Artist Series Concerts presents “the first family of violin" October 2

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota opens its 27th season, Ever Onward, on October 2, 4:00 p.m. with a concert in the Virtuoso Violins Series presented at Sarasota Opera House. The Magnificent Markovs is two generations of concert violinists – Alexander Markov and his parents Albert and Marina – performing together in a family-friendly concert experience that also features Key Chorale and the Booker High School VPA Choir. Concert tickets are $30-$60; post-concert reception available for a separate charge of $35 per person.

The first part of the concert features the Markovs playing classical favorites by Paganini, Schubert, Prokofiev, and others. Alexander Markov says, “It’s an incredible experience every time we play together, because there’s nothing closer than playing with your family.”

Following intermission, Alexander takes the stage with Key Chorale, the Booker High School VPA Choir, an orchestra, a rhythm section, and his 24-karat-gold-plated six-string electric violin to perform “Caesar,” his original composition about the legendary Roman general and statesman. Classical, rock, and pop music combine in this four-part piece full of mystery, drama, color, and contrasts. Alexander says “I’m a product of a classical music home during the era of guitar gods. You should expect the unexpected.”

Alexander has wowed audiences playing his gold electric violin in the world’s most prestigious concert halls and packed stadiums. His stop in Sarasota falls between a just-finished European tour and an appearance at Carnegie Hall in November. Alexander made his New York debut recital at Carnegie Hall in 1983 and was awarded a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1987. He humorously stated, “It used to be the big deal was that I made my debut at Carnegie Hall at the age of 16. Now it’s that I have over 11 million views on YouTube.”

Albert Markov was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine in 1933. In 1941, he and his mother were evacuated to escape World War II. After his immigration to the United States in 1975, Albert Markov made his debut with the Houston Symphony. Prior to that, he won the Gold Medal in the Queen Elizabeth Competition in Brussels and was concertizing extensively. He is the only concert violinist of the 20th and 21st centuries who created major compositions for opera, symphony, and more which are performed internationally and commercially recorded.

Marina Markov was a member of the string ensemble in the orchestra of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow as well as a member of the Bolshoi Quartet. After immigrating to the Unites States, she was a member of the New York City Opera Orchestra and the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, New York.

For more information and tickets, visit ArtistSeriesConcerts.org or call (941) 306-1202.