Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota announces its 24th season

“New Faces, New Stars” was the perfect choice of theme for the Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota’s upcoming 2019-2020 season.

The organization announced in a release June 3 that its 24th season will feature everyone from favorite established performers such as pianist Dick Hyman and vocalist Jennifer Sheehan to three emerging artists from Young Concert Artists International.

"This season’s theme, ‘New Faces, New Stars,’ reflects our renewed mission to focus on presenting and promoting some of the amazing young talent that’s out there,” said Marcy Miller, the new executive director of Artist Series Concerts, in the release. “I hope that one day we’ll be known nationally as a major force in the professional development and recognition of emerging artists and I think this season’s offerings will get us off to a great start.”

Artistic Director Joseph Holt completely agrees.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering once again with Young Concert Artists International (YCA), the nonprofit agency that’s helped launch the careers of such greats as Pinchas Zukerman, Emanuel Ax, Dawn Upshaw and many others,” he said in the release. “Be the first to hear the best” is the mantra of YCCA and Sarasota is among the elite communities in the United States to hear and see these fantastic musicians in performance.”

The 2019-2020 Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota season:

‘I Know a Place: Spend a Day in the Sensational ’60s’

4 p.m. Oct. 5 at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

Award-winning vocalist Jennifer Sheehan returns to Sarasota for an evening of deja vu. Let your mind take you back to the 1960s with music by stars like Burt Bacharach, The Beatles, Barbra Streisand, the Supremes and more.

‘Romance of the Flute’

5 p.m. Oct. 13 and 14 at Fischer-Weisenborne Residence

Taylor Irelan, flute and Andrea Feitl, piano are frequent collaborators who will come together again for a performance celebrating the lyrical melodies and emotive expression of Gieseking, Schumann and Reinecke and feature the U.S. premiere of a work by acclaimed flutist and composer Daniel Kessner.

‘Zlatomir Fung/Young Concert Artists International’

7:30 p.m. Nov. 2 and 3 p.m. Nov. 3 at Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road

Cellist and Juilliard undergrad Zlatomir Fung, 19, already holds several awards such as first prizes at the 2018 Schoenfeld International String Competition and the 2017 Young Concert Artists International Auditions.This performance with pianist Angie Zhang will honor Beethoven’s would-have-been 250th birthday with two distinct all-Beethoven programs, featuring the variations and all five sonatas for cello and piano.

‘Chopin Mini Delights’

5 p.m. Nov. 17 and 18 at Fischer-Weisenborne Residence

Matthew Graybil, piano; Michelle Giglio, soprano; Linda Bento-Rei, flute; and Julia Tretyakova, cello are celebrating the would-be 210th birthday of Frédéric Chopin with a selection of dazzling mazurkas and atypical chamber pieces.

‘Piano Grand IV: The Holiday Edition’

4 p.m. Dec. 8 at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

Five Steinway & Sons concert grand pianos will yet again fill the stage of the Sarasota Opera House for this concert featuring Joseph Holt and four other renowned local pianists: Don Bryn, Andrew Lapp, Tom Purviance and Michael Stewart.

‘Harmony for the Holidays with Duchess’

7:30 p.m. Dec. 21 and 3 p.m. Dec. 22 at Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road

Vocalists Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner and Melissa Stylianou will brighten everyone’s holiday season with classic Christmas songs and tunes with sweet-toned harmonies (along with their signature downbeat). This New York-based trio channels vintage jazz vocal trios into an entertaining and refreshing performance.

‘Xavier Foley/Young Concert Artists International’

3 p.m. Jan. 12 at Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road

Double bassist Xavier Foley is the winner of the prestigious 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant and was recently named in New York WQXR’s 19 for 19: Artists to Watch list for 2019. His performance will include classics along with several of his own original compositions. He’ll perform with frequent collaborator pianist Kelly Lin.

‘High Flying Sopranos’

11 a.m. Jan. 30 at Michael’s On East, 1212 S. East Ave.

Sarasota native Monica Pasquini, soprano; Rebecca Shorstein, soprano; and Joseph Holt, piano will offer a blast from the past as former Artist Series Concerts scholarship award winner Pasquini demonstrates the musical success she’s since attained. Enjoy a mix of pops and contemporary favorites that includes works by Mozart, Offenbach, Puccini, Berlin, Lloyd Webber and more.

