On Saturday, November 16, at 7:00 PM, the Illyrian Symphony will present a concert of Mozart and Beethoven at Faith Lutheran Church, 7750 S. Beneva Rd., Sarasota, FL 34238. Admission is free; donations are gratefully accepted.

The orchestra will open with the timeless Mozart classic, the overture to the Marriage of Figaro. Following the overture, the orchestra will perform Beethoven’s 7th symphony, a joyous masterpiece that Beethoven himself dubbed “one of my best works”.

Illyrian is an all-volunteer community orchestra. Upon relocating to the area, Maestro Andi Zdrava noticed a growing desire and need for serious classical music opportunities for music enthusiasts in the region. This inspired him to create a community orchestra for advanced players. The name of the orchestra is a nod to the Albanian origin of Maestro Zdrava. “Illyrian” was the ancient name of the vast territory along the coast of the Adriatic and Ionian seas. The orchestra currently practices in Sarasota and performs in the surrounding areas. Its players hail from Tampa, Clearwater, Sarasota, Venice, North Port, and elsewhere. Anyone interested in joining the orchestra is encouraged to contact Maestro Zdrava at andi.zdrava@gmail.com.

Illyrian Symphony Orchestra is a nonprofit community orchestra. It was incorporated in Venice, FL, and received 501(c)(3) designation in 2021.