Concert Companion

Concert Companion

By Sarasota OrchestraMusic
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Concert Companion episodes

  • Superpowers | A Concert Companion to Masterworks: Heroic Spirit
    In Sarasota Orchestra's Concert Companion to Masterworks: Heroic Spirit (January 30, Neel Performing Arts Center; January 31 - February 2, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall), we hear from Nicholas Arbolino, who has played oboe and English horn with Sarasota Orchestra since 2014.
    Every professional orchestra musician may not live in the spotlight; however, they all pour astonishing amounts of time, energy, sweat, and soul into their position. We talk with Nick about the athleticism and performance psychology inherent to being a musician and invite him to tell us about his music heroes. Nick's preview of the Heroic Spirit concert program explores other acts of musical heroics in Beethoven's Coriolan Overture and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5, as well as Anne Akiko Meyers' performance of Fandango for violin and orchestra, a Latin GRAMMY®-winning work she recently commissioned from Arturo Márquez.
    Tickets are available online at SarasotaOrchestra.org!
    Music in this episode:
    Fandango by Arturo Márquez
    Anne Akiko Meyers, violin
    Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
    Los Angeles Philharmonic
    From the album Fandango, released September 15, 2023 (Platoon)
    Symphony No. 5 by Dmitri Shostakovich
    Kenneth Schermerhorn, conductor
    Sarasota Orchestra
    Recorded live at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, January 2005
    Coriolan Overture by Ludwig van Beethoven
    Case Scaglione, conductor
    Sarasota Orchestra
    Recorded live at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, January 7, 2017
    40 min
  • Beat It | A Concert Companion to Masterworks: Ravel’s Bolero
    In Sarasota Orchestra's Concert Companion to Masterworks: Ravel's Bolero (January 10, Neel Performing Arts Center; January 11-12, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall), Principal Percussionist Marcelina Suchocka generously shares her professional insights into the mystique surrounding Ravel's infamous hit. With the hypnotic Bolero as a reference point, Marcelina shares how she develops and exercises extraordinary powers of focus. We also learn about the practice of active listening and get tips for audience members on how to really lean into a concert experience. 
    Tickets are available online at SarasotaOrchestra.org! 
    Music in this episode:
    Piano Concerto in G Major by Maurice Ravel
    Jeffrey Kahane, conductor/piano
    Sarasota Music Festival Orchestra
    Recorded live at the Sarasota Opera House, June 22, 2024
    Symphony No. 6 by Antonín Dvořák 
    Gerard Schwarz, conductor
    Sarasota Orchestra
    Recorded live at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, November 9, 2019
    D’un matin de printemps by Lili Boulanger
    Michelle Merrill, conductor
    Sarasota Orchestra
    Recorded live at Holley Hall, April 2023
    Bolero by Maurice Ravel
    Anu Tali, conductor
    Sarasota Orchestra
    Recorded live at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, February 23, 2019
    32 min
  • Resolve | A Concert Companion to Masterworks: Beethoven's Seventh

    Check out Sarasota Orchestra’s Concert Companion to our second Masterworks concert of the season (Beethoven's Seventh, December 6-7, 2024, at Church of the Palms)! In this must-listen episode, cellist Chizuko "Cheeko" Matsusaka takes listeners on a fascinating journey, linking Carlos Simon, Brahms, Beethoven, Homer's Iliad, and symbols of human perseverance through some of history's darkest times. Cheeko also details her musical history with guest conductor Peter Oundjian and eavesdropping on Yefim Bronfman in the practice room at the Aspen Music Festival. Learn more about the robust concert program that features the GRAMMY® Award-winning pianist making his Sarasota Orchestra debut as soloist in Brahms' monumental Piano Concerto No. 1.


    Tickets are available online at SarasotaOrchestra.org! 


