Sarasota Music Fest Begins

It's been called an oasis of chamber music. The Sarasota Music Festival opened this week. The festival has developed a reputation for attracting some of the best musical students and the highest caliber faculty members. Artistic Director Robert Levin spoke recently on what music lovers can expect the event hosted by the Florida West Coast Symphony.

Levin says there's little need to change anything about the caliber of student or faculty members that come. As the new artistic director, his philosophy is simple, don't fix what isn't broke. Instead, he has focused on marketing.

Although the festival has a high profile in musical circles, Levin says its excellence is well kept secret. He laments that many Sarasota music lovers tend to leave town for the summer just before the festival begins.

He hopes the wide variety of repertoire, including old favorites like Rachmaninoff's beloved Piano Concerto #2, alongside works by modern day composers like Sortomme and Harbison, will change that.

The Sarasota Music Festival runs through June 19th.