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Sarasota Orchestra Announces 2020 – 2021 Season with Popular Favorites and World-Class Guest Artists

SARASOTA, FL – March 27, 2020 –Some of the greatest works of music ever composed, performed by many of the world’s finest soloists, will be part of Sarasota Orchestra’s 2020 – 2021 season.

The Orchestra’s upcoming season will be filled with such well-loved works as Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 (The New World), Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2, with guest artists including violin superstar Augustin Hadelich and legendary pianist Garrick Ohlsson.

“This is a season rich with historical resonances and musical adventure,” Jeffrey Kahane, Artistic Advisor and Sarasota Music Festival Music Director said, “At this extraordinarily difficult moment in history, we hope you will take full advantage of the spiritual nourishment, consolation and challenge that great music played by great musicians can provide.”

Masterworks Series: Sarasota Orchestra will present its hallmark series of seven powerful concerts featuring guest conductors from across America and the globe. Together with impressive soloists, each of these guest conductors selected a program of great masterworks.

Masters of Melody November 6, 7, 8 | Van Wezel Jeffrey Kahane, Artistic Advisor, SMF Music Director, conductor, and piano GERSHWIN Piano Concerto in F RACHMANINOFF Symphony No. 2

Beethoven Violin Concerto December 4, 5, 6 | Van Wezel Yaniv Dinur, Music Director, New Bedford Symphony Angelo Xiang Yu, violin GABRIELLA SMITH Field Guide BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4

Musical Heroines January 7 - Neel PAC | January 8, 9,10 | Van Wezel Kensho Watanabe, former Assistant Conductor, Philadelphia Orchestra Isata Kanneh-Mason, piano BEETHOVEN Leonore Overture No. 3 CLARA SCHUMANN Piano Concerto RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Scheherazade

Symphonie Fantastique February 4 - Neel PAC | February 5, 6, 7 - Van Wezel Carl St. Clair, Music Director, Pacific Symphony Augustin Hadelich, violin MOZART Overture to The Abduction from the Seraglio MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto BERLIOZ Symphonie Fantastique

Pictures at an Exhibition February 18 - Neel PAC | February 20, 21 - Van Wezel Marcelo Lehninger, Music Director, Grand Rapids Symphony Orion Weiss, piano GUARNIERI Festive Overture MOZART Piano Concerto No. 23 MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition

From the New World March 19, 20, 21 | Van Wezel Thomas Wilkins, Music Director, Omaha Symphony Chee-Yun, violin JIM BECKEL Toccata for Orchestra LALO Symphonie espagnole DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9 (New World Symphony)

Russian Tales April 9, 10, 11 | Van Wezel Jeffrey Kahane, Artistic Advisor, SMF Music Director Garrick Ohlsson, piano STRAVINSKY Petrushka RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 3

Books of Note: Sarasota Orchestra will also host a community reading program, “Books of Note,” a collection of fiction and nonfiction books curated by Jeffrey Kahane, Artistic Advisor for Sarasota Orchestra, that reflect the times, historical perspective, or stories related to music and composers of our Masterworks performance season.

Masterworks concerts take place at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and Neel Performing Arts Hall. Subscriptions for the Masterworks concerts are available now. Flex Pass subscriptions will be available in the fall.

Pops Series: This upcoming season for Pops will bring favorites from Broadway, film and TV, rock, jazz, and more to the Orchestra stage. Renowned guest conductors will lead three programs: Unforgettable: The American Songbook, romantic anthems by Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, and more; The Envelope Please, a celebration of songs and scores that have garnered Grammys, Tonys, and Oscars; Revolution: Music of the Beatles, an authorized symphonic tribute to the Fab Four with arrangements from Grammy winner Jeff Tyzik.

Unforgettable: The American Songbook January 22, 23| Van Wezel Guest Conductor: Sean O’Loughlin Nick Ziobro, vocalist Julia Goodwin, vocalist

The Envelope Please March 5, 6| Van Wezel Guest Conductor: Christopher Confessore Susan Egan, vocalist Douglas LeBrecque, vocalist Lisa Vroman, vocalist

Revolution: Music of the Beatles April 16, 17| Van Wezel Guest Conductor: Stuart Malina

Chamber Soirées: The eight-concert Chamber Soirées will explore both classic and new repertoire, chosen by Sarasota Orchestra musicians. Highlights include a performance with Artistic Advisor Jeffrey Kahane alongside small musician ensembles and Sarasota Orchestra debuts of rare works with interesting instrumentation. The series will also continue to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th birthday with an all-Beethoven recital by the Sarasota String Quartet.

