Edward Alley named board president of Artist Series Concerts

After nearly 20 years, the Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota has two new board members: A new board president and a new board member. Begun under humble circumstances in the lobby of founders Jerold and Lee Dougherty Ross' lobby of their Lido Key condo complex, the organization has expanded to become one of the most successful classical music organizations in Sarasota. 

Artist Series Concerts brings in dozens of veteran and up and coming classical performers and ensembles to intimate venues throughout town including the Historic Asolo Theater. The organization still pays tribute to their residential roots with their Soiree Series of concerts, which are held at members' private residences. It's all about experiencing classical music close up. 

Edward Alley, a career musician, conductor and arts administrator, will take his decades of experience with large classical organizations and turn it toward the intimate setting of Artist Series Concerts as the organization's new board president. 

Entering the professional music world at the age of 22, Alley was the conductor of the 7th U. S. Army Symphony. He has worked and conducted at the Goldovsky Opera Theater, the Lake George Opera Festival and the St. Paul Opera. Since he started conducting, Alley has led over 800 opera performances. In addition to his musical career, Alley has extensive experience in leadership positions in arts non-profit organizations including being manager of the New York Philharmonic and as associate director of the Juilliard Opera Center. Alley also served in various positions at the Martha Baird Rockefeller Fund for Music, the Exxon-Arts Endowment Conductors Program and the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Locally, Alley has given service to the music community of Sarasota. Alley is a former trustee of the Sarasota Opera, the former president of Gloria Musicae and the former chair of the grant and policy panels for Tourist Development Cultural arts grant for the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County. Alley also chaired the search committee that hired Anu Tali as the artistic and music director of the Sarasota Orchestra. 

In addition to Alley appointed to lead the Artist Series Concerts' board, Stephen Fancher was named as a new board member. A trained professional classical musician and later a music teacher in Stamford, CT for eight years, Fancher made the move to Sarasota under the new job title of financial advisor. He lives with his wife Michelle and two daughters Piper and Sofie. He joins a board that includes Alley, Lee Dougherty Ross (founder and vice-president), Ray Broth (treasurer), John Fischer, Toni Goldberg, Joseph Holt, Barbara Staton, Joan Suddarth, Olivia Swaan and Russ Wiltshire. This board under the new leadership of Alley will bring new talent and new sound to the homes and concert halls of Sarasota.