Celebrated Organist of New York Philharmonic
To Give Exclusive Organ Recital in Sarasota February 26 at Church of The Palms
On February 27, Kent Tritle will also participate in “SILL’s Music Mondays”
with June LeBell in Sarasota and Robert Sherman in Venice
Called “the brightest star in New York’s choral music world” by The New York Times, Kent Tritle is director of cathedral music and organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City and the organist of the New York Philharmonic and the American Symphony Orchestra.
(Sarasota, FL) Kent Tritle, the official organist of the New York Philharmonic and organist/choir master at New York’s City’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine, will give an organ recital, Sunday, February 26, 3 p.m., at Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge, Road in Sarasota, featuring music by Franck, J.S. Bach, Duruflé, Widor and Buxtehude. Tickets are $10. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 941- 924-1323 or tickets at the door one hour prior to performance.
In addition, Tritle will be June LeBell’s guest on “SILL’s Music Mondays,” Monday February 27, at 10:30 a.m., also at Church of the Palms. He will also participate in a second “SILL’s Music Mondays,” at 3 p.m. the same day at Venice Presbyterian Church, 825 The Rialto, Venice. This session will be hosted by Robert Sherman, an award-winning broadcaster, writer and host with WQXR, the country’s largest and oldest classical music station.
“In many ways Kent is the new Robert Shaw of choral conductors,” says June LeBell, a noted lecturer on classical music and opera and the first female announcer on WQXR. “The New York Times recently called Kent ‘the brightest star in New York’s choral music world,’ and we couldn’t agree more.” She adds that what’s special about this appearance is that “audiences will have the very rare opportunity to hear a famous organist in recital and then, the next day, meet, get to know him, and hear him play again.”
Kent Tritle is one of America’s leading choral conductors. He is director of cathedral music and organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City; music director of Musica Sacra, the longest continuously performing professional chorus in New York; and music director of the Oratorio Society of New York, the acclaimed 200-voice volunteer chorus. In addition, Tritle is director of Choral Activities and chair of the Organ Department at the Manhattan School of Music, and is a member of the graduate faculty of The Juilliard School. An acclaimed organ virtuoso, Kent Tritle is the organist of the New York Philharmonic and the American Symphony Orchestra.
Robert Sherman, award-winning broadcaster and writer, recently celebrated his 56th anniversary with WQXR. Formerly program director and later senior consultant, he continues to produce and host The McGraw-Hill Companies’ Young Artists Showcase— now in its 34th year on the station—and since their inception, has hosted the Lincoln Center presentations of the annual Avery Fisher Career Grants. For more than 40 years, Sherman was a music critic and columnist for The New York Times and, for nearly 20 years, served on the faculty of The Juilliard School. He is also co-author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Classical Music” and two best-selling books with Victor Borge.
A noted lecturer on classical music and opera, June LeBell was the first female announcer on a major commercial classical music radio station. For 30 years, she was a full-time, on-air presence on WQXR, the country’s largest and oldest classical music station. She has received more than 18 awards for outstanding broadcasts with prestigious arts organizations, including the New York Philharmonic and the Marilyn Horne Foundation. LeBell has produced and hosted her “Musical Conversations,” at numerous venues, including the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Santa Fe Opera, and, in Sarasota, at “Music Mondays” at SILL.
The Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning (SILL) is a non-profit organization that offers an expert lecture series to provide information on and discussion of the arts and contemporary global issues. SILL is guided by an all-volunteer board committed to modest pricing and enhanced outreach. For more info, visit www.sillsarasota.org.
