Subscribe to the long-running Sarasota Concert Association’s Great Performers Series this season (its 72^nd) and you’ll get a nice treat: a bonus concert, making this a six-concert season instead of the usual five. Since the season also opens in December, rather than January as normal, you might consider it a holiday gift.

The first concert of the season features a performance by the Emerson String Quartet (Dec. 18), led by conductor-cellist Paul Watkins. That’s followed by the Minnesota Orchestra on Jan. 9 (led by Osmo Vanska and featuring cellist Alisa Weilerstein); the National Symphony of Ukraine, conducted by Theodore Juchar, with pianist Alexei Grynyak, Jan. 30; Apollo’s Fire, an ensemble dedicated to the baroque ideal that music evoke affekts, or passions, in its listeners (Feb. 22); the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, conducted by Peter Oundjian, with violinist Nicola Benedetti (March 16) ; and finally piano virtuoso Daniil Trifonov in a program of duo piano music with his longtime teacher, Sergei Babayan, March 30.

All of the concerts save one take place at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall; for the first time an SCA event—Apollo’s Fire—will be offered at the Riverview Performing Arts Center. Subscriptions for all six concerts start at $180; single tickets will go on sale after Sept. 1. For info, call (941) 225-6500 or go to scasarasota.org.