Sarasota Music Festival

You are invited to audition and participate in the 2024 Sarasota Music Festival (June 1-June 23, 2024), one of classical music’s finest teaching festivals.

This is an opportunity for 60 pre-professional musicians to work side-by-side with 40 esteemed guest faculty.

Join us at the Sarasota Music Festival this June 2024 as we celebrate our 60th anniversary with three weeks of thrilling performances, coachings, and masterclasses. The theme of our Festival this coming year is “Music Unbound”. The programming will spotlight the alchemical magic that results when some of the world’s most gifted and versatile musicians join together to share their gifts in multiple musical languages and modes of performance.

From Bach and Beethoven to bluegrass and jazz, Festival faculty and fellows will explore the vast range of extraordinary music that brings us joy. New faculty members join long-time Festival artist-faculty, and workshops on improvisation and world music will happen side by side with traditional masterclasses, as we celebrate six decades of bringing seasoned master artists and extraordinary young performers together in beautiful Sarasota.

Highlights of the Sarasota Music Festival for previous participants include:

• The opportunity to perform chamber music alongside esteemed faculty members in the Sarasota Opera House to chamber music enthusiasts. 
• The ability to choose their chamber music repertoire.
• Working on more than 6 chamber works and 5 chamber orchestra pieces in 3 weeks' time.
• Creating and performing chamber music programs for community outreach across Sarasota County.
• Performing solo works in masterclasses each week for faculty artists.

This year in addition to all of the above, the Festival will also feature:

• Quartet in Residence - The Borromeo String Quartet will be in-residence for one week of the Festival. Quartet members will coach chamber music ensembles, perform on several concerts, and host a string quartet masterclass, including a Q+A session. 

On any given day during the festival, a fellow may rehearse in a faculty-coached ensemble, play in masterclasses, and perform chamber music and orchestral repertoire on stage. Interspersed, are those coveted opportunities for faculty and fellows to rehearse and perform chamber music together. Everyone will perform chamber music in public concerts and a select few will play at churches and service organizations throughout the community.

Applications to the 2024 Sarasota Music Festival are open until February 15!

Sarasota Music Festival application fee is $100. 
Final deadline for all instruments is 11:59 PM EST on February 15, 2024.
Final deadline for librarians is 11:59 PM EST on February 29, 2024.

For technical questions, please check out our Help Desk for frequently asked questions.