Artist Series Concerts' Annual Fundraiser UP THE TEMPO! Announced At Michael's On East

Artist Series Concerts' annual fundraiser celebrates the organization's 24th season with an evening of festive cocktails, fine cuisine, a live auction and more. Proceeds from the gala will benefit young musicians through scholarships, educational outreach and performance opportunities. The evening also features live performances by soprano Jennifer Kreider, a past scholarship recipient, and marimba player Andrew Landers, a student at Braden River High School who will be participating in the 2020 Suncoast Music Scholarships.

(Sarasota, Florida) Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota's annual fundraiser gala, 'Up the Tempo,' is Wednesday, March 11, 6 p.m., at Michael's On East Ballroom, 1212 South East Avenue, Sarasota. The event, produced by Artist Series Concerts FRIENDS, the volunteer arm of Artist Series Concerts, features live music by pianist Don Bryn and his trio, plus center-stage performances by soprano Jennifer Kreider, a winner at Artist Series Concerts' 2016 National Voice Competition, and Andrew Landers, an outstanding young marimba player and a student at Braden River High School. The evening also includes cocktails, dinner, a live auction, drawings and other activities. Proceeds from the gala, which is chaired by Patty Glah, will benefit Artist Series Concerts' music scholarship awards, educational and community outreach programs and performance opportunities for promising young musicians. Tickets are $195 and invitations can be requested by calling 941-306-1202, Mon. - Fri., 10 a.m. - 4p.m. Reservations must be made by March 3. Details about the Gala and more information about Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota's 2019-2020 season are at www.ArtistSeriesConcerts.org.

"This has been such an exciting, fast-paced season for us, hence the theme 'Up the Tempo,'" says Cyndi Mumm, president of Artist Series Concerts FRIENDS. "There's so much to celebrate this year, including the arrival of our new executive director Marcy Miller, who is so ably guiding us along our renewed mission to present, support and cultivate outstanding young musicians, and especially the astounding young artists, including one of our past competition winners, who have already brought so many memorable, even supercharged, musical moments to our community this season. It's a thrill to support these youthful talents and to see them shine."

Two highlights of the evening will certainly be the performances by soprano Jennifer Kreider and marimba player Andrew Landers. Kreider was a winner at Artist Series Concerts' 2016 National Voice Competition and since then has been furthering her studies at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music while winning more awards and adding more prominent roles to her already impressive resume. Landers is a student at Braden River High School and will be putting his skills on the marimba on display at the 2020 Suncoast Music Scholarships in April.

"Jennifer and Andrew are two more shining examples of the diverse and extraordinary young musical talents out there," says Mumm. "We're thrilled to have them with us as part of our annual evening of celebration and fundraising and we look forward to presenting them and other accomplished young artists like them for years to come."

Over the past several years, Artist Series Concerts has awarded over $300,000 to more than 80 gifted young musicians via its scholarship awards programs. Past winners have gone on to study at leading music conservatories and pursued successful music careers. For the past four years, the organization has also co-hosted the Suncoast Music Scholarships, a collaborative competition organized and funded by Artist Series Concerts and the Sarasota Music Club. This initiative awards another $20,000 to young musicians from high schools in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Artist Series Concerts' 2020-21 silver anniversary season will also provide more valuable performance opportunities for groundbreaking young artists, many of whom are engaged via continued collaborations with such prestigious institutions as Young Concert Artists International, Juilliard, Curtis Institute and others.

"This is going to be an exciting evening of great fun, great music, fabulous food and some of the best live auction items we've ever had," says Mumm. "And best of all, the funds raised will all go towards our mission of supporting our youth and community outreach programs, as well as that next generation of great musicians - our stars of the future."

For more information, visit www.ArtistSeriesConcerts.org