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Music Mondays
Sarasota Series
Click on artist name for biography

Aznavoorian

1/6/25
Aznavoorian Duo

The Aznavoorian Duo, sisters Ani (cellist) and Marta (pianist), had their first public performance at the ages of 4 and 8 at their Armenian church in Evanston, IL. They won First Prize in the Illinois Bell Young Performers Competition, resulting in a live performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on PBS.


Kaya

1/13/25
Celil Refik Kaya

Since his concert debut at the age of 6, Turkish American guitarist and composer Dr. Celil Refik Kaya has received high promised accolades from an early age. Dr. Kaya is currently the Coordinator of Guitar Studies at the New Jersey City University and Kean University.


Sol-Kerzner

1/20/25
Aquila Sol-Jacob Kerzner

Aquila Sol, soprano, is a Senior studying for her BFA in Musical Theatre at the University of Michigan with a minor in Performing Arts Management & Entrepreneurship. Jacob Kerzner pianist, is the Associate Editor for the George and Ira Gershwin Critical Edition at the University of Michigan.


Rhoden

1/27/25
Ravon "Steely" Rhoden

Ravon Rhoden steel drum performer, has established himself as one of the most innovative and vital voices in modern reggae. Born and raised in Montego Bay, Jamaica, his music pays tribute to legends like Bob Marley and Dennis Brown while pushing the genre into bold new territory.


Thorpe

2/3/25
Matrick Thorpe

Matrick Thorpe is a 17-year-old contemporary/classical cellist from Sarasota, Florida, where he attends Pine View School for the Gifted. While studying classical with cellist Ann Alton, he has received several performance scholarships and awards, the most recent from the Artist Series Suncoast Competition.


Bennett

2/10/25
Dave Bennett

Dave Bennett jazz clarinet, doesn't fit the mold. You may not find even one other clarinet virtuoso who breaks from his Swing Era repertoire to sing rockabilly hits while accompanying himself at the piano or electric guitar. He's also a songwriter - his first rock album is "Nowhere Fast".


Lazarus-Cherwien

2/17/25
Charles Lazarus-David Cherwien

Charles Lazarus trumpeter, is a multi-faceted performer who has charted a unique course over his career including tenures in several of the best-known brass ensembles in the world. David Cherwien, former Artistic Director of the National Lutheran Choir, is a nationally known conductor, composer, and organist.


LivingByTheStream

2/24/25
Living by the Stream

Living By The Stream, father-daughter duo of Sarah Dowell, violin and Steve Dowell, guitar, creates a new and unique musical style entirely its own by harnessing the tones of violin, guitar, and vocals into a colorful amalgam of sound imbued with joy and wonder.


Schlefer

3/3/25
James Nyoraku Schlefer

James Nyoraku Schlefer is a Grand Master of the shakuhachi and one of only a handful of non-Japanese artists to have achieved this rank. He is a professor of World music courses at New York City College of Technology (CUNY).He is artist in residence at The Hermitage Artist Retreat.


Kim-Suchocka

3/10/25
Hanna Kim-Marcelina Suchocka

Hanna Kim joined the Sarasota Orchestra as Section Percussionist in October 2023. She earned her Bachelor of Music Performance degree from The Juilliard School. Born in Bialystok, Poland, Marcelina Suchocka is the Principal Percussionist for Sarasota Orchestra and the Britt Festival Orchestra.


Johnson

3/17/25
Michelle Johnson

Michelle Johnson, a soprano of extraordinary talent and acclaim, has captivated audiences worldwide with her mesmerizing performances. As a Grand Prize Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, she has been hailed by critics as "a clear audience favorite," lauded for her impeccable breath control and velvety voice.


IvoryGold

3/24/25
Ivory & Gold

Ivory & Gold duo consists of Anne Barnhart (flute and vocals) and Jeff Barnhart (piano and vocals) and was formed in 2001 to perform at the prestigious annual Jazz Festival in Sun Valley, Idaho. Subsequently, Ivory&Gold® has been invited to appear in hundreds of venues from coast-to-coast.