Joseph Holt News

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.

USM faculty cellist William Rounds performs Oswaldo Golijov's stunning solo cello work Omaramor then joins with USM alumna and former faculty member Elisabeth Marshall, soprano, presenting a collection of poems by Anne Bradstreet with music by James Kallembach. PSO principal oboist Amanda Hardy is then featured for a performance of an oboe/cello duo by Marilyn Zupnick. Finally, Rounds will perform the famed cello/bass duo by Gioachinno Rossini with PSO principal bassist Joseph Holt. Three of the works have been published within the last 20 years, making this a most relevant program for our time.

USM faculty cellist William Rounds performs Oswaldo Golijov's stunning solo cello work Omaramor then joins with USM alumna and former faculty member Elisabeth Marshall, soprano, presenting a collection of poems by Anne Bradstreet with music by James Kallembach. PSO principal oboist Amanda Hardy is then featured for a performance of an oboe/cello duo by Marilyn Zupnick. Finally, Rounds will perform the famed cello/bass duo by Gioachinno Rossini with PSO principal bassist Joseph Holt. Three of the works have been published within the last 20 years, making this a most relevant program for our time.

Composed by Carl Orff in 1935, Carmina Burana is described as a scenic cantata incorporating narratives and pieces of music for voices with instrumental accompaniment, typically with solos, chorus, and orchestra. Scenic cantatas often add portraiture, dance or other forms of moving media that further add a layer of dimension to the performance. Its full Latin title means 'songs for singers and choruses to be sung together with instruments and magical images'. It is part of Trionfi, a musical triptych that includes Catulli, Carmina and Trionfo di Afrodite. The first and last movements of the piece are called Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi ('Fortune, Empress of the World') and start with the very well known 'O Fortuna', which you have heard in numerous films and other dramatic media pieces.

Artists Series Concerts of Sarasota presents the genre-bending trio Take 3 in The Beatles to Broadway, Sunday, January 28, 3:00 p.m., at Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Avenue, Venice. Lindsay Deutsch, violin, Susan Boettger, piano, and Lila Yang, cello, perform a multifaceted program that includes tangos, music from the movies, Broadway and familiar classics presented with a flair for the wild and unexpected. The program features works by Gershwin, Prokofiev, Leonard Cohen, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder and more. Tickets are $30-$45 and are available online at www.artistseriesconcerts.org or by calling 941-306-1202. $10 Student tickets are available with current student ID at the door.

Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning's popular Music Mondays series features informal performances and lively conversations with renowned performers and conductors. Monday Music sessions are held on Mondays through March 26. The morning sessions, hosted by Edward Alley, are 10:30 a.m. at Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road. Afternoon sessions, hosted by Dr. Joseph Holt and Robert Sherman, are at 3 p.m. at Venice Presbyterian Church, 825 The Rialto. Tickets are $10 per session. To purchase tickets, visit www.sillsarasota.org. For more information, call 941-365-6404.

Carl Orff's classical choral masterpiece Carmina Burana will burst into life in a lush production designed for two choruses, three soloists, a two-piano percussion ensemble, and dynamic premiere choreography of Leymis Bola os Wilmott of Sarasota Contemporary Dance. Carmina Burana in Motion is presented by Choral Artists of Sarasota, Saturday, February 3, 4 p.m., at Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door. $15 student tickets are available with ID at the door.

Acclaimed Canadian jazz vocalist June Garber returns to Sarasota to ring in the holidays with A Cool Yule, December 16, 7:30 p.m., and December 17, 3:00 p.m., at the Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bayshore Road, Sarasota.

Under the direction of Dr. Joseph Holt, The Choral Artists of Sarasota, previously known as Gloria Musicae, an ensemble of 40 singers, presented Too Hot to Handel, their gospel version of Handle's Messiah last year to a crowd that wanted more. This year they moved the performance that packed the Opera House last year to the Van Wezel Hall and added the State College of Florida Concert Choir, the Festival Singers of Florida and the Manatee School for the Arts Chamber Choir.

Acclaimed Canadian jazz vocalist June Garber returns to Sarasota to ring in the holidays with A Cool Yule, December 16, 7:30 p.m., and December 17, 3:00 p.m., at the Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bayshore Road, Sarasota.

They're back! Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota launches its 22nd season with an exuberant reprise of Piano Grand, a performance featuring five world-class pianists Don Bryn, Joseph Holt, Andrew Lapp, Thomas Purviance and Jonathan Spivey and five Steinway & Sons concert grand pianos.

They're back! Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota launches its 22nd season with an exuberant reprise of Piano Grand, a performance featuring five world-class pianists Don Bryn, Joseph Holt, Andrew Lapp, Thomas Purviance and Jonathan Spivey and five Steinway & Sons concert grand pianos.

Tickets for Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota's 22nd season will be available online beginning July 15 at www.artistseriesconcerts.org. The season, which features a dynamic line-up of established and emerging classical, cabaret, jazz and pops artists, runs September 2017 through May 2018.  The performances will be held at a variety of venues throughout Sarasota County.

The Choral Artists of Sarasota salute Independence Day with rousing songs celebrating America, including perennial favorites "God Bless America," "You're a Grand Old Flag," "This is My Country," "the Battle Hymn of the Republic," "America, the Beautiful" and more.

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota recently announced the winners of the 2017 National Piano Competition. The competition rotates each year between, piano, voice and string instruments and is open to talented young musicians who are residents of the United States. The finals were held April 29 at the Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center in Sarasota. A total of $21,600 was awarded to eight contestants. Scroll down for photos!

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota enters its 22nd season bringing a diverse selection of musical experiences to the region with a dynamic line-up of established and emerging classical, cabaret, jazz and pops artists. The season, which runs September 2017 through May 2018, features 41 performances at a variety of venues throughout Sarasota County. Concerts cover a wide range of musical offerings, including classical recitals, pops, jazz and cabaret concerts, a Bach festival, chamber soirees and the popular Lunch & Listen series.

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota presents soprano Maria Wirries and seven outstanding young performers from Penn State University's Musical Theatre program in "Hot 'n' Cole: A Cole Porter Celebration," Sunday, May 14, 3:00 p.m., at the Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota. In celebration of the genius of Cole Porter, these eight outstanding young artists will take audiences on a spirited journey through the best of the renowned American songwriter's works. Tickets are $45 and are available at www.artistseriesconcerts.org or by calling 941-306-1202 (M-F, 10-4). Student tickets, for $10, are available at the door. 

Gloria Musicae launches its 38th season with more of the innovative, cutting-edge programming that has become the organization's hallmark under the artistic direction of Dr. Joseph Holt. It also has a brand-new name-the Choral Artists of Sarasota.

Gloria Musicae! Sarasota's Treasured Professional Choral Group.

DUCK THE HALLS: A MICKEY MOUSE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL, premieres FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9 (8:30-9:00 p.m. EST), on Disney Channel, the Disney Channel app and Disney Channel VOD. It will also be televised Monday, December 12 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EST), on Disney XD.