Jeffrey Kahane to Step Down as Music Director of Sarasota Music Festival

After nine seasons as Music Director of the Sarasota Music Festival, conductor, pianist, and pedagogue Jeffrey Kahane will step back from the leadership role of the Festival, founded 61 years ago.

Board Chair Tom Koski shared, “We are immensely grateful to Jeffrey for guiding the Festival through the pandemic period and for bringing fresh thinking to the post-COVID landscape. His development of the faculty and varied programs provides a launch point for the next iteration of our wonderful summer festival.”

Kahane added, “It has been one of the great privileges of my career to lead the Sarasota Music Festival. The Festival holds a unique and vital place in the musical landscape, and I’m proud of what we’ve created together—especially the extraordinary faculty and transformative experiences we’ve offered our fellows.”

Kahane’s Legacy

During his tenure, Kahane expanded the Festival’s core by welcoming internationally renowned chamber ensembles—including the Attacca, Calidore, Borromeo, and Pacifica String Quartets, as well as the Montrose Trio—to collaborate with fellows. He also broadened the Festival’s scope to include world music, jazz, folk, and workshops on improvisation, yoga, and mindfulness.

Kahane also conducted the Sarasota Orchestra, the managing organization of the Festival, and served as an artistic advisor during its music director search that culminated in the appointment of Bramwell Tovey.

Currently Music Director of the San Antonio Philharmonic, Kahane maintains an active international career as soloist, chamber musician, conductor, and teacher at USC Thornton School of Music.

Sarasota Orchestra President & CEO Joseph McKenna confirmed, “We are thrilled that Jeffrey will return to perform as a guest soloist with the Sarasota Orchestra in the 26–27 season, and we are confident he will return to the Festival in the future as a teacher and performer.”

Festival’s Future

The next Sarasota Music Festival will be held June 1–13, 2026 in a new two-week format curated by faculty artists, focusing on chamber music collaborations with pre-professional fellows.

The transition follows significant operational changes, including the demolition of the Hyatt Regency, which had served as the Festival’s “campus.” Beginning in 2026, participants will be housed at Sarasota’s Art Ovation Hotel.

“This is an opportunity to rethink our vision and further integrate the Festival into our community,” said McKenna. “The best way to preserve the Festival’s mission of training the next generation of classical musicians is to evolve our programs on a financially sustainable model.”

About Jeffrey Kahane

Celebrated for his “imagination, devotion and supreme musicianship” (Los Angeles Times), Kahane’s career spans five decades as pianist, conductor, and scholar. He has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, and toured internationally with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra during his 20-year tenure as its music director. Kahane has premiered concertos written for him by Kevin Puts, Andrew Norman, and his son Gabriel Kahane, and continues to balance teaching, performing, and guest conducting.

More at jeffreykahane.net.

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