Sarasota Orchestra prepares for new era with music director’s first season – Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Sarasota Orchestra audiences will have ample opportunity to get to know new music director Giancarlo Guerrero in his first season as he leads eight concerts in different formats.
For the last six years, the orchestra has been led by a variety of guest conductors during an extensive search for a new music director, so having one person leading five of the seven Masterworks programs, may seem like a major change for some audience members.
The orchestra announced last summer that Guerrero, a multi-Grammy-winning conductor who is stepping down as music director of the Nashville Symphony this year, would become its seventh music director. He technically succeeds Bramwell Tovey, who was hired in 2021 but died nearly a year later before he could officially take over. The orchestra has been without a permanent music director since Anu Tali departed in 2019 after six years.
Guerrero spent months working with the orchestra staff to put together his first season, which has been dubbed “The Sound of Change.” He is continuing long-running series like the Pops, Great Escapes, Discoveries and Masterworks, along with the Chamber Soirees programs, all of which are designed to appeal to a range of musical tastes, from die-hard classical music lovers to those interested in more contemporary work or people experiencing the classics for the first time.
While Masterworks concerts may feature great works by Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Mozart and Beethoven, the orchestra also explores Broadway and film music in its Pops series, and will play John Williams’ score live to a screening of “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.”
“The first idea is always choosing the greatest repertoire and making it as big a variety and making it as attractive to as many people as possible,” Guerrero said in a telephone interview from Chicago, where he is also artistic director and principal conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival.
The Sarasota programs reflect the focus of his career, “championing the greatest warhorses we associate with classical music and showcasing composers who are new and relatively new and deserve to be showcased.”
By blending the two in most of the Masterworks programs, “the older music has a chance to sound new.” He also hopes that his selections will provide “a full musical experience” for the audience over the course of the season.
Most of the Masterworks programs offer a blend of the old and newer, beginning with the opening program that features Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 (performed by guest soloist Alessio Bax). That program also includes “blue cathedral,” by Jennifer Higdon, who wrote it in memory of a brother who died of cancer. The piece, which had its premiere in 2000, was scheduled for one of the concerts the orchestra had to cancel last fall because of the impact of twin hurricanes in Sarasota.
For a Black History Month concert with a focus on an American music, Guerrero is combining George Gershwin’s Concerto in F and Charles Ives’ Variations on “America” with two works by Black composers. It will feature Adolphus Hailstork’s “An American Port of Call” and William Dawson’s “Negro Folk Symphony,” which was commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra and its premiere in 1934.
“It was the only piece he ever wrote because of the times, even though it was an incredible hit,” Guerrero said. “You just wonder what could have been if these composers had been supported.”
In addition to conducting five of the seven Masterworks programs, Guerrero will lead two of the three Discoveries concerts, roughly 75-minute programs designed as more casual and informative introductions to a range of classical music, and he will conduct a chamber orchestra concert that is part of the Chamber Soirees series.
“The musicians have curated the chamber programs over the years and I honestly just want to be part of it,” he said. He will conduct the Feb. 19 “Miniature Masterworks” program that includes Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphony No. 1 and works by Stravinsky and Wagner.
He also is excited to lead the side-by-side concert blending Sarasota Orchestra musicians with the students from the Youth Orchestra.
“They do these every year, but I really wanted to conduct that,” he said. “They usually bring in a guest conductor or a pedagogue, but I’m very excited about it,” he said. “It’s so natural with my devotion and commitment to music education.” Guerrero believes it’s the first time the music director has led that program.
There will still be guest conductors, including Peter Oundjian, who worked with the orchestra during the interim period in planning programming and arranging guest artists. He will lead the third Masterworks concert featuring Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” as arranged by Ravel, along with Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 (performed by guest artist Himari) and “amplify” by American composer Michael Abels, who has written the score for such films as “Get Out,” “Nope” and “Chevalier.”
Austrian conductor Katharina Wincor, who made her Sarasota debut in April 2024, returns to lead the “Beethoven’s Fifth” concert in March, with guest cellist Zlatomir Fung and a program that includes Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture and Dvořák’s Cello Concerto.
Guerrero will lead the “Hidden Treasures” Discoveries concert in October, featuring works by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Mahler and Mozart, and “Unfinished Business” in May, featuring pieces that were unfinished, like Schubert’s Symphony No. 8, or greatly revised like Haydn’s Symphony No. 45 and Julia Perry’s Short Piece for Orchestra.
He described Perry as a great 20th century African-American composer from the 1950s. “This is her signature piece. She’s a great voice but she lived in the wrong time when getting promoted as an African-American female composer was an uphill battle.”
David Alan Miller, a frequent guest conductor over the years, returns for a Discoveries concert focused on the music of Aaron Copland, while Evan Roider, Byron Stripling, Christopher Confessor and Stuart Chafetz are among the returning conductors leading the Great Escapes and Pops series concerts.
Guerrero is starting his tenure just as the orchestra is moving forward with plans to build a new music center complex with a concert hall, recital hall and education building. Initial designs for the project were unveiled April 1.
“It’s breathtaking,” Guerrero said of the initial concept. “It’s one thing when we talk about it and dream about it and quite another when they actually show you something in reality and it gets your mind going. For me, Sarasota not only needs it but deserves it. This is the next logical step.”
Here’s a look at the Sarasota Orchestra’s upcoming season. Masterworks programs are presented at the Van Wezel Performing arts Hall (with some at Neel Performing arts Center at State college of Florida in Bradenton). Other concerts has performed in Holly Hall in the Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center
Nov. 7-9, Van Wezel
Giancarlo Guerrero marks his official debut as music director leading a concert featuring Jennifer Higdon’s “blue cathedral,” Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances” and guest pianist Alessio Bax playing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concert No. 1.  Bax last performed with the orchestra in 2011.
