Artist Series Concerts of Announces its 26th Anniversary Season

June 18, 2021 – Sarasota

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota celebrates its 26th season with a return to a full concert schedule featuring a variety of exceptional musical experiences from emerging and established classical, jazz and pops artists. The season, which runs from October 2021 through May 2022, boasts 27 performances at seven venues throughout Sarasota and Venice. The programs cover Artist Series Concerts’ trademark range of diverse musical offerings, including classical recitals, pops, jazz, chamber soirées, and luncheon and dinner concerts. This season the organization also returns to offering series subscriptions for its performances at Temple Sinai and for its luncheon, dinner and soirée series concerts. 

“There is so much to be thrilled about this season,” says Marcy Miller, executive director of Artist Series Concerts. “In addition to resuming a full schedule of live, indoor performances by outstanding artists, we’re adding some exciting new venues and are also returning to three old favorites, the Fischer-Weisenborne residence, the Sarasota Opera House and the Historic Asolo Theater. We’re delighted to be collaborating as well with State College of Florida in their first-ever piano festival, ‘Pianopalooza.’” 

For outgoing director of artist programs Joseph Holt, the upcoming season is an exciting and also a moving one. “That my final season with Artist Series Concerts is also the one that ushers out the hardships of COVID-19 is poignant but also very satisfying,” says Holt, who departs at the end of June. “The ‘silver lining’ is that we are now finally able to bring to the stage many of the amazing young artists we were so eager to present in the last two seasons.” 

The organization’s new classical “Temple Sinai Series” at the spacious and acoustically excellent temple space, features performances by a coterie of rising young stars from Young Concert Artists and Concert Artists Guild as well as a past Artist Series Concerts competition winner. The featured young artists are: Young Concert Artists violinist SooBeen Lee, hailed as “Korea’s hottest violin prodigy,” with pianist Dina Vainshtein (November 7); from Concert Artists Guild, the bold and fiercely creative Merz Trio, performing with Jamaican-American violist Jordan Bak, hailed by critics as “as star in the making” (January 23); flutist Anthony Trionfo, praised as a “musician of prodigious talent and scintillating personality,” with another rising young star, fellow Young Concert Artists pianist Albert Cano Smit (February 6); NEXUS Chamber Music Chicago with violinists Brian Hong and Maria Loudenitch, and a past Artist Series Concerts National String Competition winner, cellist Alexander Hersh (February 20); from Japan by way of Young Concert Artists, the fresh and compelling Quartet Amabile (March 6); and classical saxophonist Steven Banks, a pioneering young musician and composer and the first saxophonist in 60 years to earn a spot on the Young Concert Artists roster (March 27). 

The trademark “Soirée Series” returns to the music room of the one-of-a-kind Fischer-Weisenborne residence with “Double Reeds Unite,” featuring oboist Jonathan Gentry, bassoonist Fernando Traba and pianist Joseph Holt (October 17 and 18); bass-baritone William Socolof, winner of the 2020 Young Concert Artists International auditions, with pianist Gracie Francis (November 21 and 22); and tenor John Kaneklides with pianist Joseph Holt (April 17 and 18).

The “Luncheon Series” goes bayside this year with a move to the Bird Key Yacht Club and four concerts featuring Los Angeles Philharmonic harpist Emmanuel Ceysson (November 11); Young Concert Artists’ classical accordionist Hanzhi Wang (January 27); Emerging Stars of Sarasota, showcasing the talents of young artists from the Sarasota Youth Orchestra (February 24); and violinist Max Tan, a past Artist Series Concerts competition winner, with pianist Joseph Holt (April 7).  

The popular “Venice Dinner Series” at Plantation Golf & Country Club returns with the Rick Costa Jazz Quartet (February 9); BoyGirlBoyGirl, “Milwaukee’s Manhattan Transfer” (March 23); and soprano Kendra Colton with pianist Kayo Iwama. Colton has the distinction of appearing in the inaugural season for the Artist Series in 1997 (April 20).

Artist Series Concerts is also pleased to take part in State College of Florida’s “Pianopalooza” piano festival running April 30 – May 8. Artist Series Concerts’ lineup for the festival includes Antonio Chen Guang, winner of the first Olga Kern International Piano Competition (April 30); the return of Artist Series Concerts Piano Competition winner Lin Ye, performing with five principal string players from the Sarasota Orchestra (May 4); and Vieness Piano Duo, the captivating young husband and wife team who play piano four-hands and two-piano works (May 8).

Other concerts include a sparkling holiday concert with Frisson, the eight-piece ensemble comprised of the best and brightest of classical music’s rising stars (December 5); Japanese piano virtuoso Harumi Hanafusa, performing a solo recital followed by a second, duo piano performance with her sister Mami Hanafusa (January 8 and 9); and 2 Hot 2 Tango, with the acclaimed bandoneón-piano duo of Ben Bogart and Winnie Cheung. Joining them on stage will be world champion tango dancer Fernanda Ghi and her partner Silvio Grand (May 22).

Last but not least, is the season opener, “Piano Grand: The Fab Four.” This will be the fifth edition of Joseph Holt’s keyboard extravaganza featuring four Steinway concert grand pianos and four outstanding concert pianists all sharing the stage of the Sarasota Opera House, performing operatic and popular favorites (October 9). 

And though he may be retiring from his role as director of artist programs, Holt has plans to stick around, to help his successor and to also continue performing as a pianist for Artist Series Concerts. “We have an excellent successor waiting in the wings, who will be announced soon. I look forward to ‘passing the baton,’ and also continuing to play piano and make music for and with Artist Series Concerts!”

The organization is also looking forward to the next edition of the Suncoast Music Scholarships, which will take place in April 2022, as well as ongoing school and community outreach programs throughout the year. 

“There is so much to look forward to this season, says Marcy Miller. “We are all so happy and grateful to be fulfilling our mission by presenting exciting young stars on the rise.” 

Discounted advance ticket and series subscription sales for Artist Series Concerts’ 2021-22 season are open now through July 31, by mail and by phone. Single tickets and series subscriptions will be available online or by phone beginning August 1. More information is available by visiting www.ArtistSeriesConcerts.org or by calling (941) 306-1202, M-F, 10-4.