Shell Point to bring music to area with Summer Concert Series
The snowbirds have almost all flown home. It’s quiet, hot and… well, there’s not all that much going on in the area. For many full-time residents the respite from the seasonal hustle and bustle is welcome.
But, for those wanting to put a little sizzle in their date book, Shell Point is featuring a Summer Concert Series beginning Thursday, June 24.
This is the first time Shell Point is presenting the summer music event. The series will include three performances by known local performers in the Church Auditorium located on The Island of Shell Point. The Dick Hyman Trio will perform pieces from The Great American Songbook, on Thursday, June 24, at 7 p.m. The Naples Jazz Orchestra is going to play works from The Best of the Big Bands on Monday, July 19, at 7 p.m. and Reiko, Violinist and Friends will perform on Monday, Aug. 2, at 7 p.m.
The entire concert series costs $35 or $15 individually.
Dawn Boren, the Director of Residence Life at Shell Point, worked to put together the Summer Concert Series. She knew going into the project that she would have her work cut out for her since summer in Southwest Florida marks a sort of hibernation. Visitors are gone and residents often leave for northern homes or vacations to cooler parts of the country and world.
That goes for artists and performers too.
“It’s always a challenge to find quality artists during summer months,” Boren said.
Her goal is to give residents and visitors something fun and cultural to do and experience during the region’s lull time of the year. “We have a great concert series lined up,” Boren said.
This includes the sounds of the Dick Hyman Trio who are no strangers to the area. The trio has performed on Sanibel before and is slated to play at BIG ARTS in January, Hyman, 83 said.
Hyman who has been performing professionally for 65 years said he and his band will be playing pieces from The Great American Songbook that include Irving Berlin and George Gershwin. “These are great songs from out American past,” he said.
Tony Pulera, the vocalist for the Naples Jazz Orchestra, said the group has a great concert lined-up at Shell Point. The year-old musical band is comprised of players who have played with Big Band greats – Count Basie, Frank Sinatra and Glenn Miller.
“We’re trying to keep a dying art going,” Pulera said.
The band – which is planning to expand – is excited for the opportunity to play their work in this part of Southwest Florida. “It’s a chance for us to get known out there,” Pulera said.
And for violin enthusiasts the popular Reiko, Violinists and Friends will be performing on Monday, Aug. 2, at Shell Point. Reiko Niiya-Chow said listeners can expect to hear seven or eight danceable pieces including the “Blue Danube” by Johann Strauss II. The light classical program is expected to be a fun, summery refresher.
“The people will leave the concert humming the tunes,” Niiya-Chow said.
Tickets are on sale now and the entire concert series with all three concerts can be purchased for $35, or concert tickets can be bought individually for $15. To purchase tickets, or receive additional information about the concert series, please call (239) 454-2067.
Shell Point Retirement Community is a not-for-profit continuing care retirement community located in Fort Myers just off Summerlin Road, two miles before the Sanibel causeway. To learn more about Shell Point, go to www.shellpoint.org or call 1-800-780-1131.