Sarasota Orchestra announces 2018-2019 season

Patrons can expect a return to several classics along with several firsts in the 70th anniversary season.


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  • | 4:55 p.m. March 7, 2018
Photo by Kaupo Kikkas
Photo by Kaupo Kikkas
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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.

Music Director Anu Tali will leave Sarasota Orchestra when her contract is over in spring 2019.
Music Director Anu Tali will leave Sarasota Orchestra when her contract is over in spring 2019.

“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 Series

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.

 

Discoveries Series

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

 

Chamber Soirees

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.

 

Pops Series

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

 

Great Escapes

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

 

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