Sarasota Orchestra resumes music director search with guest conductors in 2023-24 season

Sarasota Orchestra will use the 2023-24 season to relaunch a search to find a new music director after the unexpected death of Bramwell Tovey last summer.

Tovey was selected in 2021 and put together the 2022-23 season schedule before complications from cancer led to his death before he could officially start his new job. The orchestra found several conductors to take his place on the podium and adjusted some programs tailored to Tovey’s interests and experiences.

“We all had tremendous affection for Bramwell, and what we wanted to do is something that he would be inspired by and be happy with,” said conductor Peter Oundjian, who has been working as a ‘creative partner' to program the upcoming season. “A lot of this is his legacy, even though he never started. He had a big impact when he started his relationship with the orchestra and an equally large impact when the world lost him. There was so much positive energy.”

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The new music director also is expected to be involved in the orchestra’s efforts to build a new music center on land it recently purchased on Fruitville Road near I-75.

Oundjian, who conducted three concerts last season, including a gala program with guest soloist Yo Yo Ma, will lead the orchestra in a March Masterworks concert that marks the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and conduct the February gala with guest soloist Garrick Ohlsson.

David Allan Miller, music director of the Albany Symphony Orchestra, is working as an artistic advisor to help guide personnel issues, including auditions and the tenure review process. He will lead the opening Masterworks concert on Nov. 3-5 and the May 11 Discoveries concert “Becoming Tchaikovsky.”

The other five Masterworks concerts conductors are new to the orchestra, but they are not necessarily candidates for the music director position.

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“It’s still a closed search. We’re not speaking about who is a candidate and who isn’t,” said Gordon Greenfield, the chief marketing and communications officer. He noted that Tovey was not necessarily a candidate when he led the orchestra during the initial search to replace Anu Tali, who left in 2019. Tovey later said he fell in love with the orchestra, the city of Sarasota, and the audience.

The search will likely continue into the 2024-25 season, Oundjian said. “In our minds, we’re making a two-year search of it, but it could end at any time. That’s the way things change, but we wanted to create beautiful programs that guest conductors would be comfortable with  and play a certain amount of music of today, which is always so important.”

For the Jan. 5-7 “Friends and Inspirations” Masterworks program, pianist Sir Stephen Hough will perform Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. “He’s not in this country very often. He’s a great old friend and a wonderful musician and we had to figure out when is he available and match him up with the right conductor.” For that program, the orchestra will be led by Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor laureate of the Fort Worth Symphony.

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On Oct. 27 and 28, the orchestra will perform John Williams’ score to a full screening of “Star Wars: A New Hope.” A conductor will be announced later for that program.

Masterworks series concerts are presented at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall with three also at Neel Performing Arts Center. The season also includes three Discoveries concerts (shorter programs designed to appeal to classical music veterans and newcomers); three Pops concerts which this year feature soul, Broadway and a tribute to the music of Paul Simon, James Taylor and Neil Diamond; and six Great Escapes concerts which offer a mix of popular music and light classics and engagement with the conductors. There are also six Chamber Soirees featuring different combinations of musicians.

Here’s a look at what’s coming this season

Masterworks

“Beethoven’s Eroica” Nov. 3-5, Van Wezel

David Alan Miller leads a concert that features guest violinist Tessa Lark performing Michael Torke’s concerto “Sky” for violin and orchestra, as well as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 and Johan Strauss Jr.’s overture to “Die Fledermaus.”

“The Scottish” Dec. 2-3, Van Wezel

Guest conductor Johannes Debus, music director of Toronto’s Canadian Opera Company, leads a concert with violinist Randall Goosby a veteran of the Perlman Music Program/Suncoast, in a program that includes Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 and Mendelssohn’s Scottish symphony

“Friends and Inspiration” Jan. 5 at Neel, Jan. 6-7 at Van Wezel

Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor laureate of the Fort Worth Symphony, is joined by pianist Sir Stephen Hough playing Rachamninoff’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” as well as Clarice Assad’s “Bonecos de Olinda” and Edward Elgar’s “Enigma Variations”

“Titans,” Jan. 26-28, Van Wezel

Giancarlo Guerrero, music director of the Nashville Symphony, is joined by marimba player Ji Su Jung in a concert that features Kevin Puts’ Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra and Mahler’s symphony No. 1

“Rhapsody in Blue @ 100” March 14 at Neel, March 15-17 at Van Wezel

Peter Oundjian is joined by pianist Michelle Cann for a program that includes Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and Florence Price’s Piano Concerto in One Movement, along with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.

