Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota

WHO WE ARE

The mission of Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota is to promote excellence in live musical performance by presenting acknowledged stars of the next generation to the audiences of Florida’s Gulf Coast. The non-profit organization offers world-class musical experiences in a diverse range of genres, including classical, jazz, pops, Broadway, orchestral and opera.


Each season, Artist Series Concerts presents young “stars on the rise” at a variety of dynamic venues throughout Sarasota County, including places such as the Historic Asolo Theater, Sarasota Opera House, Sarasota Yacht Club, Plantation Golf & Country Club, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, and the music room of the one-of-a-kind Fischer/Weisenborne residence.



Artist Series Concerts also endeavors to spark a lifelong love of the musical arts by exposing young people to interactive music experiences through performance-based outreach programs in area schools, creating unique learning opportunities for thousands of students and educators every year. The Suncoast Music Scholarship program, presented in partnership with the Sarasota Music Club, provides cash awards annually to area high school students. Past winners have gone on to study at leading music conservatories and pursued successful music careers.

Artist Series Concerts Events

The season opens October 2 with a concert in the Virtuoso Violins Series presented at Sarasota Opera House. The Magnificent Markovs – the “first family of the violin” – features Alexander, Albert, and Marina Markov. Alexander Markov plays his original composition, Caesar, on his gold electric violin, accompanied by Key Chorale and Booker High School VPA Choir. He will also be joined by his renowned violinist parents to perform classical favorites. Electrifying young violinists Blake Pouliot and Simone Porter take the stage as Double Feature on December 6, with pianist Hsin-I-Huang. Vivaldi and Mendelssohn on May 9 brings together young concertmasters from four American orchestras for Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Mendelssohn’s String Octet. Post-concert receptions are offered for an additional charge.

Starting October 27th, the Lunch & Listen Series at the Sarasota Yacht Club spotlights gifted young artists in concert at 11:00 a.m. followed by lunch at 12:15 p.m. Prize winners Anthony Trionfo, flute and Albert Cano Smit, piano are up first.


December 15th- Vision Duo (Ariel Horowitz, violin and Britton-René Collins, marimba)

February 9th -Young Concert Artists’ classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang, praised for her captivating stage presence.

March 23rd - Sarasota Orchestra’s principal second violin Samantha Bennett; and

April 27th - Canadian cello sensation Cameron Crozeman with Meagan Milatz, on piano


Intimate performances giving the audience the opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with the musicians. Refreshments are served following each performance.



November 20 and 21st -  the trademark Soirée Series returns to the Fischer/Weisenborne residence with award-winning tenor John Kaneklides and Joseph Holt, on piano.

January 29/30th - Santa Fe Opera’s concertmaster Steven Moeckel and Joanna Goldstein, on piano.

March 5/6th - Sarasota native Daniel Solowey, clarinet with Milana Strezeva, on piano. 



 Sarasota’s elegant 18th century theater serves as the backdrop for the Tuesdays at the Historic Asolo Theater series.


November 15th - SYBARITE5, a genre-crossing quintet with Sarasota roots, performs November 15.

December 13th - The 442s, comprised of three members of the St. Louis Symphony and two of that region’s finest jazz musicians.

January 10th - NY Grammy-nominated Dover Quartet – one of the most in-demand chamber ensembles in the world.

February 28th - Lincoln Trio, joined by clarinetist Bharat Chandra, presents Olivier Messiaen’s moving Quartet for the End of Time.

March 7th - Pianist Michelle Cann, the 2022 Sphinx Medal of Excellence winner, plays a piece was composed in a World War II German prisoner-of-war camp for fellow prisoners

The Lighter Fare Series offers classic jazz and musical theater favorites outdoors at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Downtown Campus and indoors at Plantation Golf & Country Club in Venice.


November 9th - Bass to Bass: John Miller and Michael Ross on November 9 offers jazz standards plus a little rhythm and blues.

January 18th -Danielle Talamantes, soprano and her husband Kerry Wilkerson, bass-baritone, perform classics from the Great American Songbook and musical theater.

February 23rd- Sarasota’s own Broadway star Maria Wirries (Dear Evan Hansen) presents a homecoming concert 

April 20th - Guitarist JIJI,  selected by the Washington Post as “one of the 21 composers/performers who sound like tomorrow.

Concerts that are not part of a series include pianist Lin Ye with principal string musicians from the Sarasota Orchestra on March 26. Ye last performed in Sarasota three years ago in sold out programs. Harpist Cheryl Losey Feder and her cellist husband Abraham Feder perform as the Feder Duo on April 9. Brothers Paul and Steven Laraia present Viola Royale on May 14. Paul Laraia is part of the Grammy Award-winning Catalyst String Quartet and Steven Laraia is with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.



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