Diversity in Music

by Claudia Polzin
Consultant to Nonprofits

If you are a musical theatre fan you  remember – March came in like a  Lion – part of the lyrics from one  of the famous songs in Rodgers and  Hammerstein’s Carousel.

Hopefully, this  will not be how we greet March in Naples  – and this month is one of our busiest in  our beloved Southwest Florida.

Concerts, art center openings, multiple venues  filled with music, visual arts, orchestras,  choruses – whatever is your pleasure  you will be able to find it in Naples in  March. But in this column I would like to  highlight some unique opportunities for  you during this month.

If you are a choral music fan – it really  does not get any better than Florida’s  own Seraphic Fire – this Miami based  ensemble is in their fourteenth season and  this year we are fortunate to have them  in Naples for three concerts. I hope you  did not miss the January concert which  featured the American Spiritual – but just  in case you did you really don’t want to  miss the March 10th concert. This concert  will feature A Single Rose: Modernism  in America . The featured piece will be  Morten Lauridsen’s Chansons de Roses  – and the guest conductor is Julian  Wachner. Lauridsen is an American  composer and was awarded the medal  of Arts in 2007. The vocal blendings of  this group showcase the human voice  in a way that you may have not had the
pleasure of hearing before. This concert  will be held at Moorings Presbyterian  Church and tickets are available on  Seraphic Fire’s website.

An organization celebrating its 21st  season in Naples is the Classic Chamber  Concerts, whose concerts are held at the  Sugden Theatre downtown Naples. In March there is definitely some unique opportunities  with this concert series – March 7 will feature Three  Lyric Coloraturas – 18th Century Divas. This will  be the first time that Classic Chamber Concerts  has presented Chamber Opera Arias. The concert   will feature three sopranos – Vasiliasa Berzhanskays,  Valerie Bernhardt and Julia Lima performing works  by Salieri, Gluck, Handel and Mozart.

If you prefer Beethoven to 18th century chamber  opera arias – then you will want to be at the concert on March 14 at the Sugden – this will feature  Beethoven’s Symphony #2 in D major, Opus 36; and  Beethoven’s Piano Concerto #2 – b flat major Opus  19.

The Piano Concerto will feature pianist Nikolai Medvedev, who opened the 20th season for Classic  Chamber Concerts.

The final March concert for Classic Chamber  Concerts will feature two string quartets – Aizuri and  Amernet. The first work will be Beethoven’s Quartet  Opus 59 and then the second half of the program will  have a rare performance of Mendelssohn’s Octet in
E-flat Major. The Mendelssohn will be performed by  the combined quartets. This work was written when  Mendelssohn was only 16 years old.

But sometimes we just need a little jazz – and  the Naples Jazz Orchestra is happy to provide that  opportunity for all of us. This year they are in a new  location – the auditorium at Golden Gate High  School – just off of highway 75. March 6 you can  enjoy a Tribute to Glenn Miller and March 20 – the  Essential Buddy Rich.

Celebrate the beauty of Naples in March and find  some interesting musical adventures – possibly ones  you have not experienced before – but I guarantee you  ones you will enjoy. Classical vocals with Seraphic Fire  and Chamber Opera Arias – one the unique blending  of multiple voices and the other the exquisite sounds  of a single voice.

I look forward to seeing you at these wonderful  concerts in our art-filled community – enjoy the arts;  support the arts and tell your friends and neighbors  what you have discovered.