Arts Editor: Sarasota Orchestra finds its next music director

It almost seems like forever, but it has only been five years since the Sarasota Orchestra has had a full-time music director front and center for any length of time. Anu Tali left in May of 2019 after six years years. The Orchestra hired the beloved Bramwell Tovey in 2021, but he sadly died a year later before he could really begin his duties. Audiences and musicians have gotten accustomed to seeing guest conductors on the podium. But that will soon change with the news that Giancarlo Guerrero will become only the seventh music director in the orchestra’s more than 75-year history. Guerrero, who will step down this season as music director of the Nashville Symphony, was a guest conductor here last January and will lead the season-opening Masterworks concert in November as music director designate.

A season of variety

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall box office opens at 10 a.m. Sept. 7 for the start of ticket sales for the season that we announced in the print and online editions over the weekend. Executive Director Mary Bensel announced a variety season that ranges from musical legends Herb Alpert and Frankie Avalon to lively comedian Leslie Jones, one-time pop sensation Debbie Gibson, and classic groups like Air Supply and The Temptations and The Four Tops. That’s in addition to a busy lineup of Broadway hits that includes “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Funny Girl” and “Beetlejuice.”

Years ago, it was something of a community event on the day that season brochures were received by patrons, who would quickly put their orders together and drive them to the downtown Sarasota post office, which stayed open late. Jazz bands would play. With the advent of online ticket sales, it’s not quite the same, but Bensel says many people lineup at the box office to get a good sense of where their seats will be.

An arts festival is rising

There have been a lot of questions about what Jeffery Kin (with a team of volunteers) has been working on with the Sarasota Rising Living Arts Festival for the last couple of years. Now we have a sense of what to expect during the week-long festival, which features five main events planned and sponsored by the festival, along with a number of others that are tied into it. Kin says the first festival is a chance to begin what he hopes will grow into an international celebration of Sarasota's vibrant arts scene. But he's starting small and hoping the festival grows each year, bringing more attention to the community. The festival officially runs from Nov. 10-17, but there are kick-off events starting on Nov. 8. And throughout the week, there will be a focus on youth programs and how arts programs are looking to the future.

A busy September

A few weeks, l told my colleague Jimmy Guerts, as we put together the September arts and events calendars, that I wouldn’t have much to contribute and probably wouldn’t do a separate monthly arts calendar as I do most of the year. Suddenly, all sorts of new programs, exhibits and more popped up, and this September is turning into one of the busiest in memory. There are new plays and classics (including the first play ever produced by Venice Theatre coming back for the company’s 75th anniversary), art exhibits and more. Check out our September arts events calendar for Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties.

This newsletter will take a break next week for the Labor Day. I’ll be back in touch soon. Have a great holiday weekend.

Jay Handelman

Arts Editor

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Arts Editor: Sarasota Orchestra finds its next music director