This June, the Sarasota Music Festival (SMF) makes a compelling invitation: Get closer. On top of thrilling chamber music and symphonic concerts, the Festival’s open rehearsals and opportunities to sit in on coaching sessions give audiences a chance to deepen their connection to classical music and the artists who bring it to life. Explore what’s on offer throughout the 2026 Festival below, and discover your own ideal way to be a part of it. 

If You Only Go to One Thing…

Finale: The Masters in Concert
Saturday, June 13 | 7:30pm | Sarasota Opera House

Beethoven’s Seventh. Mozart at his most dazzling. And flute phenom Jasmine Choi at center stage.

SMF’s grand finale on Saturday, June 13 is built to captivate—pairing the irresistible energy of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 with the brilliance of Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 2, performed by internationally acclaimed flutist Jasmine Choi. It’s a closing night designed for broad resonance and deep impact, with two of classical music’s most beloved composers brought vividly to life by a superstar soloist and a full orchestra charged with the youthful energy of the Festival fellows.

This finale is the culmination of the two-week Sarasota Music Festival (June 1–13, 2026), a concentrated burst of music-making that draws top faculty artists and rising professional musicians from around the world to Sarasota. What sets the Festival apart is its immersive, side-by-side model: every performance features internationally renowned artists performing alongside the next generation of classical talent, creating a dynamic, high-energy experience that audiences can feel.

A Festival That Invites You Closer

Beyond the concerts themselves, the Festival offers a rare level of access. Open rehearsals, coaching sessions, and interactive programs invite audiences inside the creative process—revealing how great performances take shape in real time. It’s not just about hearing the music; it’s about understanding it, watching it evolve, and connecting more deeply with the artists behind it.

The Concerts: Four Distinct Experiences

Across just two weeks, the Festival presents four thoughtfully curated programs—three chamber music showcases and the full-orchestra finale:

• Beethoven & Mendelssohn
  Friday, June 5 | 7:30 pm | Holley Hall
  Beethoven’s witty, elegant Septet —a piece so well-loved that Beethoven declared it “too popular”— pairs perfectly with Mendelssohn’s astonishing Octet. Accompanying these Romantic-era landmarks are 20th-century gems by visionary American artists Florence Price and Amy Beach, offering both familiar brilliance and compelling discoveries. 
• Mozart & Schumann
  Saturday, June 6 | 7:30 pm | Holley Hall
  Classical elegance meets Romantic fire. Mozart’s graceful Wind Serenade No. 11 and Schumann’s exuberant Piano Quintet (featuring Robert Levin) are complemented by the distinctive voice of Ruth Crawford Seeger. 
• Tchaikovsky, Ravel & Dvořák
  Friday, June 12 | 7:30 pm | Holley Hall
  A richly hued program of imagination and atmosphere—from the fairy-tale charm of Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite to the sweeping lyricism of Dvořák’s Piano Quintet and Tchaikovsky’s Italian travelogue in Souvenir de Florence. 
• Finale: The Masters in Concert
  Saturday, June 13 | 7:30 pm | Sarasota Opera House
  The grand finale: Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert on a full orchestral scale, led by Nicholas McGegan, with Jasmine Choi as soloist and Beethoven’s Seventh bringing the Festival to a thrilling close. 

Go Beyond the Concert Hall

One of the best ways to feel closer to the music is to witness how it is practiced—including the stops, starts, comments, and repetitions—before being performed for a full audience. Music-lovers who purchase the Festival Pass gain access to open rehearsals and coaching sessions that peel back the curtain on how chamber and orchestral concerts come to life. Festival Passes can be purchased in-person at the Sarasota Orchestra box office for a mere $10 per day, or $75 for an unlimited two-week pass that offers 20+ exclusive events to enrich your SMF experience. 

A Flexible Way to Experience It

For the first time, Festival concerts are available through a Flex Pass, allowing patrons to choose three or more performances and save 15–20%—an ideal way to shape a personalized Festival experience.

For two weeks each June, Sarasota becomes a hub of artistic exchange, where world-class musicians and emerging talent converge in an atmosphere of collaboration and discovery. Whether you’re drawn by the power of Beethoven, the elegance of Mozart, or the chance to hear a performer like Jasmine Choi live, SMF offers a compelling invitation: come closer—to the music, to the artists, and to the moment.

The Sarasota Music Festival runs June 1–13, 2026. To learn more and purchase tickets, visit the Sarasota Music Festival website or call the Box Office at 941-953-3434. All programs and featured artists are subject to change.