Are you a first responder, or do you work in emergency or disaster response, law enforcement, public works, education, healthcare, human services, or active military?

Sarasota Orchestra wants to thank our Hometown Heroes for your service with free tickets to a concert of great, live music.

On Friday, January 6, 2023, at 7:30 p.m., join the full orchestra, conductor Peter Oundjian, Grammy-winning violinist James Ehnes, and soprano Laquita Mitchell for a 60- to 75-minute new concert format called “A Guided Tour.”

Held at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Maestro Oundjian will lead the way through inspiring and joyous selections of music by Gustav Mahler and Jean Sibelius, sharing historical background and personal insights on the music, along with insights for audience members to listen for as you experience Sarasota Orchestra’s uplifting performance.

James Ehnes will reveal the challenges and tricks in performing the Sibelius Violin Concerto, especially the fiery and finger-bending final movement. In contrast, the first and fourth movements of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 draw you into a world of wonder, especially when Laquita Mitchell’s lustrous voice gives listeners a view of heaven through the eyes of a child.

This concert format is designed to be welcoming to those new to classical music, while longtime symphony-goers will relish the exploration into what makes these masterworks truly great.

Ticket purchases and donations from ticket buyers make this gift possible. Tickets for the general public start at $26. 

Go to Sarasota Orchestra’s website SarasotaOrchestra.org for hometown heroes to reserve FREE tickets and to find out more about the Orchestra’s new concert format.