Bramwell Tovey appointed Musical Director of the Sarasota Orchestra
The Sarasota Orchestra has announced the appointment of celebrated conductor Bramwell Tovey as Music Director. His five-year contract will begin on September 1, 2021, as appointed Music Director, with him as Music Director for the following four seasons.
Tovey served as Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for 18 years and is now their Music Director Emeritus. He is currently Principal Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, Artistic Advisor of the Rhode Island Philharmonic and Principal Guest Conductor of the Orchester Symphonique de Québec. As a conductor, he has performed with prominent companies such as the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra and many more, in America, Europe and Asia.
He is responsible for the creation of the VSO School of Music within the Tovey Center for Music in Vancouver, which opened in 2011 with a focus on education and community. As artistic director, Tovey worked with the Calgary Opera and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, where he created the latter’s New Music Festival, now in its 30e year.
His inaugural concert with the company will take place on October 30, for a program by Beethoven, Verdi, Saint-Saëns and Sarasate. Tovey will be joined by Grammy-winning violinist and frequent collaborator James Ehnes.
“We are delighted to welcome an artist of Bramwell Tovey’s stature at this important time in the development of our organization,” writes President and CEO of Joseph McKenna SO. “His brilliant musicality, passion for education, and immediate chemistry with our musicians inspired his selection by the Sarasota Orchestra Research Committee and Board of Directors.”