Just as Artist Series Concerts began unveiling its 31st season lineup, the organization is going through its second change of executive executive leadership in less than two years.

Keren Shani-Lifrak, who officially took over as executive director last July after several months in a transition period, is leaving as her one-year contract ends.

“This is probably one of the most cordial break-ups that’s possible,” said Marcy Miller, who preceded Shani-Lifrak before retiring in June 2025. Miller spoke to ArtsBeat in a joint interview with Shani-Lifrak and her own predecessor John Fischer, who led the organization for 17 years before retiring in 2019.

While praising her work over the past year particularly in terms of donor relations and growth, Miller said, “I think the board and Keren had philosophically different views about where everything is. But Keren has accomplished so much for us in the past year.”

Fischer added that as Shani-Lifrak’s contract was ending, “we both looked at it and realized we’re maybe not as good a fit as we thought.”

Shani-Lifrak, who came to the job with more than 25 years of experience in performing arts, non-profit management and event production, marketing and fundraising in Tel Aviv, New York and Sarasota, said the position was “a great opportunity for me. I’m very happy about all the people I got to meet here. When I came on board, that thought was to bring a bring a lot of change and growth, and what some organizations do in three years, we did in one year. But sometimes there are growing pains and that’s not easy for everyone involved.”

In a statement Artist Series said it would conduct a “regional search for a new executive director” and that “board and staff leadership will work together to ensure a seamless transition and the continued excellence of the organization’s operations and programs.”

There is no set timeline for hiring a new administrative leader to work with Daniel Jordan, the director of artistic planning, who has put together a season of 24 concerts in six distinct themed series that range from traditional classical recitals, to lunch and dinner programs and unusual combinations of musicians and instruments.

Jordan said he was “grateful for Keren’s leadershipn during our 30th anniversary season. I’ve enjoyed working with her, and her creativity has helped position us for the future.”

Fischer said the board, which he rejoined a year ago, is considering a restructuring of the staff. Jordan’s role could be renamed as artistic director and the new administrator could have the title of managing director with each position reporting directly to the board.

“We want a candidate that’s strong in development and fundraising experience and somebody who understands finances,” he said. “What we’re looking for is a blend of me, Marcy, Keren and Lee Dougherty Ross.”

Ross founded the Artist Series with her husband Jerold in 1996. It began as a series of soirée performances focused on showcasing emerging young artists, and has grown to a season-long assortment of concerts of instrumental and vocal music in about 10 different venues that seat from 75 to 400 people.

The organization is among many across the state awaiting word on whether it will receive any arts funding in the new state budget. It received a ranking of 97.5 out of 100 from peer panels, but was not included in the initial batch of $12.4 million in programming support approved by the legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis. At the suggestion of state arts advocates, Miller said the company has asked its backers to reach out to Secretary of State Cord Byrd before he determines which organizations will get funding from a second pool of $7.5 million that has been set aside in the budget. There has been no word yet on which organizations will receive funds and how the decisions will be made.

“We’re just hoping to get some of that extra money and wanted to remind the secretary that a lot of people support our getting the state funds,” Miller said.

Like many arts organizations, Artist Series has faced a variety of financial and attendance challenges since the COVID pandemic. “We had several concerts sold out this past season and some others were sparsely attended,” Miller said.

Now they and many others worry about the impact of the fluctuating economy.

“We just heard this morning that the restaurant business is down and people are having to sort out what they’re going to spend money on,” Fischer added. “Fortunately, we are relatively cost-effective compared to the opera or the orchestra” because Artist Series programs feature far fewer performers. “But the long-term issue is it’s going to be difficult to put multiple people on stage at an affordable price.”

Planning a new season

Jordan’s artistic planning budget was stable for the company’s 31st season.

In a separate interview before the leadership change was announced, Jordan said he has been working for the last five years to see what “can I do differently to make something that’s going to be unique in our community or unique in the arts world. I’ve just tried to come up with a concert series that’s going to have lots of variety; an unusual and eclectic mix of instruments and programs; venues that are going to be more intimate; and I always ask our performers to speak about the music that they’re going to play.”

The individual series are Top Shelf Tuesdays, Sunday Best, Lighter Fare, Lunch and Listen, Soirées and Special Events.

Each series has its own personality “and I like to think that there’s something for any particular taste. The people who like more traditional concert formats, like our Sunday and Tuesday church concerts and the people who like more unusual programs, probably like our lunch programs at the Sarasota Yacht Club or our Lighter Fare at Selby Gardens or Plantation Golf and Country Club,” Jordan said. The “jewels” of the season, Jordan said, are often the intimate soirées presented in the home that Fischer shared with his late partner Jim Weisenborne, who died last fall.

“It is such a special venue with John’s beautiful 1921 Steinway concert grand and the intimacy of literally performing in a living room, and the food and drink after is always themed,” Jordan said.

One of the special events this year is Schmaltz and Pepper, a klezmer band whose concert will bring Artist Series to The Ora for the first time. Jordan also is bringing back the once-popular Piano Grand concerts that had several iterations under the artistic tenure of his predecessor Joseph Holt. Piano Grand VI will feature Holt, Michelle Cann, Kimberly Cann and Thomas Purviance performing on Steinway concert grands at Church of the Palms.

The “Heartstrings” program brings together two individual groups that have played for Artist Series in the Past – the guitar and and violin duo ArcoStrum and the cello group Empire Wild. “They’re really engaging personalities and do a lot of popular music, mixed with classic favorites,” Jordan said.

The season also marks the return of internationally acclaimed violinist (and Sarasota resident) James Ehnes who will perform in two programs. He will join the Ehnes Quartet with special guest violist Jonathan Vinocour in November and return in February with Tessa Lark.

Artist Series has partnered with the Coltman Chamber Music Competition to present two concerts with winners. 

Each year, Artist Series gives away about $20,000 in scholarship money to young musicians in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

“We’ve had a great response to that and we try and present some of those winners as we go through the season and give some opportunities to our winners.”

Here is a look at the 2026-27 Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota season.

There is a 15 percent discount on tickets for most performances if purchased by Aug. 31. For more information: artistseriesconcerts.org; 941-306-1202

Top Shelf Tuesdays

First Congregational Church, 1031 S. Euclid St., Sarasota

Nov. 3: James Ehnes Quartet with Jonathan Vinocour, viola

Feb. 9: James Ehnes and Tessa Lark

March 23: Take Five

April 20: La Voix

Sunday Best

First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak St., Sarasota

Oct. 18: Synchrony Quartet

Nov. 22: 94 Strings

Jan. 24: Against All Odds

May 9: Borromeo Quartet

Lighter Fare

Selby Botanical Gardens or Plantation Golf and Country Club, Venice

Nov. 17: Biribá Union (Selby)

PROJECTTrio: Dec. 8 (Plantation)

Bach in the Americas: Feb. 16 (Selby)

Atlys Quartet: March 2 (Plantation)

Lunch and Listen

Sarasota Yacht Club, 1100 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota

Nov. 12: Caroline Campbell – Without a Net

Dec. 17: Lifted in Song

Jan. 14: Sticks and Strings

March 11: Higher Ground

April 29: Sweet & Low

Soirées

Fischer/Weisenborne home

Oct. 11-12: Trio Sinfonia

March 28-29: Prized Partners

May 16-17: Cello-bration

Special Events

Various locations

Jan. 5: Schmaltz & Pepper

Jan. 30: Piano Grand VI

April 11: Heartstrings – AcroStrum and Empire Wild