1/5/26
Richard Dowling
Hailed by The New York Times as an “especially impressive fine pianist,”Richard Dowling appears regularly across the United States and throughout the world in orchestral performances, solo recitals and chamber music collaborations. Richard will offer a program devoted to Scott Joplin and George Gershwin.

1/12/26
Fredrica von Stade
Frederica von Stade, best known for her work in opera, is also a recitalist and concert artist, and has recorded more than a hundred albums and videos. She is widely regarded as the pre-eminent lyric mezzo-soprano of her generation. This program will offer a retrospective of her wide-ranging career through commentary and historic videos.

1/19/26
Holiday
No Performance
Martin Luther King Day

1/23/26
Eden Espinosa
Eden Espinosa was nominated for both the Tony and Drama League awards for her stunning performance as Tamara De Lempicka in the Broadway production of Lempicka. Espinosa is warmly recognized for her critically acclaimed and iconic portrayals of Elphaba in Wicked. Eden will offer the audience a view into the world of Broadway

2/2/26
Bobby Nunes and Fernando Traba
A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Bobby Nunes has served as the Principal Oboe of the Sarasota Orchestra since 2023 and was recently named Principal Oboe of the Des Moines Metro Opera. A native of Mexico City, Fernando Traba has served as Principal Bassoon of the Sarasota Orchestra since 1992. Both musicians perform on instruments that are the only principal double-reed instruments in the orchestra.

2/9/26
Jake Kwiatkowski
When he was five years old, Jake Kwiatkowski’s parents knew something was off. He was carrying a fanny pack under his arm, and they didn’t know why. After some investigation, they discovered he was pretending it was a set of bagpipes. Jake brings his talents as one of the only professional bagpipe performers in western New York.

2/16/26
The Garbage-Men
The Garbage-Men is a band from Sarasota, Florida who have been sharing sustainability and creativity with the local community playing music on their unique DIY recycled instruments! From simple trash, these young musicians have crafted instruments and have performed on CNN and PBS.

2/23/26
Michael Stephen Brown
Michael Stephen Brown is a composer and pianist hailed by the New York Times as “one of the leading figures in the current renaissance of performer-composers.” Currently he is composing The Magical Carnival, a fantastical journey for chamber ensemble, co-commissioned by four US organizations including Sarasota's La Musica and The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

3/2/26
Virginia Mims
Virginia Mims is an American lyric coloratura soprano recognized for her expressive stage presence, vocal agility, and interpretive depth. Her vast repertoire encompasses opera, art song, oratorio, and musical theatre. In the 2025–2026 season, Virginia will return to Sarasota Opera for Cosě fan tutte and La Bohčme both under the baton of Victor DeRenzi.

3/9/26
Three and a Half Men
Three and a Half Men is a dynamic vocal quartet from Central Florida that brings a variety of musical styles to the scene. With backgrounds in barbershop, doo-wop, vocal jazz, and gospel music, the quartet enjoys a diverse repertoire and delivery. They appear as headliners for the Chorus of the Keys concert in Sarasota on March 7, 2026

3/16/26
Invoke
Described as “...not anything but everything: Classical, Folk, Bluegrass, Americana and a sound yet to be termed seamlessly merged into a perfect one”, Invoke strives to successfully dodge even the most valiant attempts at genre classification. Their ongoing commissioning project, American Postcards, asks composers to pick a time and place in American history and tell its story through the group’s unique artistry.

3/23/26
Lily and Steven Hoingberg
A violin virtuoso, fiddler, and composer raised in Washington DC, LA based Lily Honigberg seamlessly weaves together a rich tapestry of Irish fiddle, classical, and contemporary improvisation in the music of singer song-writers, rappers, and artists. Steven Honigberg was hired under the leadership of Mstislav Rostropovich to become a member of the National Symphony Orchestra. For a decade, Mr. Honigberg was Director of the Chamber Music series at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC.

3/30/26
Robin Bell, Betsy Traba,Joseph Holt
Betsy Hudson Traba and Joseph Holt turn the tables during this final Music Mondays program, becoming the guest musicians instead of hosting the event. Betsy is principal flute with the Sarasota Orchestra in addition to providing program notes for their performances. Joseph Holt is a pianist and conductor, formerly with The US Army Band in Washington, DC and most recently Artistic Director of the Choral Artists of Sarasota. Joining them is guest host Robyn Bell, conductor of the Sarasota Pops and creator of the Suncoast Culture Club podcast.