Strings Attached September 24| Holley Hall ELGAR Serenade for Strings BARBER Adagio for Strings BARTÓK Divertimento (for strings)

Roots of Beethoven October 11| Holley Hall HAYDN String Quartet No. 2 (The Joke) MOZART Horn Quintet in E-flat Major BEETHOVEN String Quartet Op. 18, No.6

Serendipity October 31| Holley Hall LAUREN BERNOFSKY Trio for Brass FRANÇAIX Trio for Piano, Oboe and Bassoon REBECCA CLARKE Lullaby and Grotesque JANÁČEK Concertino

String Quartet: All Beethoven Recital December 20| Holley Hall BEETHOVEN String Quartet No. 16 BEETHOVEN String Quartet No. 10

Latin Dances January 24| Holley Hall RAVEL Alborada del gracioso MARQUEZ Danzade Mediodia D’RIVERA Four Pieces GOLIJOV Mariel PIAZZOLLA Histoire du Tango

Americana January 28 & January 31| Holley Hall CAROLINE SHAW, Entr’acte BARBER Summer Music DVOŘÁK “American” String Quintet

Fairy Tale Romance February 25 & February 28| Holley Hall JOSEF SUK Piano Quartet SCHUMANN Märchenerzählungen SCHUBERT Trio No. 1

Music for 7, 8, 9 April 18| Holley Hall STRAUSS Metamorphosen STRAVINSKY Octet for Winds MARTINU Nonet No. 2

Great Escapes series: Six thematic concerts include Pops and light classics with commentary by the conductor. Great Escapes concerts will be conducted by Christopher Confessore, Steven Jarvi, Michelle Merrill, William Waldrop, and David Alan Miller.

Strike Up the Band October 14 - 17| Holley Hall Guest Conductor: Steven Jarvi

Jingle Bells Forever December 9 - 13| Holley Hall Guest Conductor: William Waldrop

Beethoven at the Movies January 13 - 17| Holley Hall Guest Conductor: David Alan Miller

My Funny Valentine February 10 - 14| Holley Hall Guest Conductor: Michelle Merrill

Journey on the Orient Express March 10 - 14| Holley Hall Guest Conductor: Steven Jarvi

Comedy Tonight April 21 - 24| Holley Hall Guest Conductor: Christopher Confessore

Discover Mozart concerts: Sarasota Orchestra will present a trio of concerts celebrating the master composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the music inspired by his work. This revised format for the Discoveries series will showcase classical music’s newest talents all of whom will make Sarasota debuts.

Brilliant Beginnings October 3| Sarasota Opera House Guest Conductor: Stephen Mulligan Dominic Cheli, piano BRITTEN Sinfonietta MENDELSSOHN Piano Concerto No. 1 MOZART Symphony No. 25

European Holiday December 22| Sarasota Opera House Guest Conductor: Sameer Patel DEBUSSY Petite Suite RESPIGHI Trittico Botticelliano (“Adoration of the Magi” movement) VIVALDI Concerto for Two Trumpets MOZART Symphony No. 31 (Paris)

Fables and Fantasy May 15| Sarasota Opera House Guest Conductor: Elena Schwarz Ifetayo Ali-Landing, cello MOZART Overture to the Magic Flute RAVEL Mother Goose Suite TCHAIKOVSKY Rococo Variations DUKAS Sorcerer’s Apprentice

New subscriptions are on sale now. Subscription brochures are available by adding your name and address at www.SarasotaOrchestra.org or by calling the Sarasota Orchestra Box Office at (941) 953- 3434.

About Sarasota Orchestra: For more than 70 years, Sarasota Orchestra has been engaging music lovers from around the region and visitors from around the world. The Orchestra performs more than 125 classical, Pops, education and community engagement concerts each year and thrives as the oldest continuing orchestra in the state of Florida. Youth programs provide concert experiences for about 10,000 students per year and include an extensive youth orchestra program of eight ensembles and about 350 students. The Sarasota Music Festival is a world-renowned performance and teaching festival that attracts young musicians and faculty from across the globe each June.

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