Subscriptions Masterworks
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Neel 3
3 concerts at 7:30 pm at Neel Performing Arts CenterIncluded in Neel 3
- MW3 | January 16
- MW4 | February 12
- MW6 | March 19
Not Included in Neel 3
MW1, MW2, MW5, MW7
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Friday 5
5 concerts at 7:30 pm at Van Wezel Performing Arts HallIncluded in Friday 5
- MW1 | November 7
- MW4 | February 13
- MW5 | February 27
- MW6 | March 20
- MW7 | April 17
Not Included in Friday 5
MW2, MW3
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Saturday 7
7 concerts at 7:30 pm at Van Wezel Performing Arts HallIncluded in Saturday 7
- MW1 | November 8
- MW2 | December 6
- MW3 | January 17
- MW4 | February 14
- MW5 | February 28
- MW6 | March 21
- MW7 | April 18
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Sunday 7
7 concerts at 2:30 pm at Van Wezel Performing Arts HallIncluded in Sunday 7
- MW1 | November 9
- MW2 | December 7
- MW3 | January 18
- MW4 | February 15
- MW5 | March 1
- MW6 | March 22
- MW7 | April 19
Masterworks Packages
Masterworks Concert Schedule
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MW1 | Symphonic Dances
Program
- JENNIFER HIGDON		blue cathedral
- TCHAIKOVSKY		Piano Concerto No. 1
- RACHMANINOFF		Symphonic Dances
About
Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero opens the Masterworks season with a technicolor program of audience favorites. 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. 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. Jennifer Higdon’s ethereal blue cathedral opens this vibrant program. -
MW2 | Close Encounters
Program
- DUKAS		The Sorcerer's Apprentice
- RODRIGO		Concierto de Aranjuez
- JOHN WILLIAMS		Suite from Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- RESPIGHI		Pines of Rome
About
Magic is in the air as Sarasota Orchestra journeys to locales both real and imagined. Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice brings to life Goethe’s tale of magic gone awry and was featured in Disney’s original Fantasia. The virtuosic Suite from Close Encounters of the Third Kind reminds us why film composer John Williams is revered as one of the most gifted orchestral composers of our time. Spanish guitar virtuoso Pablo Sáinz-Villegas takes us to the Royal Palace of Aranjuez in Rodrigo’s popular guitar concerto. Respighi’s Pines of Rome offers a vivid portrait of the Roman countryside. -
MW3 | Pictures at an Exhibition
Program
- MICHAEL ABELS		Amplify
- BRUCH		Violin Concerto No. 1
- MUSSORGSKY/arr. RAVEL		Pictures at an Exhibition
About
The program showcases Ravel’s orchestration of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. The vibrant musical depictions of Viktor Hartmann’s paintings, including the majestic Great Gate of Kiev, have been inspiring audiences for generations. Fourteen-year-old Japanese violinist Himari has been described as a once-in-a-generation talent. The prodigy will perform Bruch’s richly Romantic Violin Concerto No. 1. Pulitzer Prize-winner Michael Abels is best known for his genre-defying scores for the Jordan Peele films Get Out, Us, and Nope. His work Amplify was co-commissioned by Sarasota Orchestra. -
MW4 | Variations on America
Program
- ADOLPHUS HAILSTORK		An American Port of Call
- GERSHWIN		Concerto in F
- IVES/ arr. SCHUMAN		Variations on America
- DAWSON		Negro Folk Symphony
About
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. -
MW5 | Rite of Spring
Program
- JOAN TOWER		1920/2019
- MOZART		Violin Concerto No. 5 (Turkish)
- STRAVINSKY		The Rite of Spring
About
Spring is in the air as Sarasota Orchestra offers a program of monumental works, each of which broke new ground in their day. Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring was so novel and unprecedented that a riot broke out at its premiere. A tour de force for the orchestra musicians and conductor, its live performance is a not-to-be-missed event. Violinist Benjamin Beilman brings his trademark flair to Mozart’s final and most virtuosic violin concerto. The program opens with Joan Tower’s 1920/2019, composed in 2019 to honor the 1920 passage of the 19th amendment granting women suffrage. -
MW6 | Beethoven's Fifth
Program
- BRAHMS		Academic Festival Overture
- DVOŘÁK		Cello Concerto
- BEETHOVEN		Symphony No. 5
About
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. -
MW7 | Bernstein and Mahler
Program
- BERNSTEIN		Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium)
- MAHLER		Symphony No. 5
About
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.
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