Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra’s concert series coming back to Shell Point
The Southwest Florida Symphony will visit Shell Point Retirement Community once again, offering three concerts as part of the Fifth Annual Southwest Florida Symphony Concert Series hosted by the community.
“Southwest Florida residents have clearly shown a strong love and support for symphony music with the number of performances that the Southwest Florida Symphony offers,” said Dawn Boren, Shell Point’s director of resident life. “The residents of Shell Point thoroughly enjoy having some of the concerts taking place here on our property so that they can enjoy the concerts close to home. It is just one of the many ways we try to make sure that all our residents have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of performances and presentations here.”
According to Boren, two of the symphony’s concert performances can be purchased as a package deal for $32. Those two are “Schumann & Brahms” on Monday, Nov. 7, 2011 and “Bruch & Beethoven” on Friday, March 23, 2012. Tickets for them as individual concerts would be $20 each. An additional concert, “Timeless Treasure Holiday Pops,” will take place on Monday, Dec. 19, 2011 with tickets available for $25.
On Nov. 7 beginning at 7:30 p.m., Southwest Florida Symphony conductor Michael Hall has programmed three masterpieces from the great 19th century Romantic composers in Schumann and Brahms. A colorful and dramatic work, “Les Preludes,” is the best known and most popular of Liszt’s symphonic poems. Schumann’s “Piano Concerto” is full of extraordinary lyricism, tenderness and energy a beautiful work from beginning to end. The cheerful and pastoral “Symphony No. 2” by Brahms is among the best-loved works by the composer.
The second concert in the package, “Bruch & Beethoven,” takes place on March 23 beginning at 7:30 p.m., where the lush string sonorities and shifting harmonies reflect the dreaminess of a lonely lover in “Voyage” by the celebrated Academy Award-winning composer John Corigliano. Bruch’s “Violin Concerto in G minor” is one of the most popular violin concertos in the repertoire. Beethoven himself reportedly considered his “Seventh Symphony” as one of his finest works. The piece is known for its powerful rhythmic energy, vitality and sense of celebration, as well as for the great beauty of the famous second movement.
As a bonus this year, this concert series will also offer “Timeless Treasures Holiday Pops” on Dec. 19 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Composer, arranger and conductor Jim Stephenson brings his fresh take on “Timeless Treasures of the Holiday Season,” featuring many of his own arrangements created especially for members of the Southwest Florida Symphony. Vocalist Sara Dell’Omo, the first female featured soloist with the President’s Own Marine Band, joins the orchestra in presenting swinging versions of popular holiday favorites. Tickets for this concert are available now for $25.
To purchase tickets or receive additional information about the concert series, call 239-454-2067 or visit www.shellpoint.org/concerts.
The concerts are held in The Village Church auditorium on The Island at Shell Point, located in Fort Myers just off Summerlin Road and McGregor Boulevard, two miles from the Sanibel Causeway.