The Florida West Coast Symphony, Music For The Ages

Florida West Coast Symphony

The Florida West Coast Symphony, which holds the distinction as Florida's oldest continuing orchestra, has been ranked twice   as the premier Florida musical organization by the grants panel of the Florida Arts Council's Cultural Institute Program - an organization that offers funding for organizations par excellence.

The Symphony is run by Artistic Director Leif Bjaland. Mr. Bjaland has been with the symphony for over a decade. Conductor Bjaland has brought a uniquely brilliant sound to the orchestra and as a result many of the Symphony's concerts are 'standing room only.'

Today's Symphony is committed to excellence in both education and performance making it a multi-faceted and dynamic organization. Amid a period of artistic growth, nearly $6 million is allocated to the Symphony each year.

The Florida West Coast Symphony holds over 100 concerts in several repertoires every year on the west coast of Florida - in Sarasota, Charlotte, and Manatee counties. The Symphony's 37-week season begins in September and concludes in May. Part of the Symphony's educational line up includes an expanded Youth Orchestra Program, community outreach programs, along with music education classes for people of all ages. In addition, the Orchestra plays host to the Sarasota Music Festival for top-notch musicians of college-going age, known as the Official Teaching and Performing Festival of Florida.

Other educational programs sponsored by the Symphony include concerts by 4^th and 5^th graders, a summer music camp titled "Summer at the Symphony", a concert club and a Young Artists Competition 

The Symphony's musicians fulfill the prerequisites of outstanding education and experience - forty of them are salaried. Touted as one of the renowned symphonies in the country, the Florida West Coast Symphony enjoys immense popularity among visitors and residents of Sarasota. Sarasota's Herald Tribune reported, highlighting the Symphony's growth, "The growth and maturity of the Florida West Coast Symphony seems to be unfolding right before our ears. Each concert is better than the previous one."

The Symphony performs a wide gamut of music from classical to the contemporary. Classical concerts include music by Beethoven, Dukas, Bach, Handel, Franck, Mozart, Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Liszt, Ravel and Strauss. The Symphony has also offered Symphonic Pops performances entitled, "Gotta Dance," "Solid Gold," "Moonlight Serenade," "Valentine Pops," and "Patriotic Pops." 

The Florida West Coast Symphony performs at a number of venues with the two major performance venues being the Van Wenzel Performing Arts Hall, located at 777 North Tamiami Trail, and the Holley Hall at The Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, located at 709 North Tamiami Trail. Both of these venues are located in the middle of Sarasota's cultural district and include free parking for the Symphony's patrons.

The Symphony has been entertaining music enthusiasts from all over the world for over 60 years. With CEO Joseph McKenna at the helm, the 80-member symphony launched a new name and logo in 2008. Along with that, a package offering new concerts, new series, and a new way to experience timeless    classics and live music was unveiled.

Dubbed the Sarasota Orchestra, the Symphony is a community leader in the arts, and carries a dual mission of offering fabulous performances and enhancing musical education.

709 North Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, Florida 34236
(941) 953-3434
http://www.sarasotaorchestra.org