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Thursday, September 15, 2016

Conductor Paul Wolfe has died

For 34 years Paul Wolfe was conductor and artistic director of the Florida West Coast Symphony, in Sarasota. He was also first violinist of the Sarasota String Quartet and founder-director of the Sarasota Music Festival, retiring in 2006 at the age of 80.
 During his more than three decades as artistic director and conductor of the Florida West Coast Symphony, Paul Wolfe invited audiences to share his passion for music while ensuring that thousands of students received a meaningful introduction into the world of the classics. During his 34-year tenure, Wolfe led countless concerts for the organization now known as the Sarasota Orchestra, performed in what is now the Sarasota String Quartet, co-founded the Sarasota Music Festival and expanded and enthusiastically conducted the organization’s vibrant youth orchestra. Wolfe retired from the orchestra in 1996.