Holley Hall
709 N Tamiami Trl
Sarasota, FL 34236
… more pix & videos on Google Maps,
This 400 seat hall is one of Sarasota Orchestra‘s performing venue.
The hall is decent, one level, a parking lot away from Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
The touchiness faucet in the bathroom dispenses burning hot water. Good heaven, in Florida, why do they need hot water.
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Sarasota, FL
Sarasota Orchestra began in 1949, with efforts from music teacher Ruth Cotton Butler, businessmen Dr. W.D. Sugg and J. Lorton Francis of Bradenton, and George Gibbs, an amateur musician from Venice.
Paul Wolfe was the artistic director and conductor for 35 years in 1961. Giancarlo Guerrero is the current one since 2025.
… they’ve several venues
777 N Tamiami Trl,
Sarasota, FL 34236
One of the venues for the Sarasota Orchestra.
They’re on the Gulf of Mexico, west of the barrier island Longboat Key.
481 N Orange Ave,
Sarasota, FL 34236
… more pix n videos on Google Maps, Yelp; add it to TA
Will return.
Dark wood and granite (?) decor on a lovely street. It has indoor and outdoor sections. A big fireplace outside.
Love their thin stems and water tumblers. … but then the server gave us different glasses the second run: dull and thick. If I knew I would not have ordered another drink.
Ok, I went to the bar and asked for a thin stem.
Like their spicy olive oil a lot.
Are they New York Italian? No sure: is it Little Italy Italian or Arthur Avenue in Bronx Italian? In any case, their food is delicious.
We’ve
– arugula salad w/ Shiitake mushrooms
– eggplant rollatini
– clams in white
– mussels in red with raw garlic and pungent wine sauce… and I took the sauce home – can’t take me anywhere.
Thanks for deciding the salad. When they brought the hot food, they warned us that the plates are hot … in fact, non of the three are hot, not even warm.
I thought the eggplant rollatini would be thin and small that I can finish it all as an appetizer. Wrong: three large and fat piece: a little too ‘meaty’. After one I felt I’m full.
We’re too full to try their dessert.
Next time.
The busy girl (?) is pleasant, warm and cute.
Rushing home to watch the rest of Super Bowl!
Holley Hall
709 N Tamiami Trl
Sarasota, FL 34236
… more
This 400 seat hall is one of Sarasota Orchestra performing venues.
William Yang is performing his first concert after his win in Miami last month. He’s good but his appearance could use some update: nerdy, greasy and woody. Un-enthusiasm might be his style. I closed my eyes and thinking of Lang Lang 郎朗 (1982-), Khatia Buniatishvili (1987-) and Wang Yuja 王羽佳 (1987-): lively, infectious and the tremoring hair.
Yang took $100k prize in Miami as well the guaranteed entry to Warsaw in October. Good luck kiddo.
His performance is presented by the Polish-American Association of Sarasota, a town with 57k residents. I’m impressed. English isn’t the predominating language; we’re the only Asians in the audience.
After every piece, Yang bows 90 degrees followed by a little nod while left hand on the piano. He speaks briefly after the Polonaise Fantasy in Ab Major Op. 61 which was his winning piece last month. My impression of him seems to improved a little.
During the intermission, five or six Europeans (likely Polish) smoke by the entrance, which is very inconvenient to us when we want to go out for a moment.
Yang seems loosening up a little when he attacks Quatre Mazurkas Op 33, D major (Vivace)
The two co-chair women thankfully talked about their association’s relationship with Chopin Miami, which enable them to put out this performance, every five years. They couldn’t scan the digital tickets, and their event isn’t on their calendar, shows, perhaps, this isn’t Sarasota Orchestra sanctioned.
After the show, an elderly woman climbed up to the stage to take a selfie with him and asked his to sign her program. This uncouth conduct is shocking.
Then more laugh followed, when the two co-chair presented him a bouquet of flowers, then took out a limp red bag (for what??), and fish out a white t shirt from it … It’s pretty embarrassing for all.
William Yang (2001-)
23岁的娃 上个月赢了迈亚密的肖邦赛. 10月会去华沙比赛 🈵🈵的祝福 (希望他能够改善一下外表😂 别像个中年油腻大叔[闭嘴])
这是他赢后第一场演奏. 主办方是一不到六万人 小城的波兰美国协会.
完后 一大妈爬上台… 200观众看的目瞪口呆
二个主持人送完花. 还加送一红袋子和白T恤. … 哄堂大笑😂
