LAST NOVEMBER, the Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota brought the Sybarite5 quintet to the Historic Asolo Theatre, filling the space with string music and a mélange of miscellaneous sounds. Leading the group was Sarasotanative Louis Levitt, a double bassist in the Sybarite5, accompanied by fellow members Sami Merdinian (violin), Suliman Tekalli (violin), Caeli Smith (viola and violin) and Laura Andrade (cello). Their performance was not only an opening show, but a world premiere of “Apartments”, a commission by Los Angeles-based composer, producer and performer Jackson Greenberg. The performance itself acted as a window to a past pandemic reality and the bustle of humanity’s day-to-day captured auditorily. Greenberg’s inclusion of an AM news radio (broadcasting live, local stations), rain, coffee machines and human communication (through string instruments) is a master class on the musicality of everyday sounds and calls the audience to be mindful of their senses and human connections in today’s post-pandemic world. In support of Greenberg’s musical choices, Sami Merdinian added “I think the piece itself really brings an element of anxiety and anguish. It’s a reminder of the ghost-like town that New York was during the first few months of quarantine, and I think Jackson [Greenberg] has done a great job bringing those elements to life in this piece.” 

Anxiety also presents itself as the AM news radio, considering the broadcast is not pre-recorded, but live during every one of their performances. The original station that inspired the radio’s insertion was NYC’s “1010 Wins”, but the station is subject to change depending on where the quintet is performing. Louis Levitt expanded on the inspiration of “1010 Wins.” saying “I think their slogan is ‘all news, all the time’ and then they repeat it every 10 minutes. So, it’s this idea that you’ll get a picture of what is happening in the entire world within less than 10 minutes. And with this piece being just under 10 minutes I think that detail was part of Jackson’s inspiration: How can we bring the outside world into our performance and at the same time, realize, ‘Hey, that’s happening outside.’” Finding stimulation from stories outside of the day-to-day during COVID-19, was crucial to feeling a sense of normalcy under very abnormal circumstances. Hence, the radio acts as a means of escape. 

However, because of the radio’s randomness, what the group hears when they’re rehearsing will likely not be the same as when they’re performing, making every showcase different for both the audience and Sybarite5 themselves. Additionally, the content of the radio can sometimes be politically/socially charged, so there’s an aspect of discourse layered into the ensemble which is another reminder of pandemic-times. “During our soundcheck [in Sarasota] the topic on the radio was about calcium and keeping your bones healthy, but, during the performance, it was about immigration, and it became much more political. Including a subject that people have their opinions on was definitely not planned, but there were a lot of different reactions, and I think that’s the beauty of the piece: you can get so many different reactions from one subject” said Merdinian. 

In terms of evolution, Sybarite5’s story is anything but static. Louis Levitt began his personal journey with music in his fifth-grade year at Pine View School. As time —and grades—passed, Levitt progressed to the highest-level orchestra “senior high chamber symphony” at Pine View while also becoming a member of Sarasota Youth Orchestra—named Florida West Coast Symphony at the time. Levitt occupied many musical outlets during his time in Sarasota, but eventually, his creative appetite developed outside of his home city and led him to attend Aspen Music Festival, where Sybarite5 has its origins. Levitt and Merdinian both attended the festival and knew each other by association, but eventually became fellow quintet members. 

Levitt was known to be a part of a busking group that performed in Aspen outside of a bakery. He and his busking friends had a contract with the owners of the small business that allowed them to perform 3 or 5 evenings out of the week. Not only did this experience give Levitt, and his peers, the confidence to perform and improvise, it was also a catalyst for him to form relationships with fellow students and create a comradery that developed into what “Sybarite” is at present. Since the busking days, Sybarite5 has gone through multiple updates member-wise; “We could be Sybarite3 right now or Sybarite7, depending on the number of musicians,” says Levitt, “But during the pandemic, we had to ask the question ‘What do we want?’” Hence, the group is currently focused on 5 musicians, considering the sound of two violins, cello, viola, and bass resonated with them the most. 

Another aspect of Levitt’s experience at Aspen Music Festival was his exposure to post-genre music. Some examples Sybarite5 gave regarding musicians that fit the “post-genre” description are Bach, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Radiohead, and Led Zeppelin. When you’re a musician, everything is musical, even if it doesn’t fit a specific genre’s mold. Merdinian explained “When you’re a musician, you relate to everything in your daily life: The wheels in motion on the underground subways are rhythmic. If you want melodies, go on a walk in Central Park and you’ll hear birdsong or distant conversations and I think that’s all musical.” Especially for a world coming out of isolation post-pandemic, finding the musicality in everyday life is something special. The premiere of “Apartments” was originally planned to be in NYC since the title itself is a reference to New Yorkers’ struggles while being stuck in their small spaces during COVID. However, Sarasota had more room for movement, more open-air spaces, and a different city dynamic altogether. Therefore, the change in premiere-city wasn’t too much of a jump, but it added a new perspective to the showcase. Philadelphia-based violinist & violist Caeli Smith mentioned “Half of the energy in the room is the people that are there, in the audience, and a live performance is such a warm and welcoming thing to experience, no matter where it is.”

Looking forward, Sybarite5 hopes to return to Sarasota in the coming year and will continue their Rite on Time tour through April across North America. When they plan to make their return, Levitt emphasized referencing the Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota’s website for updates. Until then, the Sybarite5 members are always open to communication. “We’re pretty friendly. If people want to reach us, reach out to us” Levitt urges.