Festival Concerts

Sparkling Mozart, spirited Beethoven, and a notorious musical prankster launch Sarasota Music Festival with wit and imagination. Mozart’s graceful interplay of piano and winds meets the lyrical charm and youthful energy of an early Beethoven string quartet. Strauss’s Till Eulenspiegel brings his merry mischief to a cleverly scaled-down ensemble, while Prokofiev mingles soulful clarinet melodies with lively dance rhythms. Vaughan Williams’ quintet adds rich harmonies and Romantic passion to an afternoon of familiar masters and unexpected discoveries.

From Parisian wit to a moonlit declaration of love, this evening brings vivid personalities and powerful emotions into focus. Brahms offers tuneful exuberance and pastoral charm, while Poulenc sets piano and winds sparkling with playful humor. Valerie Coleman celebrates the extraordinary life of Josephine Baker, and Jessie Montgomery turns plucked strings and folk-inspired rhythms into an exhilarating burst of energy. In his early, lushly Romantic Transfigured Night, Schoenberg reveals a richly melodic side that may surprise you. Six string players carry an intimate story of love and acceptance through tender exchanges and passionate climaxes to a radiant close.

Few works capture the pleasure of making music together quite like Schubert’s beloved Trout. Buoyant rhythms, singing melodies, and playful exchanges invite listeners into a musical conversation among friends. Brahms deepens the afternoon’s warm glow, with an extra viola and cello enriching the generous sound of his string ensemble. Jeff Scott brings the spirit of Duke Ellington to the colorful voices of a wind quintet, while Ludwig Thuille offers an engaging discovery, pairing a rippling piano with the expressive character of five wind instruments.

A violin’s first impassioned phrase. An orchestra gathering force. The thrill of brilliant musicians playing as one. Sarasota Music Festival’s finale brings the full Festival Orchestra together with conductor Nicholas McGegan and violinist Tessa Lark for an evening of beauty, exhilaration, and orchestral fireworks. Lark takes center stage in Mendelssohn’s beloved concerto, where heartfelt lyricism meets dazzling virtuosity. Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony moves from a mysterious opening to exuberant energy, quick wit, and a finale that races to the finish. Mozart’s festive ballet music, bright with brass and timpani, adds theatrical splendor to this Festival send-off.