Sarasota Orchestra Announces 2022 – 2023 Season

April 20, 2022 – Sarasota

Sarasota Orchestra announces the 2022 – 2023 season, marking its first full season helmed by Music Director Bramwell Tovey. Tovey will appear on four of the Orchestra’s five subscription series, as well as a special Gala performance featuring world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

The 2022 – 2023 season is composed of five popular concert series:

The Masterworks series brings stalwart masterpieces to life alongside fresh new works by contemporary composers. Guest appearances by distinguished conductors and soloists will include Grammy Award-winning violinists James Ehnes and Gil Shaham and acclaimed pianist Joyce Yang. Highlights will include Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4. Masterworks performances will take place at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and Neel Performing Arts Center.

A Fantastic Beginning – November 4, 5, 6
Bramwell Tovey, conductor | Joyce Yang, piano
Quinn Mason – A Joyous Trilogy
Grieg – Piano Concerto
Berlioz – Symphonie fantastique

Luminous Colors – December 2, 3, 4
Lina Gonzalez-Granados, conductor | Bomsori Kim, violin
Nina Shekhar – Lumina
Bruch – Violin Concerto No. 1
Dvořák – Symphony No. 7

Mahler: View of Heaven – January 5, 6, 7, 8
Bramwell Tovey, conductor | James Ehnes, violin | Laquita Mitchell, soprano
Sibelius – Violin Concerto
Mahler – Symphony No. 4

A Romantic Affair – February 2, 3, 4, 5
Bramwell Tovey, conductor | Nobuyuki Tsujii, piano
Brahms – Hungarian Dance No. 4
Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 2
Brahms – Symphony No. 1

Copland and Stravinsky – February 24, 25, 26
Kensho Watanabe, conductor | Karen Gomyo, violin
Jessica Hunt – Climb
Stravinsky – Violin Concerto
Copland – Symphony No. 3

Emperor – March 16, 17, 18, 19
Paul Daniel, conductor | Behzod Abduraimov, piano
Beethoven – Piano Concerto No. 5 (Emperor)
Prokofiev – Symphony No. 5

A Hero’s Life – March 31, April 1, 2
Bramwell Tovey, conductor | Gil Shaham, violin
Sarah Gibson – Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Commission
Korngold – Violin Concerto
R. Strauss – Ein Heldenleben

The Pops series delivers a diverse array of favorites, including music from Broadway, classic British popular tunes from Noel Coward to James Bond and a program of music by Billy Joel and Elton John. Sarasota Orchestra musicians will be joined by dynamic vocalists to perform these hits. Pops performances will take place at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

The Music of Billy Joel and Elton John – January 20, 21
Stuart Chafetz, conductor
Michael Cavanaugh, vocals/piano

Hits of the Brits! – March 3, 4
Bramwell Tovey, conductor

Broadway Bound – April 21, 22
William Waldrop, conductor
Carmen Ruby Floyd, vocals

The Discoveries series features 75-minute programs designed to be accessible and intriguing to both newcomers and those experienced with classical music. This season’s series focuses on the influences of various composers on one another, as well the influences of their surroundings. The series will showcase rising guest soloists and conductors including cellist Zlatomir Fung, guitarist Bokyung Byun, and conductor Joseph Young. Discoveries performances will take place at the Sarasota Opera House.

Mozart and Tchaikovsky – October 1
Bramwell Tovey, conductor | Zlatomir Fung, cello
Mozart – Symphony No. 29
Tchaikovsky – Variations on a Rococo Theme
Tchaikovsky – Suite No. 4 (Mozartiana)

The French Influencers – December 21
Sarah Ioannides, conductor
Farrenc – Overture No. 1
Liszt – “Pastoral Music at the Manger” from Christus
Bizet – Symphony in C Major

Musical Postcards – May 13
Joseph Young, conductor | Bokyung Byun, guitar
Villa-Lobos – Bachianas Brasileiras No. 9
Rodrigo – Concierto de Aranjuez
Mendelssohn – Symphony No. 4 (Italian)

The Great Escapes series is one of Sarasota Orchestra’s most popular, offering a mix of light classics and popular favorites in themed programs. Some of the themes for the coming season include A Night at the Movies, A Little Night Music, and Sounds of Spring. In this series, conductors share stories and commentary throughout each performance. Great Escapes performances will take place at Holley Hall.

A Night at the Movies – October 12-15
Lawrence Loh, conductor

Seasonal Gifts – December 7-11
Steven Jarvi, conductor

A Little Night Music – January 11-15
Christopher Confessore, conductor

Date Night – February 8-12
Steven Jarvi, conductor

American Vibes – March 8-12
John Gennaro Devlin, conductor

Sounds of Spring – April 12-15
Michelle Merrill, conductor

The Chamber Soirées are a series of musician-led, small-ensemble performances. This season includes two programs with illustrious guest artists: pianist Orion Weiss will feature on a program music for winds and piano; mezzo-soprano Susan Platts joins for a program of art song; and Bramwell Tovey takes a seat at the piano himself in a jazz-inspired program Chamber Soirées will take place at Holley Hall.

Sarasota String Quartet – October 9
Shostakovich – String Quartet No. 8
Ravel – String Quartet in F Major

Orion Weiss and Friends – November 13
Orion Weiss, piano
Bach – Trio Sonata in C Minor from The Musical Offering
Franck – Piano Quintet in F Minor

Wind Quintet and Trio – December 18
Villa-Lobos – Trio for Oboe, Clarinet and Bassoon
Maslanka – Wind Quintet No. 3

Scottish Songs – January 22
Susan Platts, mezzo-soprano
Brahms – Two Songs for Voice, Viola and Piano
Schubert – Auf Dem Strom
Beethoven – Selected Songs from Schottische Lieder

Bramwell Tovey Plays Rhapsody in Blue – February 19
Tovey – Pictures in the Smoke
Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue (Whiteman arrangement)

Schumann and Brahms – April 23
Schumann – Märchenerzählungen (Fairy Tales), Op. 132
Brahms – Piano Quartet No. 3 in C Minor

In addition to the programs on Sarasota Orchestra’s hallmark series, Bramwell Tovey will conduct two special concerts: The Thrill of a Lifetime and a Gala performance featuring special guest Yo-Yo Ma.

Thrill of a Lifetime – February 18
Bramwell Tovey, conductor | Sarasota Youth Philharmonic

Gala – March 2
Bramwell Tovey, conductor | Yo-Yo Ma, cello
Dvořák – Cello Concerto

For further information, please visit www.SarasotaOrchestra.org.