‘¡Mariachi y Mas — Favorite Tunes of the Mariachi and Latin America’

11 a.m. Feb. 4 at Plantation Golf & Country Club, 500 Rockley Blvd., Venice

Guillermo López Gutiérrez, tenor; Joseph Holt, piano; and Mariachi Tampa will offer a taste of Latin American culture through one of its most recognizable music styles. Enjoy this performance by the band (Mariachi Tampa) that’s been drawing crowds to local Mi Pueblo restaurants for nearly two decades.

‘Lin Ye — Artist Series Concerts National Competition Winner’

7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 and 3 p.m. Feb. 16 at Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road

Artist Series Concerts’ celebration of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth continues with the return of Lin Ye, a winner at the Artist Series Concerts 2017 National Competition for Piano. The champion’s program will feature Beethoven’s Sonatas in C Major and E-flat Major (Waldstein) as well as works by Liszt and Prokofiev.

‘Great Americans: The Composers Who Helped Create the American Sound’

11 a.m. Feb. 27 at Michael’s On East, 1212 S. East Ave.

Washington Saxophone Quartet is comprised of players from elite “special” military bands of the nation’s capital. Members Reginald Jackson, soprano sax; James Steele, alto sax; Rich Kleinfeldt, tenor sax; and Rick Parrell, baritone sax have performed thousands of concerts, and this one will feature music by George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, Duke Ellington and Leonard Bernstein.

‘Russian Renaissance: World Music with a Russian Soul’

7:30 p.m. March 7 and 3 p.m. March 8 at Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road

After earning the $100,000 Grand Prize at the 2017 M-Prize Competition, the largest prize for chamber music in the world, Russian Renaissance made a name for itself in the chamber music world. During this program, audiences can hear the group perform Russian folk songs and works by Astor Piazzolla, Bela Fleck, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Egberto Gismonti and more.

‘Palm Court Treasures’

11 a.m. March 19 at Michael’s On East, 1212 S. East Ave.

Stick a pinky up in support of this high tea-worthy repertoire. Violinist Daniel Jordan and cellist Natalie Helm, both principal musicians with the Sarasota Orchestra, join pianist Joseph Holt for a voyage back in time to an era of music that once represented sophistication and tranquility and still enchants listeners.

‘BOYGIRLBOYGIRL’

6 p.m. March 24 at Plantation Golf & Country Club, 500 Rockley Blvd., Venice

Vocalists Laura Monagle, Michaela Ristaino, Don Lobacz and Tommy Lueck will join forces with Joseph Holt on piano for what’s been called “Milwaukee’s Manhattan Transfer.” BoyGirlBoyGirl will perform everything from greatest hits of the Rat Pack days to the tender harmonies of old-time radio.

‘SooBeen Lee/Young Concert Artists International’

7:30 p.m. April 4 and 3 p.m. April 5 at Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road

Ring in what would have been Beethoven’s 250th birthday with a performance by the 18-year-old known as “Korea’s hottest violin prodigy.” First prize winner at the 2014 Young Concert Artists International Auditions SooBeen Lee will perform Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 4 and works by Ysaÿe, Clara Schumann and Grieg. Also featuring Boston-based pianist Dina Vainshtein.

‘Siren Song: Sounds of Spring’

5 p.m. April 12 and 13 at the Fischer-Weisenborne Residence

Soprano Johanna Fincher grew up singing in the Sarasota Youth Opera and Venice Little Theater, and now she’s an international artist who’s sung in six countries. Come hear her celebration of spring with mezzo soprano Robyn Rocklein — who’s previously performed locally with Choral Artists of Sarasota — accompanied by pianist Michael Stewart, faculty member at the Manatee School for the Arts and pianist for Choral Artists of Sarasota.

‘Dick Hyman and the Florida Jazz Masters’

7:30 p.m. May 6 at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

This six-piece ensemble starring legendary pianist Dick Hyman alongside many of south Florida’s top jazz musicians will play jazz hits by Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Benny Goodman and several more.

‘Cuarteto Tanguero’

7:30 p.m. May 23 and 3 p.m. May 24 at Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road

Cuarteto Tanguero (Ben Bogart, bandoneon; Daniel Stein, violin; Winnie Cheung, piano; and Matt McConahay, bass) is an internationally successful chamber music group that’s also won a Billboard World Music Top Ten award. Enjoy this modern take on traditional tango featuring inspired interpretations of several iconic Astor Piazzolla works and other beloved tango compositions.

‘The Glenn Miller Sound: Celebrating the Music of the 1940s and the Greatest Generation’

4 p.m. June 14 at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.

Step back in time with the Glenn Miller Big Band featuring vocalist Walt Andrus and enjoy the swinging sound of the World War II era that had an unprecedented impact on both everyday Americans and American troops. This performance doubles as a musical tribute to the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII.