Spinning from Jazz to Opera

by Claudia Pozin
Director of Development – Southwest Florida
Classical South Florida – 88.7

Claudia Pozin
Director of Development – Southwest Florida
Classical South Florida – 88.7

It was one year ago that I started encouraging you to explore all that the arts has to offer in Naples – hopefully you have found some new venues to explore. So let’s continue our exploration – you will note that the title is “Spinning from Jazz to Opera, from Musicals to Soloists” – something for everyone.

During September I had the opportunity to explore a new venue – Alto Jazz Kitchen located in Bayfront Place – it is well worth your time to check out the schedule of
performers, enjoy some very good jazz, good food and drink in a beautiful atmosphere. If you want a relaxing evening this is the place to be.

But if you are an Opera ‘buff” November is the opening for both of our regional opera companies. Opera Naples, celebrates their Tenth Anniversary season – and what a season it will be. Opening with Puccini’s La Boheme on November 20 and 22 performed at Artis-Naples and conducted by their new Artistic Director, Ramon Tebar. Earlier in the month Gulfshore Opera will open its inaugural season with VIVA VERDI on November 6 at the North Naples United Church of Christ, this performance will be conducted by Paul Nadler.

Some very interesting musicals await you – November 7 – the TheatreLab on the campus of FGCU will open their performances of The Romancers at 7:30. For those of us that
have lived in college towns we know what fun and energy young performers bring to their work – so be willing to venture a little north and explore the theatre world at FGCU.
However, if you are more comfortable staying in Naples the Sugden Theatre will open the musical The Spitfire Grill on November 12.

You are definitely getting the feeling that our “season” has begun and you will have to start making choices of what you want to do – unless you have found the magical way to clone yourself so that you can be in multiple places (if you have please let me know how to do it!).

But your choices and places to go are not done – so one way to look at November in SW Florida is that it is the warm-up to how fast we have to sprint from January through April.

So back to those track shoes and make your way to the Heath Recital Series held at the Violin Shop in North Naples – this small intimate setting is a wonderful way to experience a concert. On November 9 Caroline Stinson, cellist and Professor at Juilliard’s school of Music will present an unaccompanied concert of works by JB Bach and Ernest Bloch. Concert at 3 p.m.

November 10 – you can wander around downtown Naples and end up at the bandshell at Cambier Park for the Naples Concert Band concert at 2 p.m.

You can chose to end the month with the opening concert at Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church – November 30 at 4 p.m. the concert will feature Steffanie Pearce, soprano and James Cochran. You will enjoy a wide variety of musical genres from opera, to Broadway to contemporary Christian.

But lest I forget – please plan to join us – Classical South Florida on November 12 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Clive Daniel Home on US 41. This is an opportunity to learn more about the season for several of our local arts groups – including Opera Naples, Classic Chamber Concerts, ArtsNaples World Festival. Please give me a call 239-290-9433 and
plan to join us for a wonderful evening of entertainment and refreshments.

Remember to always travel with your private concert hall with no walls -88.7 FM and explore all that Naples has to offer.