By Márcio Bezerra The Society of the Four Arts hosted pianist Anna Geniushene on Wednesday in a program of firsts. The young artist, whose career has been growing silver she won the silver medal at the 2022 Van Cliburn Competition, presented a clever program that consisted of several Opus 1 by composers from the classical period to the twentieth century. To be … [Read more...]
Superstar soprano Meade makes for memorable ‘Norma’ at PB Opera
By Márcio Bezerra Few operas in the repertoire can claim the same legendary status as Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma. Be it because it can be considered as the masterwork of bel canto, or because all the great divas of the past have tackled the title role with memorable results, Norma sets the standard for what a great soprano should sound like. In general, bel canto operas are … [Read more...]
‘Gator Country’ brings us the real story of the Everglades
By Sharon Geltner Gator Country opens with an authentic Florida adventure. A 7-year-old Central Florida girl explores a swamp by herself. Rebecca Renner’s dad tells her: “When it starts getting dark, come back.” Family dinner could be alligator meat, breaded in cornmeal, fried in peanut oil. Orlando resident Renner writes: “I hadn’t quite grasped the majesty and … [Read more...]
Zwilich concerto, Stravinsky stand out at SFSO concert
By Robert Croan The South Florida Symphony Orchestra offered a bit of participation in music history in its most recent program [heard March 27 at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale] when guest clarinetist David Shifrin soloed in Ellen Taafe Zwilich’s Clarinet Concerto — a work he premiered at New York’s Lincoln Center in 2003. Adding to the aura of authenticity was the … [Read more...]
54 Below cabaret comes south to the Kravis with ‘Jersey Boys’ star Lloyd Young
By Sharon Geltner Big Broadway stars who have played the storied 54 Below cabaret in Manhattan are performing for the first time at the Rinker Playhouse, the first arrangement of its kind in the country. Georgina Young, vice president of marketing and programming at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, proposed the partnership at a chance meeting in a Fort … [Read more...]
Vienna Phil’s Mahler 9 brought Kravis audience to the sublime
By Márcio Bezerra Sublime. Nothing short of sublime. That sums up the concert presented by the Vienna Philharmonic for the Classical Concert Series at Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Playing for a nearly sold-out audience, the venerable ensemble, in its first-ever appearance in South Florida, gave a heart-wrenching performance of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 9, his … [Read more...]
Seraphic Fire brings Haydn mass to glorious life
By Robert Croan Haydn’s six late-in-life settings of the Catholic Mass are outpourings of joy, reflecting the composer’s optimism and attitude towards life – even when, as in 1798, he labeled his Mass in D minor, “Mass in Troubled Times.” The “trouble” was Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt, designed to interfere with his enemies’ trade routes, directly or indirectly … [Read more...]
Artist Wynne makes poetry with poured glass
By Sandra Schulman Hand-poured glass spells poetic words, while embroidered photos tell stories. In a genre he has created and perfected, Rob Wynne is having a survey exhibit at Gavlak Palm Beach, The Underside of a Leaf, of new and historical works. A selection of Wynne’s iconic poured glass pieces is shown alongside his archival “photograms,” and text-based works from … [Read more...]
At the Flagler: Alphonse Mucha, mystical and modern master
By Sandra Schulman The Art Nouveau movement in turn-of-the-century Paris flourished with graceful elaborate lines, embellished flora and fauna, and romantic femme fatales advertising --- cocaine? Rolling papers? Alcohol? Hedonism indeed. The head of this heady movement was Alphonse Mucha, whose work is featured in the exhibition Alphonse Mucha: Master of Art Nouveau … [Read more...]
Pianist Trifonov miraculous in Mozart with Rotterdam Phil
By Márcio Bezerra The Kravis Center’s exceptional Classical Concert Series featured the Rotterdam Philharmonic on March 4. Playing to a packed house, the regional orchestra gave a satisfying concert, displaying fine musicianship and a cohesive ensemble. Under the direction of its chief conductor, Lahav Shani, the group started the program with Swansong by Estonian … [Read more...]