September 20, 2014
MEDIA CONTACTS
Susan Burke § [email protected] § 941-387-6406
Su Byron § [email protected] § 941-922-7274
Gloria Musicae Announces New Executive Director
Susan Burke brings a wealth of experience in building strategic community partnerships.
(Sarasota, FL) Gloria Musicae announces the appointment of Susan Burke as the organization’s new executive director. Burke spent the past 13 years working in the regional non-profit community. She most recently served as executive director of the Florida Alliance for Arts Education. In her new role with Gloria Musicae, Burke will be responsible for the development and implementation of all aspects of the organization’s operational and community relations campaigns. She will also oversee program growth and manage and implement long-term sustainability goals.
Burke has made her home in Sarasota since 2001. Her first involvement with arts administration occurred in 1997 when, with friends, she created a theater program for teenagers which drew participants from 34 countries to the south of France each summer. Closer to home, she was the director of education for the Sarasota County Arts Council, now the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, and has worked on special projects with several regional non-profit arts and cultural organizations.
“Gloria Musicae is a fantastic blend of artistic excellence and truly lovely people,” says Burke. “I look forward to working closely with the organization’s leadership to ensure its vibrant role in our community as the group enters its 36th season.”
Dr. Joseph Holt, Gloria Musicae’s artistic director, says that he and his board are delighted to have the opportunity to work with Burke. “We feel privileged to have Susan at the helm,” he says. “Her years of work in the non-profit world, combined with her progressive outlook, will provide the level of leadership it will take to guide our organization forward into the next 36 years.”
Gloria Musicae’s 2014-2015 season features three signature concerts:
“In Thanksgiving,” the kick-off concert (November 23, 2014, 4 p.m., at Sarasota Opera House) will celebrate the art of giving and philanthropy with George Frideric Handel’s “Foundling Hospital Anthem” as its centerpiece. The concert will also feature works by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo, Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, and American composer Glenn Burleigh. Featured guest artists include the Gulf Coast Community Choir and the Sarasota Young Voices. The Community Foundation of Sarasota’s president and CEO, Roxie Jerde, will speak on behalf of giving in our community.
“Old and New” (Sunday, April 12, 2015, 7 p.m., at First United Methodist Church in Sarasota) will feature “Sunrise Mass” by the contemporary Norwegian composer, Ola Gjeilo, and Giacomo Puccini’s “Messa di Gloria.” The concert features the Gloria Musicae Singers in collaboration with State College of Florida Chamber Singers.
Gloria Musicae will celebrate Independence Day with a rousing tribute to American composers and to the American spirit in “An American Tapestry,” on Saturday, July 4, 2015, 4:30 p.m., at First United Methodist Church.
The Gloria Musicae Singers will also be partnering with the Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota in a number of concerts this season, including December holiday concerts; an Edvard Grieg Festival in January; and a Gilbert & Sullivan revue in May. All concerts will take place at the Historic Asolo Theater in Sarasota.
“Our 2014-2015 season promises to be an exceptional one,” says Holt. “The season reflects our ongoing commitment to offer audiences new musical experiences in the choral realm, while also highlighting beloved composers in a new light, performing traditional favorites and honoring our mission to be an effective vocal advocate in the community.”
Ticket prices for the 2014-2015 season of concerts are $30 to $40 with student tickets available for $15. For more information about Gloria Musicae, call 941-387-6406 or visit www.GloriaMusicae.org. Tickets for the November 23 “In Thanksgiving” concert are available through the Van Wezel box office, 777 N. Tamiami Trail; 941-953-3368.
About the Gloria Musicae Singers
The Gloria Musicae Singers is a professional vocal ensemble that celebrates choral music through innovative performances. The critically acclaimed group, under the artistic direction of Dr. Joseph Holt, performs a repertoire spanning four centuries, and includes orchestral works, intimate madrigals, church motets, folk songs, close-harmony jazz, and Broadway show music. The ensemble also specializes in premiere performances of lesser-known choral works, particularly music by living American composers. The Gloria Musicae Singers has performed premieres by René Clausen, Dick Hyman, Robert Levin, Gwyneth Walker, and James Grant, along with the premiere of a new edition of a rarely heard score by Rossini. For more information about Gloria Musicae, visit www.gloriamusicae.org.
