Sarasota Orchestra May 2023 Concerts Announced

April 14, 2023 – Sarasota

Sarasota Orchestra concludes its season with pizzazz. The Orchestra returns to the Orioles’ Ed Smith Stadium for the 10^th anniversary of Outdoor Pops, this time with a Motown theme. Acclaimed guitar virtuoso Bokyung Byun makes her Sarasota Orchestra debut in the final Discoveries series concert of the year, performing the Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez.

Outdoor Pops: Music of Motown

Hear funky sounds from the height of the Motown era transformed into a symphonic experience with Sarasota Orchestra. The program features smash hits made famous by artists such as Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, The Temptations, and Stevie Wonder. Songs include “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” “My Girl,” “Superstition,” and more. Conductor Byron Stripling leads the Orchestra with a guest roster of three fabulous soloists: Chester Gregory, Michael Lynche, and Crystal Monee Hall. A spectacular fireworks display rounds out this evening of hits and home runs at the Orioles’ Ed Smith Stadium.

When: May 5-6, 8:00 pm

Where: Ed Smith Stadium

How: Tickets from $15, available at www.Orioles.com/arts or (941) 893-6312

Discoveries 3: Musical Postcards

Sarasota Orchestra’s final concert of the season takes listeners on a whirlwind voyage, guided by guest conductor Joseph Young. Villa-Lobos traces connections between the German composer J.S. Bach and the music of Brazil in his Bachianas Brasileiras. The royal site of Aranjuez deeply moved Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo, whose alluring Concierto de Aranjuez has come to be the most famous work for guitar and orchestra. Korean guitarist Bokyung Byun, the first woman to win the prestigious JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition, brings the work to life. Mendelssohn’s vacation to Italy led to the irrepressibly joyful “Italian” Symphony.

When: May 13, 7:30pm

Where: Sarasota Opera House

How: Tickets from $32, available at www.SarasotaOrchestra.org or (941) 953-3434