Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota Celebrates 30th Anniversary Season in 2025-2026

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota (ASC) will celebrate its 30th anniversary during the 2025-2026 season. The season runs from October 12, 2025 through May 10, 2026 and features an inspired mix of emerging and renowned artists spanning classical, jazz, chamber music, and bold, boundary-crossing collaborations. Discounted tickets are available through August 15; regular prices take effect August 16. For more information, visit ArtistSeriesConcerts.org or call (941) 306-1202.

The 30th anniversary season opens October 12 with a concert in the Sunday Best series. Contrasts features the former concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera, violinist Nicholas Eanet, with pianist Jungeun Kim, cellist Natalie Helm, and clarinetist Bharat Chandra. This program includes piano trios by Schubert and Dvořák; and Bela Bartok’s Contrasts, a piece commissioned by Benny Goodman. The series continues November 23 with the Fry Street Quartet – Grand Prize winner at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition – in a program which includes Debussy’s only string quartet, Beethoven’s Opus 130 quartet, and Grammy Award-winning composer Jessie Montgomery’s Source Code. DragonBoot Quartet members are current students in the Honors Chamber Music Program at the Juilliard School. As an all-women group, they are particularly interested in performing works by women composers to highlight their contributions to the repertoire. They perform on March 2. Baroque Treasurescloses the series and the season on May 10. Sarasota Orchestra principal oboe Bobby Nunes and principal harp Phoebe Powell each perform a concerto for their instrument by baroque master G.F. Handel, and join forces for Debussy’s enchanting Album of Five Pieces for Oboe and Harp. Concerts in the Sunday Best series are presented at First Presbyterian Church in Sarasota at 4:00 p.m. and are followed by a reception with the artists. A 10% discount is offered when purchasing the complete Sunday Best series.

The trademark Soirée series is presented in the one-of-a-kind music room of the Fischer/Weisenborne residence. Legacy, which celebrates the dedication of Dr. Joseph Holt as a star of Sarasota’s music scene for the past 16 years, kicks off this series on October 19 and 20. Holt joins Sarasota Orchestra concertmaster Daniel Jordan and assistant principal cellist Christopher Schnell in an all-Russian program of Rachmaninoff, Kabalevsky, and Shostakovich, exploring each composer’s response to Soviet oppression. Follow the Lieder, on February 1 and 2, showcases violinist Blake Pouliot and pianist Henry Kramer in a program devoted to the influence of art song on instrumental music, including selections by Schumann and Chausson, Pouliot’s own arrangement of Dvořák’s Zigeunerlieder, and music from the opera Carmen. Lasting Impressions, on April 5 and 6, features Sarasota Orchestra principal second violinist Michael Turkell; Victor Minke Huls, cello; and Maria Parrini, piano. The delicate beauty of impressionist music forms the heart of this captivating program that includes violin and piano sonatas by Enescu and Fauré, and Ravel’s duo for violin and cello. These intimate 4:00 p.m. concerts give the audience the opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with the musicians, and refreshments are served following each performance. A 10% discount is offered when purchasing the complete Soirée series. The Soirée series is sponsored by Sora Yelin and Josh Yelin in loving memory of Cary F. Yelin.

The Top Shelf Tuesdays series is back for its second season featuring international superstars in concert at 7:30 p.m. at First Congregational United Church of Christ. The Queen’s Six returns to Sarasota on October 28 for an encore to their sold-out 2023 ASC performance. Living and working in Windsor Castle, the group performs at weekly services and special events for the royal family—including the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Their diverse repertoire includes austere early chant, florid Renaissance polyphony, madrigals, folk songs, and jazz and pop arrangements. YCA on Tour is a chamber music touring ensemble that is made up of the incredible talent of current Young Concert Artists and esteemed alumni from the YCA family. Their program, on December 9, features Franz Schubert’s final chamber work: his poignant String Quintet in C major for two cellos. Quartet in residence at the Curtis Institute of Music, the Erinys Quartet presents a program of music by Schubert, Bartok, and Brahms on January 13. James Ehnes and Friends, on February 10, finds Ehnes, one of the world’s preeminent violin soloists, back in Sarasota after his extraordinary 2024 ASC program. He’ll perform with pianist Andrew Armstrong, violinist Daniel Jordan, violists Stephanie Block and Nathan Frantz, and cellists Natalie Helm and Bjorn Ranheim. Voice of the Cello, on April 21, sees the return of cellist Cameron Crozman and pianist Meagan Milatz following their stellar 2023 ASC performance. The pair will perform music by Debussy and Gershwin, and a piece written for them by composer Graham Campbell, plus Robert Schumann’s Piano Quartet in E-flat Major with Daniel Jordan and violist Margaret Dyer Harris. A 10% discount is offered when purchasing the complete Top Shelf Tuesdays series. The Top Shelf Tuesdays series is sponsored by Jan and Bill Farber.  

