Grammy winners, major soloists join Sarasota Concert Association 2023-24 series
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After a season that included several emotion-filled performances and a boost in attendance after pandemic-related disruptions, the Sarasota Concert Association is planning a year of concerts by some top artists, Grammy Award winners and ensembles, several of them new to the Sarasota area.
The 2023 Great Performers Series included farewell programs by the Emerson String Quartet, which is retiring after 47 years, and Riccardo Muti, in one of his final concerts before he steps down as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The season also included Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine, which attracted many members of the local Ukrainian community, with patrons waving flags amid the war against Russia.
Executive Director Linda Moxley said the organization has “recovered nicely” after the pandemic, with an 11 percent jump in subscriptions, a large number of new ticket buyers and nearly half of the concerts sold out.
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Here is a look at who will be performing in 2023-24.
Canadian Brass
Dec. 4. Sarasota Opera House
Arguably the world’s most famous brass quintet will present a prelude to the regular Great Performers series with a Christmas-themed concert. “They’re known for doing clever arrangements and a little choreography in their performances,” Moxley said. The concert marks the group’s 25th anniversary.
Sofia Philharmonic
Jan. 15, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Conductor Nayden Todorov leads the orchestra and violin soloist Liya Petrova in a program that includes Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Brahms’ Violin Concerto.
Harlem Quartet
Jan. 24, Riverview Performing Arts Center
New to the Concert Association series, the string quartet plays “an eclectic mix of classical pieces along with Dizzy Gillespie and other jazz standards,” Moxley said. In addition, the performers will extend their stay to lead programs for music students at Booker High School’s Visual and Performing Arts Center and possibly a local college.
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Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Feb. 19, Van Wezel
In a concert that was delayed because of the pandemic, Music Director Jader Bignamini leads the ensemble in a concert that includes Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade,” with guest cellist Alisa Weilerstein. “She is considered one of the great cellists,” Moxley said.
Rotterdam Philharmonic
March 3, Van Wezel
Acclaimed Grammy Award-winning Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov, who was named Musical America’s Musician of the Year in 2019, joins the philharmonic for Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2. The orchestra, led by the dynamic young music director Lahav Shani, also will play excerpts from Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet” and other works.
Bruce Liu
March 29, Riverview Performing Arts Center
The winner of the 2021 Chopin International Piano Competition, Liu drew cheers when he joined the Warsaw Philharmonic for a 2022 SCA concert. “He just brought the house down with the audience at the Van Wezel. It was the longest standing ovation I can recall,” Moxley said. Liu returns for a recital to close the Great Performers Series with a mostly French program of works by Ravel, Chopin and others.
Subscriptions to the five-concert Great Performers Series are available now for $125 to $415, which includes a discount on single ticket prices. A three-concert mini-subscription will be available in mid-July, and single tickets will go on sale Sept. 5. For more information: 941-966-6161; scasarasota.org
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Grammy winners, major soloists in Sarasota Concert Association series
