When Bramwell Tovey moves to Sarasota in the Fall to assume his new role as music director for the Sarasota Orchestra, he relocates to a city long revered as a premier destination for retirees, a city with a reputation as a place where people can take their foot off the gas and enjoy their twilight years. On a visit to Sarasota last February in which he performed as guest conductor, Tovey remembers getting off the plane—which disembarked from Vancouver—and thinking to himself, what’s not to like? If he so desired, he could bring his 40-plus years of experience into his role at a well-established, well-funded organization and ride the wave of its existing momentum into a comfortable sunset. 

Tovey and the Sarasota Orchestra have no such lukewarm aspirations. 

He and the orchestra both experienced a similar existential crucible through 2020 and 2021, the latter through a cancelled season, the former through a bout of cancer. “Coming out of the pandemic and overcoming some health issues during that time, I feel like my career is entering an exciting new chapter,” says Tovey. And that momentum borne out of crises bodes well for an organization opening its own new chapter. Before Tovey’s arrival, the orchestra already stood on the cusp of big moves.  Amidst all the gleaming construction downtown and at The Bay project, the organization finds itself in search of a dedicated, permanent home—a search for which Tovey is well suited from his experience helping both the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra Philharmonie de Luxembourg site and build concert halls. “With the Vancouver concert hall, I was involved right from the ground-breaking,” says Tovey, “and it enriched my understanding of how to construct a space that gives a sympathetic account of the sound you’re producing.”

Though his expert ears will assuredly come in handy when planning a new concert hall and his musical pedigree promises to carry on the orchestra’s legacy of excellence—his resume is simply too long to fit on the page—it’s the social and personnel responsibilities that Tovey is most excited to assume. “Since the pandemic, there’s been this great push for more diversity and inclusion in the arts,” he says, “and that’s something I’m excited to champion.” In his view, diversity has done nothing but improve the quality and style of classical music. “There was a hardness and abrasiveness 3-4 decades ago that’s considered unfashionable now in classical music,” he says, “and I think orchestras have grown more creative and constructive as they’ve gotten more inclusive.” 

To that end, Tovey hopes to get out in the community and encourage historically unsolicited populations into the world of classical music. As artistic advisor to the Rhode Island Philharmonic, he oversaw programs that provided music instruments to underserved communities. “I just love getting out in the community and getting my hands dirty, so to speak,” he says, “and I think it’s a way for us to give back and do our part to improve equity, particularly by trying to entice more African American and Hispanic musicians to enter the field.”

Well before he begins to craft initiatives to that end, however, Tovey will make several trips to Sarasota that offer his first opportunities to leave a lasting mark on the orchestra. Throughout the year, Tovey will oversee auditions to fill out the roster—and the importance of such an endeavor is not lost on him. “The orchestra has already had a fantastic last decade of recruitment,” he says, “but whoever I select to fill these open positions will be a part of the orchestra for a long time. These are important decisions.” Still, Tovey will hardly be “planting the garden from scratch,” he says. The orchestra’s existing personnel certainly boasts some terrific talent already. “When I came down in mid-February of last year to guest conduct a very difficult piece with the Orchestra, I was thrilled at how well prepared they were for it,” says Tovey, “there’s great energy and they’re all very keen.”