ARTIS-NAPLES Blooms with Exciting April Events

Lang Lang

Artis—Naples, Southwest Florida’s premier destination for the visual and performing arts, has something for everyone this April. Whether it’s the continuation of The Baker Museum’s widely heralded exhibition George Gershwin and Modern Art: A Rhapsody in Blue, the opening of a new Andy Warhol exhibit, two amazing Naples Philharmonic Masterworks programs, Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird or performances by pianist Lang Lang and blues-rockers George Thorogood and The Destroyers, the month ahead promises to be a memorable one.

In addition to the first major museum exhibition dedicated to Gershwin’s passion for the visual arts, Deep Cuts from the Ahmet Ertegün Collection offers an inside look at the artistic interests of another American music man: Ahmet Ertegün, the founder and former president of Atlantic Records. This exhibition of modern art includes a stunning selection of rarities from well known artists as well as impressive works from underrepresented creators.

The showcase of notable art collections continues April 6 with the opening of Andy Warhol Portfolios: A Life in Pop | Works from the Bank of America Collection. The Warhol exhibition includes rare complete portfolios and individual prints from the Pop Art icon, including some that were considered controversial when they debuted. Two striking exhibitions that have been enjoyed by visitors since the fall—Tamara Kostianovsky: Botanical Revolution and The Face of Immokalee—close on April 7 and April 28, respectively.

April also offers classical music enthusiasts plenty to get excited about with several Naples Philharmonic programs filling up the calendar. Artis—Naples Artistic Partner and violin virtuoso James Ehnes kicks off the month on April 5-6 when he joins guest conductor Robert Spano and the orchestra for a program that includes Saint-Saëns’ riveting Violin Concerto No. 3 and Tchaikovsky’s somber yet powerful Pathétique Symphony.

Hugh Russel

On April 7, Ehnes and Spano team up again when they are joined by musicians of the Naples Philharmonic in Daniels Pavilion for a Wang Chamber Music program featuring Brahms’ Violin Sonata No. 3 and Dvořák’s Third String Quintet. Patrons will also be treated to two evenings of three often-overlooked classical compositions from Czech masters Dvořák and Janáček. Soprano Georgia Jarman, baritone Hugh Russell, the Naples Philharmonic Chorus and the FGCU University Choir join the Naples Philharmonic for a celebration of the music under the baton of respected Czech conductor Tomáš Netopil on April 18 and 20. Closing out the month, the orchestra joins Gulfshore Opera for a special presentation of Puccini’s Turandot as you’ve never seen it before on April 27.

Broadway, jazz, rock and blues enthusiasts will also have something to cheer about in April. The Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra’s All That Jazz concerts in Daniels Pavilion continue with jazz trumpeter extraordinaire Eddie Henderson on April 3 and the exemplary vocals of Carla Cook on April 24. Daniels Pavilion will also host Power of Love, the premier Huey Lewis and the News tribute band, on April 5 and the U.K.’s No. 1 jive and swing band The Jive Aces on April 27. The pinnacle of Artis—Naples Broadway series arrives on the Hayes Hall stage April 9-14 with Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork, To Kill a Mockingbird, starring Emmy winning actor Richard Thomas.

George Thorogood

Capping off the month are two performances music fans are sure to remember long after any encore. On April 23, piano virtuoso Lang Lang returns to Naples to perform works by Schubert, Schumann, Chopin and more—one of only two performances the pianist has scheduled in Florida during 2024 and one of eight he has scheduled in the U.S. this year.  And finally, wrapping the month in a blues-rock bow, George Thorogood and The Destroyers are sure to please the naughty with hits like Bad to the Bone, Born to Be Bad and I Drink Alone.

Tickets and additional details can be found at ArtisNaples.org

ARTIS-NAPLES Home of the Baker Museum and the Naples Philharmonic