4/27/2021
EMIT – www.emitseries.org
The nonprofit presenter that I founded in 1995 is EMIT. It is dedicated to the presentation of innovative and adventurous music and has presented over 500 concerts and workshops since inception. Over the years that has included electronic, modern jazz, sound installations, modern dance, experimental and world music. EMIT also sponsors the St. Petersburg Jazz Festival and the Recording Arts Program with Boys & Girls Club students at the Royal Theater in St. Petersburg. Our current board members include Jim Stewart, Jim McNeely, Andrea Moraes Manson and myself.
EMIT has partnered with the Subtropics New Music Festival, Studio@620, The Florida Orchestra, BONK, Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association, The Gulf Coast Art Museum, New College-USF, The Palladium Theatre, SPIFFS, Salvador Dali Museum, WMNF-FM, Leepa-Rattner Museum, Subtropics New Music Festival, C.O.R.E., St. Petersburg College, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg Arts Alliance and private galleries and businesses to present concerts of innovative and adventurous music.
EMIT is a recipient of programming awards from Chamber Music America, ASCAP and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. It has been supported by Chamber Music America, the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, City of St. Petersburg, Pinellas Community Foundation, Pinellas County, Gobioff Foundation, private donors and audience members. EMIT pays more than half of our income directly to area musicians because we support the great artists of Florida. What a concept!
In 2002 EMIT released a compilation of live recordings in its CD entitled Visions. The recording was well-received and reviewed in The Wire and Cadence. EMIT received Best of the Bay awards from the Creative Loafing magazine in 1999 and 2002 for its concert activities. EMIT is a member of Chamber Music America and was a recipient of an ASCAP/Chamber Music America “Award for Adventurous Programming” in jazz for its 2004-5 season. During its 2006-7, 2007-8 seasons, EMIT received Chamber Music America/Doris Duke Charitable Foundation grants to present Encore Concerts with the Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto and the Rudresh Mahanthappa Quartet. In 2014, CMA and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation awarded EMIT, Timucua & Subtropics a consortium jazz presenters’ award for the Claudia Quintet led by John Hollenbeck.
EMIT enjoyed presenting 40+ concerts at the Salvador Dali Museum in its early days. It seemed like a great match but the partnership dwindled away after the museum moved to its new location. Most concerts are now given at the Palladium Theater. The artists presented over the years include international leading innovators in music in addition to area musicians stretching the boundaries. Here are a few artists that EMIT has presented:
