an ideal venue for the unsuspecting Young Artists who were volunteering to perform.

“Their singing drew people in,” Pearce said. “The sounds just sort of wafted throughout the fair. Not only did we sell tickets that day, we made some wonderful friends and even a few patrons.”

The highlight of all, however, was meeting Frank Nappo, Director of The von Liebig’s Naples Art Association. He and Pearce became fast friends and already have plans underway to produce a 2008 collaborative event as a season opener.

Still, Pearce expresses more indebtedness: to the Collier County School Board for granting Partnership in Education status to ON, thus enabling it to perform and teach within the school system; to the Italian Society of Naples for their support and generosity when it was most critical; and to her board of directors who have stood by her throughout this crucial first phase of ON’s founding.

“It’s not that we haven’t made mistakes,” she reminds. “We have. I have. But we’ve stayed together and we remain united in our vision for Opera Naples. When I think of some of the contributions folks have made — the personal investment of time, talent and treasure — I’m humbled. The countless all-nighters the Damicos (Colonel Frank and Nancy Damico) have invested, for example, in terms of the nitty-gritty of administrative details that could make or break us. It’s awesome, truly.”

And as if such blessings haven’t been bountiful enough, a miracle occurred to the Pearce-Vasquez collaborative last February. In the midst of the flurry of producing Madama Butterfly, Pearce went into labor, giving birth to a tiny baby daughter whom they promptly named Aria. Founding patrons Gerry and Bronwen Goldberg had the honors of announcing Aria’s arrival to an adoring audience during Butterfly’s intermission.

At the end of the day, the acclaimed soprano remains undaunted in her stunning determination to fulfill her dream for Southwest Florida. Steffanie Pearce seems perfectly poised for the greatest of all her roles: starring as the triumphant heroine in her own life’s opera.