About La Musica Chamber Music
For more than four decades, La Musica Chamber Music has brought together exceptional musicians from around the world to present familiar and seldom-heard chamber works to regional audiences. Founded in 1985, the organization remains dedicated to the collaborative spirit and joy of chamber music.
Since internationally acclaimed pianist and arts leader Wu Han was appointed artistic director in 2022, La Musica has expanded from a four-concert April festival to a seven-concert season running from December through April. A longtime artistic leader of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and other prominent music organizations, Wu Han has brought new energy and ambition to La Musica. Attendance has more than tripled, with performances now presented at both the Sarasota Opera House and Riverview Performing Arts Center.
La Musica has also deepened its commitment to young musicians and the future of chamber music. In 2026, the Grant family donated a restored New York Steinway & Sons Model D concert grand to La Musica. Housed at Sarasota Music Conservatory, the instrument provides opportunities for students and faculty while fostering a partnership between the two organizations. Through Musical Kids Go Free, now in its fifth year, children taking music lessons and their families are invited to attend La Musica concerts free of charge.
History
La Musica’s founders — Bruno Giuranna, Derek Han, Judy Sherman and Piero Rivolta — were soon joined by Sally Faron and Fred Derr, who remained involved with the organization for the rest of their lives. Its earliest performances were held in the historic Asolo Opera House at The Ringling. As audiences grew, performances moved to the Sarasota Opera House in 1992.
Collaborations and Commissions
Throughout its history, La Musica has collaborated with cultural organizations locally and nationally, including the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Sarasota Film Society, Sarasota Ballet, Ringling College of Art and Design, and GuitarSarasota.
La Musica has also fostered new chamber music through the commissioning and premiere of works by Giacomo Susani, Guido Turchi, Joelle Wallach, Giampaolo Bracali, Yehudi Wyner, Dick Hyman, Vijay Iyer, James Winn, Joan Tower and Jerry Bilik.
In 2026 La Musica joined an international consortium to co-commission Michael Stephen Brown’s “The Carnival of Endangered Wonders: A Zoological Fantasy,” which received its world premiere in Sarasota in partnership with Mote SEA.
Our Mission
La Musica brings together outstanding musicians from around the world to present exciting programs of familiar and seldom-heard chamber music, sharing the joy of performance with audiences throughout the region.
