The Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota has announced its 2023-2024 season. With the theme "Stars Ascending," the organization will present 26 concerts from Oct. 1, 2023 through May 14, 2024 featuring emerging and established classical, jazz, pops and chamber artists.

The Artist Series kicks off its new "Sunday Best" programming on Oct. 1 with a performance by Chicago-based Nexus Chamber Music. Next up, on Dec. 17,  The Queen’s Six, a vocal sextet from Windsor, England, will perform seasonal favorites in the British tradition. On March 3, 2024, harpist Hannah Cope and percussionist Marcelina Suchocka, two of Sarasota Orchestra’s newest principal musicians, will perform solos from the standard repertoire of each instrument as well as classics reimagined for marimba and harp duets. Finally, on May 5, 2024, Miró Quartet wraps up the series with pieces including Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 14, Op. 131, the piece on which the 2012 film A Late Quartet was based.

"Piano Forte" is another new series—this time for keyboard lovers. On Oct. 10, Russian pianist Ilya Yakushev, winner of the 2005 World Piano Competition, will be joined at the Historic Asolo Theater by a string quartet, including Daniel Jordan, concertmaster of the Sarasota Orchestra, in a performance of the Shostakovich Piano Quintet. On Jan. 9, 2024, Jonathan Mamora, winner of the Olga Kern International Piano Competition, AntwerPiano International Competition, Dallas International Piano Competition, American Virtuoso International Music Competition and the “Sviatoslav Richter” International Piano Competition, takes to the Historic Asolo Theater stage for a program including Schubert’s iconic Trout quintet. On Feb. 24, 2024, Lin Ye  returns with a program of works by Rachmaninoff and the chamber version of Chopin’s Piano Concerto #1. He will be joined by principal musicians of the Sarasota Orchestra. Finally, on April 16,  2024, Duo Beaux Arts wraps up the Piano Forte series with a performance at the Studio for the Performing Arts Recital Hall at State College of Florida.

The Artist Series' popular "Lighter Fare" series offers concerts outdoors at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Downtown Campus and indoors at Plantation Golf and Country Club (PGCC) in Venice. (Programs at PGCC include dinner following the concert.) Concerts kick off Oct. 18 at PGCC with bass-baritone Joseph Parrish, winner of the 2022 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. On Nov. 16, at Selby Gardens, the three winners of the Artist Series Concerts 2023 Statewide Vocal Competition come together for "Sunset Serenade," a program of art songs, arias and duos from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro and African American spirituals. PGCC hosts the Cavatina Duo on Jan. 17, 2024, featuring Spanish flutist Eugenia Moliner and her husband, Bosnian guitarist Denis Azabagic, for a program of flamenco, tango and opera. The series concludes on Feb. 21 at Selby Gardens with the trio Empire Wild, winner of the 2020 Concert Artists Guild Ambassador Prize, which fuses pop, folk, jazz and classical into its songwriting and composition. 

The "Soirée Series" begins on Oct. 29 and 30 with cellist Amit Peled and pianist Solomon Eichner in a program of music by American composers. On March 31 and April 1, 2024, violinist Hina Khuong-Huu, first prize winner of the 2023 Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition, will perform with Steinway artist Rohan De Silva. Finally, on April 28 and 29, 2024, Shannon Lee and Ying Li, first place winners of Artist Series Concerts’ 2017 and 2018 international violin and piano competitions, take the stage. 

This year, the "Lunch and Listen Series" continues at the Sarasota Yacht Club. This series spotlights gifted young artists in concert at 11 a.m. followed by lunch at the club. The Chopin Project, pianist featuring Matthew Graybil, is the first concert in this series on Nov. 2. Woodwind power couple Sang Yoon Kim, principal clarinet of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Christine Kim, principal oboe of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, follow on Nov. 30. On Feb. 1, 2024, Chelsea Guo, piano and soprano, offers a musical double feature. Chinoiserie, performing on March 7, 2024, is a unique project initiated by Chinese guzheng performer Jing Xia and classical guitarist Bin Hu that blends the ancient Chinese zither and classical guitar. Boyd Meets Girl—that is, Rupert Boyd, Australian classical guitarist, and his wife, American cellist Laura Metcalf—close the series on April 4, 2024, with their eclectic mix of music ranging from Debussy and Bach to Radiohead and Beyoncé.

"Next Generation" is a new, two-program series at State College of Florida featuring students and alumni from two prestigious U.S. conservatories. On March 12, 2024, The Curtis on Tour 2023-24 String Sextet brings together three Curtis Institute of Music alumni with three current Curtis students in a program of string sextets by Strauss, Berg and Brahms. Gaia, New England Conservatory’s graduate trio in residence, performs on May 14, 2024, with a program includes music inspired by folk tunes, including Antonín Dvořák’s iconic Dumky Trio.

Finally, the Artist Series will present a special event, the rock and roll oratorio Caesar!, on Nov. 18 at Church of the Palms. Renowned violinist Alexander Markov, son of acclaimed violinists Albert and Marina Markov, features his parents’ work alongside his own in a selection of violin masterpieces. After intermission, Markov will take the stage with his gold electric violin and bring to life his own composition about Julius Caesar. Written in five short parts, the lyrics briefly portray historical moments in Caesar’s life. Markov will be joined by  Key Chorale and the Booker High School VPA Choir, a rhythm section, organ and orchestral musicians.

 For more information and to purchase tickets, click here or call (941) 306-1202.