Page 20 - life-in-naples-march-2016

by Claudia Polzin diversity in
Consultant to Nonprofits
MUSIC
I f 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 Chamber Concerts.
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
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.