World's finest young musicians perform in Sarasota

Some of the finest young violinists, violists, cellists and bassists in the world are in the Bradenton area right now, and they'll be performing for free over the next nine days.

And Itzhak Perlman, perhaps the most famous violinist in the world, will be conducting some of the those performances.

For more than 20 years, the Perlman Music Program has attracted the elite student string players for a summer program in New York and a 17-day winter intensive in Sarasota. The winter program is going on now, and through Jan. 2 its musicians will offer 16 concerts, open rehearsals, master classes and recitals. All but two of those 16 events are free.

The musicians are still students, a program official said, but they're so talented and so well-trained that most audience members won't discern a difference between their playing and that of top professionals.

"It's a very, very high level of musicianship," said Elizabeth Power, the executive director of the Perlman Music Program Sarasota. "These are exceptional students. They're the elite. They sound very professional."

One thing that makes the Perlman Music Program special, Power said, is that it establishes a cooperative atmosphere rather than a competitive one. It's a very difficult program to get into, but once you're in you can stay involved as long as you want. Some musicians have remained with the program for nearly two decades. Younger students learn from older ones. Musicians who started in the program as children are now playing on major concert stages around the world, and they still come back and work with student musicians.

"If you have been here before, you can see some of the same musicians coming back year after year. Power said. "You can watch them develop and mature."

Studying and rehearsing in studios is important, Power said, but it's essential for young musicians to get experience in front of audiences. So the Perlman Music Program invites the public to attend recitals, classes and rehearsals, and it also stages a full-fledged concert conducted by Itzhak Perlman on the last day of the program.

Most of the public performances take place under a tent at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee. Most are free, but if you want to pay $7.50 you can get in early and get a better choice of seats.

Perlman will be in attendance at almost all of the public events. Today and Saturday, Perlman will conduct orchestra rehearsals. He'll wear a microphone, so the audience will be able to hear his instructions to the musicians, and the audience will be able to hear the adjustments the musicians make.

It's very informal. The climate control in the tent is limited -- there's no air conditioning, but the tent is ventilated -- so people who attended are advised to dress for the weather.

Because almost all the events are free, it's a great way for people to experience live classical music for the first time, Power said. But the musicianship is of such high quality that connoisseurs will enjoy it, too.

Two of the public performances are in other locations. On Sunday, an orchestra rehearsal is set for 7 p.m. at Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. And the final Celebration Concert is 5 p.m. Jan. 2 at the Sarasota Opera House.

Tickets for the Celebration Concert are $40, $60 and $80 dollars. An orchestra rehearsal at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 29 at USFSM is $10. All other events are free. A full schedule is available at perlmanmusicprogramsuncoast.org/schedule.

Details: Through Jan. 2, University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Show times: Various. Tickets: Free ($7.50 for early admission and better choice of seats). Two events require paid tickets. Information: perlmanmusicprogramsuncoast.org.

Marty Clear, features writer/columnist, can be reached at 941-708-7919. Follow twitter.com/martinclear.

This story was originally published December 23, 2015 at 3:43 PM with the headline "World's finest young musicians perform in Sarasota ."