The Grand Piano Series opened its celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday in 2019 and partied itself right into a pandemic in 2020. And we’re finishing it with hurricane said President and Artistic Director Milana Strezeva throwing back her head in laughter. It is either laugh or cry for the series cofounder. To add insult to injury Hurricane Ian swirled storm surge waters around the legs of the Fazioli grand piano the series relies on and flooded out one of its concert venues the Wang Opera Center.
The Grand Piano Series won’t let circumstances stop it. The series begins fortunately at St. Leo Catholic Church in Bonita Springs with gusto. A four-date Beethoven Fest. The first concert on Oct 25, is a full helping of the composer’s best piano sonatas so popular they’re known by nicknames the Moonlight the Pathetique the Waldstein. (See the information box for details.)
“The all-time favorites,” Strezeva calls them. After that, guest artists march melodically through the final 10 Beethoven’s sonatas from No. 22 to 32, in three days.
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The piano won’t have its sexy new gams yet. Those are on order. But it will have a trio of stars on its bench for these four dates.
Strezeva and the Grand Piano Series want everyone to enjoy the stars.
Considering what happens right now and the timing of things, we will offer complementary tickets to anyone who needs a break from stress — and all of that — to the Beethoven festival she said. Considering the pain and hurt that’s in the community right now people can still buy tickets but if they really need them they can get them (free) online. We really want to serve our community. If anybody needs a break to take their minds off the stress of the insurance claims from the cleaning and throwing things out just come to our concerts.
“Take a break, and take a breath.”
Tickets are normally $45 advance $50 at the door.
The Grand Piano Series has also kept its $100 opening night season opening dinner a chance to mingle with the Beethoven Festival artists and dine at Audubon Country Club. Two founding tenets of this series are included — enrichment for the audience, and public education.
“I thoroughly believe we need to expose our young people to excellence in any field, in any form. And this is our way to bring it to them,” Strezeva said.
Grand Piano Series has grown from solo piano concerts to embrace the chamber music opportunity handed it with the folding of Classic Chamber Concerts. This season it scheduled its first Chamber Music Festival among concerts that will be spread among St. Leo Catholic Church Trinity-by-the-Cove and now Moorings Presbyterian Church.
Cornell University artist in residence Mike Cheng-Yu Lee will bring two of his fortepianos to perform Strezeva said.
It’s different in size. Strezeva added. It’s a sound. It’s much more mellow and sweet and tender. It’s not as powerful as the piano now.
This is an encore for Lee who is offering a free talk April 15 comparing the instruments with the intriguing title of. Playing Beethoven His Way — Do We Really Want To? The festival itself begins April 18 with chamber music from Bach through Stravinsky with stops on the way for Brahms Chopin and Debussy.
On Aprl 19 violinist Francisco Fullana will play the first half of the concert with catgut (sheep intestine) strings the material available in the baroque era. Then he’ll switch to modern steel strings.
A recorder and archlute duo are on the schedule in cooperation with Trinity-by-the-Cover Episcopal Church where the pair will perform on instruments rarely seen in concert. Strezeva is particularly excited about Tabea Debus, who will take her recorder into among others a school where students are learning to play the recorder.
Two of the concerts are at 3 p.m. as well as 7:30 p.m. It’s to honor requests Strezeva has heard asking for daytime programs. And one program concentrates on pure Spanish music. Studying Spanish: Naples promotes ¡Arte Viva! year of Hispanic culture and arts.
The Spanish music is just flamboyant and beautiful. Strezeva said. “I think people will enjoy the variety in these works” — danzas intermezzos a vocal suite by de Falla and Rodrigo’s “Arunjuez con Tu Amor.” The last is a blending of cello piano and tenor Santiago Ballerini who will be in town in cooperation with Opera Naples.
And, after two attempts to bring Barry Douglas, the first non-Russian pianist to win the International Tchaikovsky Competition since Van Cliburn in 1958, he is coming March 14. The 1986 winner has canceled with the Grand Piano Series once before, and canceled with the Naples Philharmonic during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Let’s hope,” Srezeva said. “He’s on the schedule!” The schedule of artists and concerts for the entire season is at grandpianoseries.org.
What: Grand Piano Series opening event with an afternoon opening concert and three evening ones all Beethoven sonatas. A free master class is scheduled and there’s a season opening dinner as well.
Beethoven Fest
When: 3 p.m. Oct. 25 and 27 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 and 28 and 11 a.m. Oct. 29
Tickets: $45 advance, $50 at the door, or free at grandpianoseries.org
To buy: grandpianoseries.org or 469-333-3231 Something else: Tickets for the entire season or subscription orders (15 percent discount) are also online; to see all dates and programs.
Artis—Naples
5833 Pelican Bay Boulevard
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Grand Piano Series
3330 Crossings Ct 301
Bonita Springs, FL 34134
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