Sarasota Orchestra Completes Purchase of Land for New Music Center

May 2, 2023 – Sarasota

On Tuesday, Sarasota Orchestra completed its purchase of the 32-acre parcel at 5701 Fruitville Road, reaching a significant milestone in the journey to build a new Music Center featuring one of only four concert halls for acoustic music in Florida and the first on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

With ownership of the land and county approval to build the Music Center’s concert hall at the desired height to optimize acoustics, Sarasota Orchestra can now move forward with planning to realize a transformative vision nearly 10 years in the making. The Orchestra expects to finalize its Music Center project scope and timeline later this year, following the completion of a fundraising feasibility study, which is underway and will continue through mid-2023.

“The need for a Music Center is existential,” said Sarasota Orchestra Board Chair Tom Koski. “Like the great halls that have elevated orchestras around the world, Sarasota Orchestra’s Music Center and its acoustic concert hall are critical to the continued vitality and growth of our organization, and furthering the performing arts brand of the region. I’m proud Sarasota Orchestra has achieved this important milestone and I am confident we’re ideally positioned to advance a project that will benefit our entire community.”

Along with the 1,800-seat concert hall built specifically to showcase acoustic music, aspirational plans for the Music Center also include a 700-seat flexible-use performance space, multiple rehearsal and practice rooms, music storage and office space. These facilities will serve as important resources for the Orchestra and many of the nearly 30 peer organizations that also face challenges in securing performance and rehearsal dates due to the limitations of the region’s existing arts and cultural infrastructure. The new Music Center will also provide expanded space and increased opportunities for the growth of Sarasota Orchestra’s youth education programs. 

For more information about Sarasota Orchestra’s Music Center, visit https://www.sarasotaorchestra.org/musiccenter.