Artist Series Concerts Opens its Soirée Series

September 20, 2021 – Sarasota

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota opens its 2021-22 Soiree Series with ‘Double Reeds Unite,’ a celebration of the unique sounds and versatility of the oboe and bassoon, featuring oboist Jonathan Gentry, bassoonist Fernando Traba, both principal musicians with the Sarasota Orchestra, and pianist Joseph Holt. The program includes the Concert Fantasy on Semiramide by Rossini by Charles Louis Triébert and Eugène Louis-Marie Jancourt, Poulenc’s Trio for Piano, Oboe and Bassoon, and The Wildflower Trio, composer Jenni Brandon’s tribute to the beauty and resilience of native plants and to the environmental work of Lady Bird Johnson. Performances take place on Sunday, October 17, 3 p.m., and Monday, October 18, 7 p.m., in the music room of the one-of-a-kind Fischer-Weisenborne residence. Refreshments will be served following each performance. Tickets are $54 and are available online at www.ArtistSeriesConcerts.org or by calling 941-306-1202.

“We just recently got the program for ‘Double Reeds Unite,’ our first Soiree Series performances in almost two years, and it is a beauty,” says Marcy Miller, executive director of Artist Series Concerts. 

In addition to the Concert Fantasy on Semiramide by Rossini by Charles Louis Triébert and Eugène Louis-Marie Jancourt and Poulenc’s Trio for Piano, Oboe and Bassoon, the repertoire also features The Wildflower Trio, composer Jenni Brandon’s tribute to the beauty and resilience of the native plants that, as Lady Bird Johnson once said, “give us a sense of where we are in this great land of ours.”

The piece was commissioned in 2004 by the College of Fine Arts of the University of Texas at Austin to honor and celebrate the environmental work of Lady Bird Johnson. Brandon’s inspiration for the piece came from a poetry book written by one of Johnson’s friends, Bette Woolsey Castro. The opening of Lady Bird’s Wildflower Research Center in Austin was in turn the inspiration for Castro’s book “The Wildflower.”

The five movements of the piece are based on the imagery from several of Castro’s poems. As Brandon says: “The beautiful combination of the oboe, bassoon and piano lend themselves to creating distinct colors and sounds that represent the wildflowers, hummingbirds, and summer afternoons in quiet gardens.” The Artist Series Concerts performances will also include readings of the poems that inspired each movement.

“These are three wonderful pieces of music, perfect for showcasing the oboe and its often overlooked cousin, the bassoon,” says Miller. “And think how great they’ll sound when played by these three wonderful musicians in the exquisite salon-like atmosphere of the Fischer-Weisenborne residence. This is a rare musical treat not to be missed!”

Oboist Jonathan Gentry joined the Sarasota Orchestra in 2019. Prior to that he was principal oboe of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and has also performed with the Fort Worth, San Diego, and San Antonio Symphonies. An avid performer in many mediums, Jonathan is equally at home both as a soloist and as a chamber musician. As a chamber musician, he was a founding member of Tangent Winds, a prize-winning wind quintet in the 2018 Fischoff Competition. Fernando Traba has served as principal bassoon with all five major orchestras in Mexico City, as well as the Orchestra of the Principality of Asturias (Spain), National Opera Orchestra, (Portugal) and Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería (Mexico). 

An avid chamber musician, Mr. Traba has been a member of the Sarasota Wind Quintet since 1992, and has also performed with Instrumenta (Mexico), the Palm Beach, and ChamberFest Cleveland Music Festivals. Dr. Joseph Holthas enjoyed a wide-ranging musical career as conductor, pianist, chamber music performer, arts administrator, educator and arranger. He served more than 20 years as principal pianist with the United States Army Chorus, performing for U.S. presidents, military officials and dignitaries from around the world. Dr. Holt is also a former director of artist programs for Artist Series Concerts.

COVID-19 update: Artist Series Concerts’ top priority remains the health and safety of its patrons, performers and staff. The organization is a partner in SafeArts Sarasota and will be following the policies and protocols set forth by this initiative. Protocols will continue to be revisited and revised and Artist Series Concerts will also continue to comply fully with the current requirements of each of its eight venues. Updates and the most recent COVID-19 statement can be seen at www.ArtistSeriesConcerts.org.