“Yang Plays Mozart” April 12-14 at Van Wezel

Guest conductor Katharina Wincor of Austria makes her Sarasota Orchestra debut in this program that features Joyce Yang performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24. The concert also includes Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8 and a piece by Sarasota Youth Orchestra graduate Roger Zare called “NEOWISE,” inspired by a recently discovered comet.

Discoveries

These roughly hour-long concerts feature commentary from the conductor to help connect audience members with the music. All are held at the Sarasota Opera House.

“London Calling” Oct. 21

Conductor Nicholas McGegan returns to lead this program that includes Richard Strauss’ Serenade for Winds, Edward Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro for String Quartet and Strings and Haydn’s Symphony No. 104 (London).

“Cheers to the Music of Dance” Dec. 20

Guest conductor Yue Bao in her Sarasota debut, leads this concert that celebrates dance music, from Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5 to Poulenc’s “Sinfonietta” (turned into a ballet by Frederic Ashton), Johan Strauss Jr.’s Voices of Spring and Gluck’s “Dance of the Blessed Sprits.”

“Becoming Tchaikovsky” May 11

David Alan Miller returns for this concert that features cellist Zlatomir Fung performing Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme in a program that also includes excerpts from Bizet’s “Carmen,” part of Edvard Grieg’s “Peer Gynt” and contemporary composer Missy Mazzoli’s “These Words in Us.”

Special Events

Concert & Gala, Feb. 15, Van Wezel

Pianist Garrick Ohlsson joins conductor Peter Oundjian in a program that includes Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris.”

‘Star Wars: A New Hope’ 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27-28, Van Wezel

The Sarasota Orchestra accompanies a screening of the original “Star Wars” film from 1977 (now called “A New Hope”) performing John Williams’ score live.

Chamber Soireés

There will be six Chamber Soirees, with different combinations of chamber groups on Oct. 8, Nov. 19, Dec. 21, Jan. 21, Feb. 25 and March 21 in Holley Hall in the Symphony Center.

Pops

“Broadway Showstoppers” Jan. 19-20, Van Wezel

Broadway singers Ali Ewoldt, Teri Hansen and Sean MacLaughlin join conductor Evan Roider for a program of Broadway favorites.

“The Music of Paul Simon, James Taylor and Neil Diamond” March 1-2, Van Wezel

After playing the music of Billy Joel and Elton John this past season, singer and pianist Michael Cavanaugh joins with conductor Christopher Confessore for a program of hits by three of the biggest music stars of the 1960s-1990s.

“She’s Got Soul” April 19-20 Van Wezel

Capathia Jenkins, a recording artist and star of several Broadway musicals, joins conductor Lucas Waldin for an evening of soul favorites by such stars as Toni Braxton, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Adele and others.

Great Escapes

Six concerts are presented in multiple performances in Holley Hall

“New York, New York” Oct. 11-14, conductor David Alan Miller

“Holiday Party,” Dec. 6-10, conductor Kelly Corocoran

“By Special Arrangement,” Jan. 10-14, ?Conductor Christopher Confessore

“Revolutionary Music,” Jan. 31-Feb. 4, conductor Lawrence Loh

“Luck of the Irish,” March 6-10, conductor Steven Jarvi

“Fantastic Voyage,” April 24-27, conductor Christopher Confessore

For ticket information: A variety of subscription packages are available for different series and locations. 941-953-3434; sarasotaorchestra.org

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Music director search: Guest conductors booked for Sarasota Orchestra