Subscriptions Masterworks

Take a break from the noisy world to bathe your spirit in the warm, vibrant sounds of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and round your evening out with the energetic Symphonic Dances of Rachmaninoff. A not-to-be-missed evening with Giancarlo Guerrero, the new music director of your Sarasota Orchestra. Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances was the master’s final orchestral composition. A virtuoso showpiece for the orchestra, it bursts with the fierce energy and Romantic melodies that are Rachmaninoff’s trademarks. Italian pianist Alessio Bax, “among the most remarkable young pianists now before the public” (Gramophone), performs Tchaikovsky’s glorious Piano Concerto No. 1, perhaps the most beloved piano concerto of all time, which was called “unplayable” prior to its 1875 premiere. You’ll also experience a short appetizer with Jennifer Higdon’s blue cathedral, which premiered in 2000 and is one of the most frequently performed new works for orchestra. Its ethereal orchestration features water-tuned glasses as an instrument as the flute and clarinet dialog.

• Masterworks
• Saturday 7
• Sunday 7

Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero opens the rich treasure chest of American music. Adolphus Hailstork’s An American Port of Call captures the relentless energy of the port of Norfolk, Virginia. Pianist Clayton Stephenson performs Gershwin’s jazz and blues-infused Concerto in F. Charles Ives composed his delightful and quirky Variations on “America” when he was only 17. Audiences at the 1934 premiere of Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony were so moved that they erupted in applause at the end of each movement. Decades later, the extraordinary work has returned to the standard repertoire with accolades.

• Masterworks
• Saturday 7
• Sunday 7

The program features Beethoven’s iconic Fifth Symphony, whose four opening notes are recognized the world over and whose sheer power remains unmatched. One of the most popular symphonies of all time, every performance brings something memorable to enthusiastic audiences. Brahms composed his Academic Festival Overture as a musical thank-you for his awarding of an honorary doctorate. The lighthearted work incorporates several student “beer hall” songs and spotlights Brahms’ sense of humor. Cellist Zlatomir Fung performs Dvořák’s glorious Cello Concerto, adored for its nobility and sentimentality.

• Masterworks
• Saturday 7
• Sunday 7

Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero conducts a richly compelling program pairing Leonard Bernstein and Gustav Mahler. Violinist Chee-Yun brings her “high gloss tone” (The New York Times) to Bernstein’s Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium). The masterwork is an exploration of the nature and purpose of love and is one of Bernstein’s most lyrical compositions. Mahler’s Fifth Symphony is a towering work, showcasing an enormous orchestra and Mahler’s legendary emotional power. Fierce yet uplifting, it provides a majestic conclusion to the Masterworks season.

• Masterworks
• Saturday 7
• Sunday 7