The Lunch and Listen series continues at the Sarasota Yacht Club. This series spotlights gifted young artists in concert at 11:00 a.m. followed by lunch. How Low Can You Go featuring bassoonist Eleni Katz and double bassist Nina Bernat opens this series on November 13. Their program, “Basso Vox,” includes music by Bach, Mozart and Piazzolla. Morning Song, on December 18, showcases the talents of mezzo soprano Erin Wagner and tenor Daniel McGrew. Accompanied by Sarasota Opera pianist Jesse Martins, their program includes music from opera and Broadway along with some holiday favorites. Trumpeter William Leathers, principal trumpet of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and the Santa Fe Opera, presents Trumpet Talk on January 22. Joined by Joseph Holt on piano, Leathers’ program includes trumpet music by film composer John Williams and Chopin’s Ballade #1 with Leathers himself at the piano. ArcoStrum, committed to redefining the 21st century violin-guitar art form, presents innovative chamber music that blends multiple genres, eras, and cultures on March 5. The duo’s unique concert programming includes original transcriptions of beloved classical repertoire, progressive rock, and traditional Chinese instrumental music. Saxophone Splendor closes this series on April 30. Hailing from Siberia, classical saxophonist Valentin Kovalev is an ebullient and highly eclectic performer and winner of multiple prestigious international competitions. Joined by Joseph Holt on piano, Kovalev’s program includes music by Bach, Rachmaninoff, Bizet, and Piazzolla. The Lunch and Listen series is sponsored by Don and Jo Ann Burhart and Kandy Kaak.

The popular Lighter Fare series offers concerts outdoors at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Downtown Campus, and indoors at Plantation Golf and Country Club (PGCC) in Venice. Programs at PGCC include dinner following the concert. The series kicks off November 20 at Selby Gardens with Astral Mixtape, whose live performances synthesize the spectacle of pop, the spontaneity of jazz, and the experimentation of contemporary music. The Mike Block Trio fertilizes American roots and Appalachian folk music with contemporary and international influences, bringing an exciting and personal perspective to the acoustic music scene. Their concert is at PGCC on January 6. PGCC next hosts Invoke on March 17. Fueled by their passion for storytelling, Invoke weaves together a multitude of musical styles to form a unique contemporary repertoire featuring original works composed by and for the group.

The 30th anniversary will be celebrated with a concert and dinner gala at Selby Gardens on February 24. A vocal quartet from Choral Artists of Sarasota – Michaela Ristaino, Amy Connours, Justin Gomlak, and Jesse Martin – with Joseph Holt at the piano, will perform popular operetta selections including music from Showboat and Porgy & Bess. Cocktails, music, dinner and surprises will combine for an unforgettable pearl anniversary celebration. 

Keren Shani-Lifrak, incoming executive director, stated, “Our 30th ‘pearl’ season is going to be extraordinary! As we honor our past, we also look toward the future with fresh energy. Daniel Jordan continues to guide our programming with remarkable creativity, and we’re embracing opportunities that reflect the richness and diversity of Sarasota’s cultural landscape. We’re excited to feature some of the most exceptional emerging artists currently performing on the world’s stages—aligned closely with our mission.”

She continued, “The Queen’s Six of Windsor Castle, who performed at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, return to Sarasota. On the other end of the musical spectrum, Astral Mixtape creates groundbreaking original works using classical instruments and electronics. Invoke, a multi-instrumental quartet which ‘successfully dodges even the most valiant attempts at genre classification’ encompasses traditions from across America, including classical, bluegrass, Appalachian fiddle tunes, jazz, and minimalism.”