    Music in this episode:
    "The Kiss of the Earth: Introduction" from The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky (arrangement for piano four hands)
    Marc-André Hamelin and Leif Ove Andsnes, piano
    From the album The Rite of Spring & other works for two pianos four hands, released February 2018 (Hyperion)

    Symphony No. 7 by Ludwig van Beethoven
    Bramwell Tovey, conductor
    Sarasota Orchestra
    Recorded live at the Sarasota Opera House, October 30, 2021

    Fate Now Conquers by Carlos Simon
    Carter Brey, cello
    Jaap van Zweden, conductor
    New York Philharmonic 
    Recorded live at the Bravo! Vail Music Festival, July 23, 2021

    Piano Concerto No. 1 by Johannes Brahms
    Roman Rabinovich, piano
    Anu Tali, conductor
    Sarasota Orchestra
    Recorded live at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, January 2018

    44 min
  • Here We Go! | A Concert Companion to Masterworks: Going Places

    In Sarasota Orchestra’s Concert Companion to our first Masterworks concert of the season (Going Places, November 7-9, 2024, at the Sarasota Opera House), Principal Flutist Betsy Hudson Traba joins us to talk about how she and her colleagues are feeling in one of the most exciting and joyous moments a symphony orchestra can have: the appointment of a new music director! Betsy visualizes the bold direction Sarasota Orchestra is heading with six-time GRAMMY® winning conductor Giancarlo Guerrero as the Orchestra’s chief baton. Learn more about the program that features the return of phenomenal violinist Vadim Gluzman with Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.


    Tickets are available online at SarasotaOrchestra.org! 


    Music in this episode:
    Violin Concerto by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 
     Vadim Gluzman, violin
     Leif Bjaland, conductor
     Sarasota Orchestra
     Recorded live at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, December 2001


    *Note to Listeners: The interview portion of this episode was recorded prior to programming changes due to Hurricane Milton's impact on Sarasota, Florida.

    19 min
  • Here We Go! | A Concert Companion to Masterworks: Going Places
    In Sarasota Orchestra’s Concert Companion to our first Masterworks concert of the season (Going Places, November 7-9, 2024, at the Sarasota Opera House), Principal Flutist Betsy Hudson Traba joins us to talk about how she and her colleagues are feeling in one of the most exciting and joyous moments a symphony orchestra can have: the appointment of a new music director! Betsy visualizes the bold direction Sarasota Orchestra is heading with six-time GRAMMY® winning conductor Giancarlo Guerrero as the Orchestra’s chief baton. Learn more about the program that features the return of phenomenal violinist Vadim Gluzman with Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.
    Tickets are available online at SarasotaOrchestra.org!
    Music in this episode:
    Violin Concerto by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
    Vadim Gluzman, violin
    Leif Bjaland, conductor
    Sarasota Orchestra
    Recorded live at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, December 2001
    *Note to Listeners: The interview portion of this episode was recorded prior to programming changes due to Hurricane Milton's impact on Sarasota, Florida.
    19 min
  • Resolve | A Concert Companion to Masterworks: Beethoven’s Seventh

    Check out Sarasota Orchestra’s Concert Companion to our second Masterworks concert of the season (Beethoven's Seventh, December 6-7, 2024, at Church of the Palms)! In this must-listen episode, cellist Chizuko "Cheeko" Matsusaka takes listeners on a fascinating journey, linking Carlos Simon, Brahms, Beethoven, Homer's Iliad, and symbols of human perseverance through some of history's darkest times. Cheeko also details her musical history with guest conductor Peter Oundjian and eavesdropping on Yefim Bronfman in the practice room at the Aspen Music Festival. Learn more about the robust concert program that features the GRAMMY® Award-winning pianist making his Sarasota Orchestra debut as soloist in Brahms' monumental Piano Concerto No. 1. Tickets are available online at SarasotaOrchestra.org!

    Music in this episode: "The Kiss of the Earth: Introduction" from The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky (arrangement for piano four hands) Marc-André Hamelin and Leif Ove Andsnes, piano From the album The Rite of Spring & other works for two pianos four hands, released February 2018 (Hyperion)

    Symphony No. 7 by Ludwig van Beethoven Bramwell Tovey, conductor Sarasota Orchestra Recorded live at the Sarasota Opera House, October 30, 2021 Fate Now Conquers by Carlos Simon Carter Brey, cello Jaap van Zweden, conductor New York Philharmonic Recorded live at the Bravo! Vail Music Festival, July 23, 2021 Piano Concerto No. 1 by Johannes Brahms Roman Rabinovich, piano Anu Tali, conductor Sarasota Orchestra Recorded live at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, January 2018

    44 min

About Concert Companion

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Sarasota Orchestra's Concert Companion connects classical music fans with Orchestra musicians who share personal previews of concert programs coming up this season. By giving listeners a little…