Sarasota Orchestra features works by Russian greats

Both of the feature artists are Estonian and all three of the composers are Russian. No doubt all five of them know a little something about winter weather.

For four days beginning today, the Sarasota Orchestra will perform a masterworks concert titled "Winter Dreams." The program features works by three of Russia's greatest composers. Anu Tali, the music director of the Sarasota Orchestra, conducts.

Her countryman, internationally acclaimed pianist Mikhel Poll, will be the featured soloist on Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Piano Concerto No. 3." You may know that piece from the movie "Shine." It's considered one of the most technically difficult piano concertos ever written.

The Rachmaninoff piece is bookended by two symphonies: the seldom-heard "The Children of Captain Grant Overture" by 20th-century Russian composer Isaak Dunayevsky, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's lyrical and melodic "Symphony No. 1."

The orchestra is opening the concert in Bradenton, with a performance at the Neel Performing Arts Center today, and then bringing it to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota for three performances beginning Friday

Details: Jan. 7, Neel Performing Arts Center, 5840 26th St. W., Bradenton, and Jan. 8-10, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Show times: 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $30-$93. Information: 941-953-3434, sarasotaorchestra.org.

--Marty Clear

This story was originally published January 6, 2016 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Sarasota Orchestra features works by Russian greats ."