Sarasota Orchestra Closes 22-23 Season with Sizzling Final Programs in May

Sarasota Orchestra concludes its season with pizzazz. The Orchestra returns to the Orioles' Ed Smith Stadium for the 10th anniversary of Outdoor Pops, this time with a Motown theme. Acclaimed guitar virtuoso Bokyung Byun makes her Sarasota Orchestra debut in the final Discoveries series concert of the year, performing the Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez.

Outdoor Pops: Music of Motown

Hear funky sounds from the height of the Motown era transformed into a symphonic experience with Sarasota Orchestra. The program features smash hits made famous by artists such as Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, The Temptations, and Stevie Wonder. Songs include "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "I Heard it Through the Grapevine," "My Girl," "Superstition," and more. Conductor Byron Stripling leads the Orchestra with a guest roster of three fabulous soloists: Chester Gregory, Michael Lynche, and Crystal Monee Hall. A spectacular fireworks display rounds out this evening of hits and home runs at the Orioles' Ed Smith Stadium.

Running May 5-6, 8:00 pm at Ed Smith Stadium. Tickets from $15, available at www.Orioles.com/arts or (941) 893-6312

Discoveries 3: Musical Postcards

Sarasota Orchestra's final concert of the season takes listeners on a whirlwind voyage, guided by guest conductor Joseph Young. Villa-Lobos traces connections between the German composer J.S. Bach and the music of Brazil in his Bachianas Brasileiras. The royal site of Aranjuez deeply moved Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo, whose alluring Concierto de Aranjuez has come to be the most famous work for guitar and orchestra. Korean guitarist Bokyung Byun, the first woman to win the prestigious JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition, brings the work to life. Mendelssohn's vacation to Italy led to the irrepressibly joyful "Italian" Symphony.

Running May 13, 7:30pm at Sarasota Opera House. Tickets from $32, available at www.SarasotaOrchestra.org or (941) 953-3434.

Since 1949, Sarasota Orchestra has inspired and entertained music-lovers across the region and visitors from around the world. As the oldest continuing orchestra in the state of Florida, each year the 76-member Orchestra performs more than 100 classical, pops, chamber music, and community outreach concerts. Sarasota Orchestra's acclaimed music education program includes the Sarasota Youth Orchestras, established in 1959. Sarasota Orchestra is also the parent program of the world-renowned Sarasota Music Festival, founded in 1965. For further information, please visit www.SarasotaOrchestra.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.