“Anu Tali, who has been credited with raising the quality of the Sarasota Orchestra over the last four years, has announced she does not plan to renew her contract when it ends in 2019,” writes Jay Handelman in Wednesday’s (10/25) Sarasota Herald-Tribune (Florida). “Tali succeeded Leif Bjaland in 2013 as only the fifth music director and first woman to lead the orchestra in its nearly 70-year history. … Tali’s first three-year contract was extended in 2016 for an additional three years. Joseph McKenna, the orchestra’s president and CEO, said Tali’s decision was not unexpected. ‘When we hired her, we knew we’d be lucky to get her for even three or four years,’ … he said. ‘She has an international career, has a robust guest conducting schedule.’ … Board chairman David Steves said that a music director search committee will be put together by the end of the year and include representatives from the musicians, staff, board members and possibly community representatives…. [Concertmaster Daniel] Jordan, who served on the last search committee, said the group was … ‘looking for someone … on the way up [who] could elevate our orchestra to the next steps, and Anu has certainly done that.’ ”
Posted October 27, 2017
