We look forward to gathering again and engaging in a fascinating musical experience that is unique to Sarasota and Venice. Featuring a wide variety of musicians from around the United States, Music Mondays features lively conversation interspersed with musical performance that entertains and delights. Musicians create an aural landscape, painting a picture or suggesting an emotion through sound that is exceptional in the arts. In this series of 12 musical conversations, experience the unique world of the musicians hearing their story, their thoughts and creative insight alongside the magic they create while performing. Each session promises insight into the panoply of musical artistry, whether through a traditional classical medium or more contemporary, popular and even cutting-edge genres. The kaleidoscope of musical instruments featured includes piano, strings, voice, bagpipes and even instruments constructed out of everyday garbage. Who knew that a box of Frosted Mini Wheats could become a guitar? Check out the complete list of offerings for the upcoming season for details.

I am thrilled that we are featuring one of America's foremost mezzo-sopranos in this year's season. Frederica von Stade has thrilled audiences for decades, widely regarded as the pre-eminent lyric mezzo-soprano of her generation. She has performed in major concert halls and operatic stages throughout the world and is featured in over 100 recordings. She is most associated with the music of Mozart and Rossini – Cherubino from The Marriage of Figaro is one of her signature roles, recognized as one of the finest in the world. This legend of the operatic world graces our program with her fascinating history and stories of an exceptional career.

As a special end-of-season session, we feature our hosts who guide us through these musical conversations, offering our audience a chance to get to know them and their musical artistry with a special guest host, Robyn Bell. Betsy Traba, co-host for Music Mondays, and I look forward to this engaging session, the energy onstage will be electric for this final Music Mondays session of the season.

Joseph Holt
Producer and Host