Sarasota Orchestra Announces March 2023 Concert Lineup

This March, Sarasota Orchestra's Pops and Great Escapes series feature many different flavors of American music, from swing to hip hop and from Dvořák's "New World" to Copland's "Simple Gifts."

A special performance by renowned touring ensemble the Sphinx Virtuosi presents a unique opportunity to hear music by diverse voices through the lens of classical tradition. The Masterworks series closes with a highly anticipated commission as part of the League of American Orchestra's Virginia B. Toulmin Orchestral Commissions Program.

Special Concert and Gala

Classical music's most celebrated artist is coming to Sarasota. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, a transcendent musician and renowned humanitarian, will perform in a special, sold-out event featuring Dvořák's ravishing Cello Concerto. Conductor Peter Oundjian, former member of the award-winning Tokyo String Quartet and Music Director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for 14 years, will conduct. He holds the position of Creative Consultant with Sarasota Orchestra.

March 2 | 7:00pm | Van Wezel

How: Sold out. Contact the Box Office for wait list details at (941) 953-3434.

Pops: Gershwin, Berlin, & Friends

This finger-snapping program shines a spotlight on great composers of the early 20th century, including George Gershwin ("Fascinating Rhythm"), Irving Berlin ("Alexander's Ragtime Band"), and Isham Jones ("It Had To Be You"). Their tunes hold timeless melodies and rhythms that continue to lift spirits today. Joined on keyboard by Bobby Floyd, member of the Legendary Count Basie Orchestra, and chanteuse Sydney McSweeney, jazz trumpeter Byron Stripling dons two extra hats as conductor and vocalist. The result: an inspiring sonic portrait of how this collection of songs shaped the Great American Songbook.

When/Where:

March 3 | 7:30pm | Van Wezel

March 4 | 2:30pm | Van Wezel

March 4 | 7:30pm | Van Wezel

How: Tickets from $40, available at www.SarasotaOrchestra.org or (941) 953-3434

Great Escapes 5: American Vibes

Explore the wide variety of musical expression among American composers and the rich inspiration their heritage provides. Listeners will enjoy music from Broadway, Disney, and the Great American Songbook. The program also takes a sojourn into the traditional orchestral canon through a movement from Dvořák's "New World" Symphony and Copland's poignant variations on the Shaker tune known as "Simple Gifts." John Gennaro Devlin, Music Director of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, leads the concert.

When/Where:

March 8 | 5:30pm | Holley Hall

March 9 | 7:30pm | Holley Hall

March 10 | 5:30pm | Holley Hall

March 11 | 7:30pm | Holley Hall

March 12 | 4:00pm | Holley Hall

How: Tickets from $45, available at www.SarasotaOrchestra.org or (941) 953-3434

Masterworks 6: Emperor

Young Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov, whom The Independent calls "the most perfectly accomplished pianist of his generation," makes his Sarasota Orchestra debut in Beethoven's epic "Emperor" Concerto, which embodies Beethoven's triumphant heroic period of composition. Sergei Prokofiev composed his ballet music based upon Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in 1935, but it would be five years before it reached the stage in Russia. Guest conductor Sascha Goetzel has curated a collection from the stunning orchestral suites. Goetzel is Music Director of the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire and Music Director Laureate of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra.

When/Where:

March 16 | 7:30pm | Neel PAC

March 17 | 7:30pm | Van Wezel

March 18 | 7:30pm | Van Wezel

March 19 | 2:30pm | Van Wezel

How: Tickets from $37, available at www.SarasotaOrchestra.org or (941) 953-3434

Sphinx Virtuosi: Songs for Our Times

The Sphinx Virtuosi is a professional, self-conducted ensemble, composed of 18 accomplished Black and Latinx artists. This program celebrates creative Living Voices while reflecting on and paying tribute to the classical tradition through today's lens. The Sphinx Organization is a nationally recognized non-profit dedicated to transforming lives and raising awareness through the power of diversity in the arts. The concert will be followed by a Q&A segment with members of the Sphinx ensemble.

When: March 26, 4:00pm

Where: Holley Hall

How: Tickets from $35, available at www.SarasotaOrchestra.org or (941) 953-3434

Masterworks 7: A Hero's Life

Sarasota Orchestra concludes the Masterworks season with a program of heroic proportions. Internationally acclaimed violinist Gil Shaham shines in one of his signature works: Korngold's sweeping, cinematic Violin Concerto. The Orchestra is the star of Richard Strauss' virtuosic tone poem Ein Heldenleben (A Hero's Life). This thinly veiled musical autobiography includes snippets of Strauss' greatest hits and has been thrilling audiences for 125 years. The Orchestra will premiere a new work by Sarah Gibson entitled to make this mountain taller, a commission of the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Carlos Miguel Prieto, Music Director of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México and of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, will conduct.

When/Where:

March 31 | 7:30pm | Van Wezel

April 1 | 7:30pm | Van Wezel

April 2 | 2:30pm | Van Wezel

How: Tickets from $37, available at www.SarasotaOrchestra.org or (941) 953-3434

Since 1949, Sarasota Orchestra has inspired and entertained music-lovers across the region and visitors from around the world. As the oldest continuing orchestra in the state of Florida, each year the 76-member Orchestra performs more than 100 classical, pops, chamber music, and community outreach concerts. Sarasota Orchestra's acclaimed music education program includes the Sarasota Youth Orchestras, established in 1959. Sarasota Orchestra is also the parent program of the world-renowned Sarasota Music Festival, founded in 1965. For further information, please visit www.SarasotaOrchestra.org.