Sarasota Music Festival to Present 2026 Concert Series With Faculty and Fellows

Every June, the eyes of the classical music world turn to Sarasota, drawn to the dazzling display of world-class artistry and youthful promise within the Sarasota Music Festival.

So much more than a concert series, the Festival is a whirlwind of beauty, connection, and inspiration. It charges our city's atmosphere with the passion and devotion of musicians who travel from across the globe to be part of something extraordinary. The energy is electric, and the collaboration is historic: for the first time, every performance this summer features faculty and fellows sitting side by side.

For two weeks, you are invited to immerse yourself in this creative confluence. Four faculty-curated chamber music concerts culminate in a blockbuster full-orchestra finale. To truly experience the Festival is to see it from the inside: Go behind the curtain in coaching sessions and open rehearsals to catch the spark. While the Festival's 13 days may feel fleeting, they ignite the kind of glow that stays kindled all summer long.

Concert Schedule:

Beethoven & Mendelssohn - Friday, June 5, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. - Holley Hall

The 2026 Sarasota Music Festival opens with passion, brilliance, and youthful energy. Experience Beethoven's witty, elegant Septet —a piece so well-loved that Beethoven declared it “too popular”—alongside Mendelssohn's astonishing Octet, written when he was just 16. Accompanying these Romantic-era landmarks are 20th-century gems by visionary American artists. Arranged by Joshua Ranz, Florence Price's luminous Adoration offers a moment of tender reflection. Lyrical and dramatic, Amy Beach's Piano Quintet showcases the unique voice of a trailblazing composer.

Mozart & Schumann - Saturday, June 6, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. - Holley Hall

Romantic warmth and Classical elegance mingle with an intriguing dash of modernism in this must-hear program. Mozart's Serenade enchants with graceful melodies and sparkling winds. Pianist Robert Levin returns for one of the cornerstones of the Romantic repertoire,

Schumann's exhilarating Piano Quintet. Composed in 1813, Louis Spohr's elegant Grand Nonet blends chamber intimacy with lush symphonic textures. Ruth Crawford Seeger, a pioneering American composer, brings bold imagination and expressive clarity with her Suite for Wind Quintet.

Tchaikovsky, Ravel, & Dvořák - Friday, June 12, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. - Holley Hall

Dvořák's radiant Piano Quintet highlights a program rich in color, imagination, and expressive power. Ravel's enchanting Mother Goose Suite brings the magic of fairy tales to life, while Tchaikovsky's musical travelogue, Souvenir de Florence, evokes the sights and sounds of Italy. Inspired by Ravel's showcase for violin, contemporary composer Valerie Coleman's Tzigane harnesses the fire of Romani-inspired music.

Finale: The Masters in Concert - Saturday, June 13, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. - Sarasota Opera House

Nicholas McGegan brings his “abundant zeal and affection” (The New York Times) to the Sarasota stage as he leads the Festival Orchestra in symphonic masterpieces by Schubert, Mozart, and Beethoven. The concert opens with Schubert's effervescent Overture in the Italian Style. Superstar flutist Jasmine Choi brings her “fluent and refined” tone and “impeccable” technique (Musical Opinion) to Mozart's celebrated Flute Concerto No. 2. Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, one of the most popular and lauded works in the classical repertoire, concludes the Festival on a jubilant note.

Enhance your Festival experience with an All-Access Festival Pass:

Most rehearsals are open to the public, and passes may be purchased for individual days or for the full two weeks. Schedules are posted online during the two weeks of the Festival or may be viewed in person at the Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, where all rehearsals occur. The two-week pass may be purchased in advance through the Box Office. Single day passes are available only on the day of the rehearsals and must be purchased in person. Week one includes a Robert Levin piano performance class – where the festival piano participants will perform solo works. Festival Pass is not valid for concerts.