Dec. 6-7, Van Wezel
Guerrero is joined by guitarist Pablo Sáinz-Villegas performing Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, which he described as “one of the most famous of guitar concertos.” The concert also includes “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by Paul Dukas (made famous in Disney’s “Fantasia”), along with John Williams’ “Suite from Close Encounters of The Third Kind” and Ottorino Respighi’s “Pines of Rome.”
Jan 16, Neel, Jan. 17-18, Van Wezel
Peter Oundjian is the guest conductor, joined by young Japanese violin prodigy Himari performing the Violin Concerto No. 1 by  Max Bruch as part of a program that includes Ravel’s arrangement of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” and “Amplify” by American composer Michael Abels.
Feb. 12, Neel, Feb. 13-15, Van Wezel
Guerrero and the orchestra are joined by pianist Clayton Stephenson who will perform George Gershwin’s Concerto in F as part of an all-American program that includes Adolphus Hailstork’s “An American Port of Call,” William Schuman’s arrangement of Charles Ives’ Variations on “America” and William Dawson’s “Negro Folk Symphony.”
Feb. 27-March 1, Van Wezel
Guerrero is joined by violinist Benjamin Beilman, who served on the Sarasota Music Festival faculty last year and performed with the orchestra in 2017. He will play Mozart’s Violin concerto No. 5, known as the Turkish. The program also includes Joan Tower’s “1920/2019,” a piece commissioned by the New York Philharmonic to mark the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment, and Igor Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring.”
March 19, Neel; March 20-22, Van Wezel
Guest conductor Katharina Wincor conducts a program that includes Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Dvořák’s Cello concerto performed by guest soloist Zlatomir Fung, who performed in a Discoveries concert last spring.
April 17-19, Van Wezel
Guerrero leads a program that features guest violinist Chee-Yun performing Leonard Bernstein’s “Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium),” a violin concerto he wrote for Isaac Stern, Gustav mahler’s Symphony No. 5. Guerrero said “Bernstein did more to bringing Mahler forward and putting them together seems very natural.”
“On Broadway: Defying Gravity”: Jan. 30-31, Van Wezel: Conductor Evan Roider leads a program of Broadway favorites with singers Jessica Hendry, Kelli Rabke and Scott Coulter.
“When the Saints Go Marching In”: March 13-14, Van Wezel: Byron Stripling conducts this program with a blues and jazz flair and vocalist Cyrstal Monee Hall.
“Bond and Beyond”: April 24-25, Van Wezel: Christopher Confessore leads a concert of film favorites, including James Bond music singer and actress Morgan James.
Oct. 4, Sarasota Opera House
Guerrero is joined by cellist Oliver Herbert for a program that includes Beethoven’s Overture to his only opera “Fidelio,” the original version of Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, Mahler’s “Blumine” and Mozart’s Symphony No. 31 (Paris). Guerrero said these are all pieces that caused doubt in their composers.
Jan. 4, Sarasota Opera House
Guest conductor David Alan Miller leads a program that puts the spotlight on American composer Aaron Copland, with his “Appalachian Spring Suite” and selections and movements from “Rodeo,” “The Red Pony Film Suite,” and “music for the Theatre Suite.” Baritone William Socolof joins the orchestra.
May 16, Sarasota Opera House
Giancarlo Guerrero leads a concert of works that were either left unfinished or vastly revised over time. It includes Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 (Unfinished), Julia Perry’s “Short Piece for Orchestra” and Haydn’s Symphony No. 45 (Farewell).
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Concerts performed in Holley Hall of light music with the main floor filled with small tables.
“Bugs, Bats and Birds,” Oct. 15-18, conductor Stuart Chafetz
“Oh, What Fun!,” Dec. 10-14, conductor Chelsea Gallo
“Under the Big Top,” Jan. 7-11, conductor Evan Roider
“Love Notes,” Feb. 4-8, conductor Matthew Troy
“Dance the Night Away,” March 4-8, conductor Rei Hotoda
“Starry Night,” May 6-9, conductor Christopher Confessore
Chamber programs presented in Holley Hall
“Serenades and Symphony,” Sept. 28, featuring Richard Strauss’s Serenade for Winds, Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings and Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 in G Minor.
“Mendelssohn and Maslanka,” Oct. 30, featuring Eric Ewazen’s “Frost Fire,” David Maslanka’s Wind Quintet No. 4 and Felix Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 6.
“Strauss and Higdon,” Nov. 16, featuring Jennifer Higdon’s “Book of Brass” and Richard Strauss’ Piano Quartet
“‘Miniature Masterworks,” Feb. 19. Guerrero conducts Stravinsky’s “Danses concertantes,” Wagner’s “Siegfried Idyll” and Schoenberg’s Chamber Symphony No. 1.
“Mozart in Munich,” March 15, featuring Ernö Dohnányi’s Serenade for string trio, Joseph Jongen’s Deux pieces en trio for flute, cello and harp, and Mozart’s Quintet for Piano and Winds
“Sounds of the Americas,” April 26, featuring Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera’s String Quartet No. 1, Uruguayan composer Enrique Crespo’s Suite Americana No. 1 and Cuban-American composer and musician Paquito D’Rivera’s “Aires Tropicales.”
“Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back,” Oct. 24-25. Delayed by last year’s hurricane, this program features the orchestra playing John Williams’ music live to a screening of the George Lucas film. Van Wezel.
Orchestra Gala, Jan. 22 at the Ritz-Carlton with Guerrero conducting.
Outdoor Pops – “Tropical Rock for Five O’Clock – Somewhere” April 10-11, Ed Smith Stadium, with a concert feature Jimmy Buffet, Bob Marley and more. 
For information about tickets and subscriptions: 941-953-3434; sarasotaorchestra.org
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