- April 24, 2024
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The mood was lighthearted March 2 at the Sarasota Orchestra 2018-2019 Season Announcement. So upbeat, it was hard to remember that it’ll be Music Director Anu Tali’s last — and she’d rather keep it that way.
“I didn’t want to participate in my own funeral,” Tali says. “It’s not a goodbye. I hate goodbyes.”
Tali says when planning this season with Vice President of Artistic Planning and Program Operations Ryun Schienbein, she wasn’t thinking in terms of her departure. She was thinking purely from the perspective of the orchestra and how far it’s come since she began her position in 2013, particularly in terms of what pieces the musicians have worked up to.
The main challenge in preparing this season was the speed in which they had to get it done, Schienbein says. Most orchestras plan on a two or three-year cycle, he notes, but because Sarasota Orchestra shares performance spaces with so many other organizations and because the number of organizations outnumber the venues, the organization’s planning cycle is 10 months.
For Tali, the challenge was pushing for something new.
“I was more hesitant to do French music than anything else because that’s historically not what we do,” she says. “I’m always more strict and particular about any classical performance because this somehow defines the orchestra’s style and if they’re able to change … and it’s a challenge to maintain a sound and keep on growing.”
Despite these challenges, Schienbein says he got very lucky in terms of which musicians he was able to have as guest soloists this season.
Schienbein has been planning orchestra seasons for quite a while, but he says it never works out that every musician he approaches is available to be a guest soloist because they’re all so busy. This is the first time every artist he’s approached was available when he wanted them to come play.
“We’re celebrating this 70th year with exactly who we wanted to celebrate with, and that’s kind of a miracle,” he says.
Schienbein says this season is unique for Tali in that the orchestra will get to perform many pieces that it’s been working toward since she started, such as Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5, a difficult piece that conductors don’t start off with right away when they first begin rehearsing with a new orchestra.
He's most excited for showcasing newer composers in the Discoveries Series, taking audiences on a trip from America to France and back again in Masterworks 5 and getting more people interested in orchestral music through more contemporary concerts such as those in the Pops Series.
“People say orchestral music is dying,” he says. “But they should listen to the video games their children are playing because those are full of orchestral scores ... I believe that doing tributes to film and doing this Garland tribute is just a new way to experience orchestral music.”
Tali says she’s found a great ally in Schienbein as someone who’s taken the extra time to get to know each piece and make educated decisions when choosing the 2018-2019 season. She feels “at peace” leaving and knowing that he’ll be here to support the next music director and help everything carry on as is.
But speaking of her upcoming departure, Tali says patrons shouldn’t dwell on it.
“Don’t start mourning,” she says. “Let’s be joyful … We’re celebrating a great season that will grow into another great season.”
Here’s a breakdown of the 2018-2019 season:
Masterworks 1
Nov. 2-4 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Anu Tali — Conductor
Sergei Dogadin — Violin
This concert will feature pieces by Ritchie, Tchaikovsky and Sibelius.
Masterworks 2
Allan Friedman Memorial Piano Concert
Nov. 30, Dec. 1 and 2 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Ward Stare — Guest Conductor
This concert will feature pieces by Mozart, Poulenc, Ravel and R. Strauss.
Masterworks 3
Jan. 4 at Neel Performing Arts Center and Jan. 5 and 6 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
Anu Tali — Conductor
James Ehnes — Violin
This concert will feature pieces by Mendelssohn, Schumann and Shostakovich.
Masterworks 4
Jan. 17 at Neel Performing Arts Center and Jan. 18-20 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
Anu Tali — Conductor
Emanuel Ax — Piano
This concert will feature pieces by Verdi, Beethoven and Prokofiev.
Masterworks 5
Jan. 31 at Neel Performing Arts Center and Feb. 1-3 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
Clark Rundell — Guest Conductor
Viviane Hagner — Violin
This concert will feature pieces by Gershwin, Vieuxtemps, Saint-Saens, Barber and Bernstein.
Masterworks 6
Feb. 21 at Neel Performing Arts Center and Feb. 23 and 24 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
Anu Tali — Conductor
Daniel Jordan — Violin
Bharat Chandra — Clarinet
Fernando Traba — Bassoon
Joshua Horne — Horn
This concert will feature pieces by Glinka, R. Strauss, Mascagni, Grieg, Dvorak, Glazunov and Ravel.
Masterworks 7
April 5-7 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
Anu Tali — Conductor
This concert will feature pieces by Schoenberg and Beethoven.
Passion & Travel
7:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at Sarasota Opera House
Ruth Reinhardt — Conductor
Katherine Siochi — Harp
This concert will feature pieces by Dvorak, Bright Sheng, Faure and Beethoven.
Hidden Holiday Treasures
7:30 p.m. Dec. 22 at Sarasota Opera House
Jeffrey Milarsky — Conductor
This concert will feature pieces by Gabrieli, Berlioz, Bach, Schrecker and Hindemith.
Music of the Americas
4 p.m. March 31 at Sarasota Opera House
Guillermo Figueroa — Conductor
Bharat Chandra — Clarinet
This concert will feature pieces by Cordero, Osvaldo Golijov, Copland and Ginastera
CS1: Out of the Opera Pit
5:30 p.m. Sept. 20 at Holley Hall
This concert will feature pieces by Rossini, Verdi and Wagner.
CS2: Colorful Combinations
4 p.m. Sept. 23 at Holley Hall
This concert will feature pieces by J. Andriessen, Mozart and Stravinsky.
CS3: Three’s a Charm
5:30 p.m. Oct. 25 at Holley Hall
This concert will feature pieces by Schulhoff, Kevin Puts and Beethoven
CS4: French Flair
4 p.m. Jan. 13 at Holley Hall
This concert will feature pieces by Milhaud, Ravel and Faure.
CS5: Baroque Fireworks
5:30 p.m. Feb. 7 at Holley Hall
This concert will feature pieces by Telemann and Vivaldi.
CS6: Gran Partita
5:30 p.m. Feb. 28 at Holley Hall
This concert will feature pieces by Dvorak and Mozart.
CS7: Sarasota String Quartet
4 p.m. March 3 at Holley Hall
This concert will feature pieces by Beethoven and Prokofiev
CS8: Cinematic Sounds
4 p.m. April 14 at Holley Hall
This concert will feature pieces by Herrmann, Rota and Korngold.
La La Land in Concert
Jan. 11 and 12 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
An Evening with Judy Garland
March 1 and 2 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Hollywood Hits
April 12 and 13 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
GE1: Musical America
Oct. 10-13 at Holley Hall
Alexandra Arrieche — Conductor
GE2: ‘Tis the Season
Dec. 5-8 at Holley Hall
Andrew Lane — Conductor
GE3: Shuffle
Jan. 23-26 at Holley Hall
Chung Park — Conductor
GE4: A Many Splendored Thing
Feb. 13-16 at Holley Hall
Christopher Confessore — Conductor
GE5: Sounds of the Stage
March 20-23 at Holley Hall
Andrew Lane — Conductor
GE6: Dance, Dance, Dance!
May 1-4 at Holley Hall
Alexandra Arrieche — Conductor
