Joseph Holt News

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota presents cellist Zlatomir Fung, the first of three rising young stars coming to Sarasota from Young Concert Artists International, the non-profit agency that's helped launch the careers of such greats as Pinchas Zukerman, Emanuel Ax, Dawn Upshaw and many others. Fresh off his win at the recent International Tchaikovsky Competition a?" considered by many to be the a?oeOlympics of classical musica?? - Fung is well on his way to international stardom. In celebration of Beethoven's 250th anniversary and in a cello tour de force, Fung and pianist Angie Zhang will perform two separate all-Beethoven programs, covering the variations and all five sonatas for cello and piano, staples of the cello repertoire that essentially depict the full life story of the famed composer. The two performances, sponsored by Artist Series Concerts FRIENDS, take place on November 2, 7:30 p.m. and November 3, 3:00 p.m., at the Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. Tickets are $25 - $45 and are available at www.ArtistSeriesConcerts.org or by calling 941-306-1202, M-F, 10 a?" 4. Those interested in purchasing tickets for both performances can call 941-306-1202 to receive a 15% package discount.

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota launches its 24th season with the return of acclaimed vocalist Jennifer Sheehan in a?oeI Know a Place,a?? her tribute to favorite hits of the '60s. Sheehan and her trio, which includes noted Broadway pianist James Followell, guitarist Stephen Benson and percussionist Dan Gross, offers a rich, and dare we say, groovy, assortment of tunes covering everything from Broadway, the Beatles and Bossa Nova, to Bacharach, Blossom Dearie, Simon and Garfunkel and so much more. Guests are also encouraged to don their favorite '60s attire.

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota enters its 24th season of bringing unique and diverse musical experiences to the region with a dynamic and international array of both established and emerging classical, jazz and pops artists. The season, which runs October 2019 through June 2020, features 28 performances at venues in Sarasota and Venice. The programs cover Artist Series Concerts' trademark range of diverse musical offerings, including classical recitals, pops, jazz and world music, chamber soirees, and luncheon and dinner concerts.

Artist Series Concerts celebrates Mother's Day and closes out its 23rd season with "An Afternoon of Operetta," Sunday, May 12, 4:00 p.m. at the Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. Soloists Emily Martin, Stacey Rishoi, Mark Lubas, Luis Gonzalez and Garrett Obrycki are joined by singers from Choral Artists of Sarasota for a program showcasing highlights of popular operettas, including Offenbach's "Can-Can" and "Barcarolle," von Suppe's "Poet and Peasant" overture and much more. The performance also features a condensed concert version of Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance" that includes "Poor Wandering One," "The Pirate King," "The Modern Major General" and others. Joseph Holt takes to the keyboards for the production, joined by Daniel Jordan, violin, Samantha Bennett, violin, Steven Laraia, viola and Natalie Helm, cello, all principal musicians with the Sarasota Orchestra. A post-concert reception with the artists will be held immediately after the performance on the second floor of the Opera House. Tickets for the concert are $20 - $55. Ticket for the reception are $35 and include an open bar and hors d'oeuvres. All tickets are available online at www.artistseriesconcerts.org or by calling 941-306-1202, Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Student tickets for the concert, priced at $10, are available with current student ID at the door.

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota presents the Goldstein-Peled-Fiterstein Trio with Alon Goldstein, piano, Amit Peled, cello and Alexander Fiterstein, clarinet, Saturday, April 6, 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 7, 3:00 p.m., at the Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota

Artist Series Concerts wraps up its 2019 Venice season with "Piano Pizzazz Meets Fiddle Finesse," featuring the dynamic duo of pianist and vocalist Brian Gurl and Sarasota Orchestra violinist Carlann Evans, Tuesday,March 26, at the Plantation Golf & Country Club.

Artist Series Concerts concludes its 2019 Sarasota Lunch & Listen series with Mallets and Forethought, featuring acclaimed area percussionist George Nickson. Nickson will be showcasing the versatility and sonority of the marimba with a program that includes selections from Debussy's Children's Corner Suite, Robert Oetomo's arrangement of Over the Rainbow, and many other musical surprises.

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota presents Stan Kenton Big Band, Sunday, March 17, 3:00 p.m., at the Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Way, Venice. Downtown Venice will be swinging as eighteen of the region's best saxophonists, trumpeters, trombonists and rhythm players take to the VPAC stage to perform such Kenton hits as Peanut Vendor, Artistry in Rhythm, September Song, Eager Beaver and many more.

Artists Series Concerts of Sarasota presents Grammy Award-winning clarinetist Richard Stoltzman, joined by his son, pianist Peter John Stoltzman, in Celebrating Bernstein's World, Saturday, March 9, 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 10, 3:00 p.m., at the Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota.

Artist Series Concerts continues its 2019 Venice season with a dinner concert featuring My Three Sons, the vocal quartet comprised of Stephen, David, Michael and Nate Ditchfield from the acclaimed Ditchfield family of singers.

Countless lives were transformed by the war that split the nation, and many stories are still being uncovered that tell how the Civil War and the Reconstruction era affected Kentuckians. One such narrative is that of Sandy Holt, who, in the summer of 1864, joined tens of thousands of former slaves and enlisted in the United States Colored Troops. He put his life on the line to secure the Union's survival and the end of slavery. Hundreds of miles away in a federal office, Sandy Holt's former owner, Joseph Holt, worked to achieve the same goals. No one could have predicted before the Civil War that these two very different but interconnected Kentuckians would be crucial participants in the Union war effort. Joseph Holt's radical transformation and the contributions of black Kentuckians in the United States Colored Troops have long been underestimated.

Artist Series Concerts opens its 2019 Venice Lunch & Listen series with the Melodica Men, the young Juilliard- and Peabody Conservatory-trained duo who shot to Internet fame around the world when the video of their Rite of Spring for melodica (half keyboard, half harmonica), went viral with over 1.5 million views in one day.

Artist Series Concert of Sarasota Launches New Season with Forbidden Broadway

Artists Series Concerts of Sarasota launches its 2019 Venice series season with "Forbidden Broadway," the long-running Off-Broadway musical revue where legends past and present meet with nimble satire in a hilarious roast of some of the theatre's greatest stars and songwriters, Sunday, January 27, 3:00 p.m., at the Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Way, Venice. The four-person parody, featuring a cast rich in Broadway and Off-Broadway experience, skewers such iconic shows as "Chicago," "Annie," "Les Miz," "The Lion King," and "Hamilton," and such celebrated performers as Liza Minelli, Carol Channing, Robert Goulet, and many more. 

Artists Series Concerts of Sarasota presents "Images," with Alexander Moutouzkine, piano and Edward Alley, narrator, January 12, 7:30 p.m., and January 13, 3:00 p.m., at the Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota

John Fischer, managing director of Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota, has announced that he will retire in June following the organization's 2018-19 season. He will have served as the organization's managing director for 17 years

Artists Series Concerts of Sarasota welcomes back acclaimed singers, songwriters and entertainers Will and Anthony Nunziata, performing "Soundtrack: The Music of Our Lives," a program created especially for Artist Series Concerts, on Sunday, December 2, 4:00 p.m., at the Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota.

Choral Artists of Sarasota Present A Celebration of Christian, Jewish and Islamic Faiths

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota is pleased to present baritone John Brancy and pianist Peter Dugan performing "Armistice: The Journey Home," Saturday, November 3, 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, November 4, 3:00 p.m., at the Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. The program, which tells the story of men and women who must find their way back home, literally and figuratively, from the ravages of war, features a compelling selection of music by Holst, Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Irving Berlin, Pete Seeger, and more. Reserved seat tickets are $25 to $45 and are available online at www.artistseriesconcerts.org or by calling 941-306-1202. $10 student tickets are available at the door with current student ID.

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota launches its 23rd season with an exuberant reprise of "Piano Grand," the sell-out concert featuring five Steinway & Sons concert grand pianos together on one stage, Saturday, October 6, 4:00 p.m., at the Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota.