BSMA Season Brochure 2024-25 by Florida Gulf Coast University

2024-25 SEASON

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AUGUST:

Mon 19 + Ann Wolff and Selections from the Permanent Collection

All dates are subject to change or capacity limitations.

For up-to-date information, visit fgcu.edu/bsma

KEY

Gallery Exhibitions

Art Special Events

Nisita Concert Series & Music Special Events

Student Ensemble Series

Theatre

BSM&A Special Events

$ - Ticketed event

+ - Multiple occurrences

Thu 29 Method to the Madness: Artworks and Collections of Robert E. Feir, Karen Kunc and Peter Massing opening and talk

Fri 30 + Method to the Madness: Artworks and Collections of Robert E. Feir, Karen Kunc and Peter Massing

SEPTEMBER:

Sat 7 $ Astralis Chamber Ensemble

Tue 17 Symphonic Bands

Thu 19 Wind Orchestra

Sat 28 An Ornithologist’s Dream: a vocal area concert

Sun 29 Jazz Ensembles

OCTOBER:

Sun 6 Chamber & University Choirs, Bel Canto & Cantabile

Thu 10 $ Jeanie Darnell, soprano & Michael Baron, piano

Thu 17 Note to Self: Briena Harmening, Quinn Miller and Caitlin Rosolen & Mural Project – Paul Firmin openings

Thu 17 Wind Orchestra

Fri 18 + Note to Self: Briena Harmening, Quinn Miller and Caitlin Rosolen & Mural Project – Paul Firmin

Sun 20 Symphony Orchestra

Thu 24 Wind Chamber Choirs

Sun 27 $ Trio Makari

Tue 29 Fjelstul Art Lecture with Michele Marincola

Wed 30 Fjelstul Art Lecture with George Wheeler

NOVEMBER:

Fri 1 $+ Letters to Sala

Sun 3 Jazz Ensembles

Mon 4 The Business of Performance

Wed 6 Percussion Ensemble

Thu 7 Wind Chamber Ensembles

Thu 14 Symphonic Band (Blue Band)

Sun 17 $ Jossecarlo Romo, flute & Michael Baron, piano

Tue 19 Symphonic Band (Green Band)

Thu 21 Wind Orchestra

Fri 22 + FGCU’s Emerging Playwrights Festival

DECEMBER:

Tue 3 $+ Choirs & Symphony Orchestra: Joyful & Triumphant

Thu 5 Senior Projects, Fall 2024 exhibition opening

Thu 5 + Environmental Art & Language

Thu 5 Piano Ensembles

Fri 6 + Senior Projects, Fall 2024

Fri 6 23rd Annual Pottery Sale

Fri 6 18th Annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser

Fri 6 FGCU Chamber Strings at Sanibel Luminary Festival: All is Bright

Sun 8 $ Maxim Lando, piano

Mon 9 Environmental Art & Language reception with student writers and artists

JANUARY:

Mon 6 + Sergei Isupov and Selections from the Permanent Collection

Sun 12 $ James Giles, piano

Thu 16 Finding Form: Sue Havens exhibition opening

Fri 17 + Finding Form: Sue Havens

Sun 26 $ Kirsten Chambers, soprano & Michael Baron, piano

FEBRUARY:

Sun 2 $ Baron & Navarro Piano Duo

Thu 6 Wind Orchestra

Sat 8 $ Raymond Jaramillo McLeod, bass-baritone

Thu 13 Symphonic Bands

Fri 14 $+ Radium Girls

Sun 16 Chamber Choir

Thu 20 Jazz Ensembles

Fri 21 Bel Canto, Cantabile and University Choir

Sun 23 Symphony Orchestra

Wed 26 Student Compositions Concert

MARCH:

Tue 11 $ Enrico Elisi, piano

Thu 13 Wind Chamber Choirs

Thu 20 27th Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition opening

Fri 21 + 27th Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition

Sat 22 + Refuge: The Love Story of Ruth

Mon 24 $ Wind Orchestra

Thu 27 Wind Orchestra

Sat 29 $+ Refuge: The Love Story of Ruth

APRIL:

Tue 1

Chamber Strings at Music at SCUCC Concert Series

Thu 3 Wind Chamber Ensembles

Sun 6 $ Piano Quintet

Thu 10 Percussion Ensemble

Fri 11 $+ The Wolves

Fri 11 Bel Canto & Cantabile

Sun 13 $ Chamber & University Choirs and Symphony Orchestra with Choral Artistry

Tue 15 Symphonic Band (Green Band)

Thu 17 Senior Projects, Spring 2025 exhibition opening

Thu 17 Symphonic Band (Blue Band)

Fri 18 + Senior Projects, Spring 2025

Tue 22 Jazz Ensembles

Thu 24 Chamber Choir

Thu 24 Wind Orchestra

Sun 27 Piano Ensembles

INSPIRE | CREATE | PERFORM

CHANGING LIVES THROUGH THE POWER OF THE ARTS

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the 2024-2025 artistic season at the Bower School of Music & the Arts! We are thrilled to have you join us for another year filled with creativity and inspiration.

It is my privilege to present a season brimming with diverse gallery exhibitions, Fjelstul Art Lectures and art special events, the Nisita Concert Series & music special events, student ensembles, and captivating theater productions. Each event showcases the remarkable talents of the outstanding visiting artists, world-class faculty, and dedicated students, taking place on campus, online, and within our vibrant community.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our generous donors and patrons. Your unwavering support and dedication have been instrumental in allowing us to continue offering exceptional artistic experiences and opportunities for our students and community. Since emerging from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been incredibly heartwarming to see such large and enthusiastic audiences at all our events. We sincerely hope you will continue to support our endeavors and attend as many events as possible. A supportive audience is the lifeblood of every artistic institution, and your presence and encouragement make all the difference.

We are immensely proud to be a driving force in FGCU’s Journey to Excellence. As we implement the newly unveiled 2024-2029 FGCU Strategic Plan, the Bower School of Music & the Arts is honored to serve as the university’s front porch. Our strong community presence is a testament to our unwavering commitment to igniting passion, strengthening partnerships, and upholding the highest standards of performance.

Thank you for being an essential part of our artistic journey. Your support means the world to us, and we look forward to seeing you on campus, online, and in our community throughout this exciting season.

KB Signature Monday, May 27, 2019 14:21

With warmest regards,

Krzysztof K. Biernacki, D.M.A

Alan R. Korest Endowed Director Bower School of Music & the Arts

Art Gallery Exhibitions

2024-25 FGCU ART GALLERIES EXHIBITIONS

The Wasmer Art Gallery is in the Arts Complex and is open 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. The gallery is closed during university holidays and breaks and during summer. Please refer to the website for the most up-to-date information regarding dates, times and locations.

For the 2024-25 season, the FGCU Art Galleries also will present exhibitions in the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library behind University Archives & Special Collections. This space is on the third floor.

For more information: fgcu.edu/artgalleries

ANN WOLFF AND SELECTIONS FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION

3RD FLOOR LIBRARY ART GALLERY

Works from the permanent collection will be displayed on the third floor of the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library behind University Archives & Special Collections. This selection features a variety of works with a focus on Ann Wolff, born in Lübeck, Germany, in 1937; Wolff is a founder of the Studio Glass Movement and is known for her lyrical narratives dealing with womanhood. This exhibition space rotates each semester to feature different aspects of the FGCU Art Galleries’ Permanent Collection, which houses over 2,100 works of art in a variety of mediums and styles.

Sponsored by Gene and Lee Seidler and the Wasmer Endowment.

Ann Wolff, Ariadne on Her Way to Minotaurus, 1984, Four-color intaglio vitreograph print, Gift of Carol L. Shay, Collection of FGCU Art Galleries, 2022.0004.0289 } AUGUST 19–DECEMBER 14, 2024

METHOD TO THE MADNESS:

ARTWORKS AND COLLECTIONS OF ROBERT E. FEIR, KAREN KUNC AND PETER MASSING

WASMER ART GALLERY

Opening Reception and Talk, Thursday, August 29, 5:00-7:00 p.m

AUGUST 30–OCTOBER 3, 2024

The FGCU Art Galleries’ Permanent Collection is an invaluable resource to students and the public. This exhibition showcases recent gifts including World War II era WPA prints, vitreographs by Karen Kunc, promised works from avid collector Robert E. Feir ranging from professional, contemporary artists to FGCU’s very own alumni, and new works by Peter Massing. Narrative structures using the figure and abstract compositions form the basis for the curatorial selection. These gifts have expanded the collection in scope and depth. The works on display represent a small fraction of the gifts, made possible by the generosity and support of the FGCU Art Galleries’ donors and community.

Sponsored by Gene and Lee Seidler, the Wasmer Endowment, WGCU Public Media, and the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Images, left to right: Peter Massing, Nest Head, 2015, Etching, engraving, and dry point, Gift of Peter Massing, Collection of FGCU Art Galleries, 2022.0002.0565; Karen Kunc, Frond, 2000, Intaglio vitreograph and woodcut print with digital transfer, Gift of Carol L. Shay, Collection of FGCU Art Galleries, 2020.0001.0026; Leila Mesdaghi, Bloody Days Series No. V, 2015, Collagraph, Promised gift from the Private Collection of Robert E. Feir }

NOTE TO SELF: BRIENA

HARMENING, QUINN MILLER AND CAITLIN ROSOLEN WASMER ART GALLERY

Opening Reception with the Artists, Thursday, October 17, 2024, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

OCTOBER 18–NOVEMBER 21, 2024

The Annual Alumni Exhibition is a celebrated event that showcases the talents and artistic journeys of former students. Note to Self features the introspective and autobiographical works of Briena Harmening (‘05, Art), Quinn Miller (‘15, Art) and Caitlin Rosolen (‘17, Art). The exhibition provides a rich and varied palette of mediums — textile art, printmaking, photography and painting — allowing each artist to convey their personal narratives and reflections. This exhibition not only celebrates the individual journeys of the artists but also reflects the diverse paths taken by alumni, highlighting the lasting impact of their artistic education. Visitors are encouraged to engage with the works, discovering the layers of meaning and personal significance imbued in each piece.

Sponsored by the FGCU Alumni Association, Gene and Lee Seidler, the Wasmer Endowment, WGCU Public Media and the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Images, left to right: Briena Harmening, I’m Listening, 2024, Screen print on beach towel, acrylic, and knitted afghan; Caitlin Rosolen, You Know What They Say About Jobs: When You Love What You Do, You Never Work a Day in Your Life, 2024, Still from performance piece printed on stretched fabric with yarn and draped chiffon; Quinn Miller, The Birth of Hekatonkheires, 2021, Photograph

HEART AND SOUL: PAUL FIRMIN PUBLIC ART PROJECT

OUTSIDE THE NORTH END OF THE ARTS COMPLEX

Opening Reception with the Artist, Thursday, October 17, 2024, 5:00-7:00 p.m

OCTOBER 2024–OCTOBER 2025

FGCU Alumnus Paul Firmin (‘23, Art) was selected for the second annual Public Art Project. In the creation of this two-part mural, the artist sought to craft a visual testament to the essence of the Arts Complex at FGCU, perceived as its very heart and soul. Utilizing acrylic paint, the mural brings to life figures imbued with the colors of the heart and thirdeye chakras, symbols that resonate deeply with the artist. The heart, linked with breath and nature, and the soul, represented through the elemental imagery of water and the vastness of the ocean, merge to form a holistic vision. This artwork was envisioned to act as a conduit of healing energy for all who pass through the Arts Complex, enriching their journey with its restorative essence.

This project is supported by a grant from The Community Foundation.

Paul Firmin, Heart & Soul, 2024, Acrylic on four panels }

SENIOR PROJECTS, FALL 2024

WASMER ART GALLERY

Opening Reception and Artists’ Presentation, Thursday, December 5, 5:00-7:00 p.m. DECEMBER 6-13, 2024

Faculty mentor, Andy Owen

At the end of their studies, art majors are required to develop and present a coherent body of self-generated work. This exhibition combines their knowledge of techniques and concepts while drawing on research of historical and contemporary artists. Each senior art major in the exhibition designs and creates a unique installation that combines their technical skills and conceptual vision.

Sponsored by the Layden Family Foundation, the Smith Family Foundation of Estero, WGCU Public Media and the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Arianna J. Myers, Swarm, 2018, Installation view of Senior Project }

ENVIRONMENTAL ART & LANGUAGE

COHEN STUDENT UNION & SUGDEN HALL THOROUGHFARE

Reception with the student writers and artists, Monday, December 9, 4:00-5:00 p.m. (location TBD, near the installation) DECEMBER 5, 2024-NOVEMBER 29, 2025

The FGCU Art Galleries, in partnership with Jesse Millner, Department of Language and Literature, and Sasha Minsky, Art Department, are creating a hybrid, visual art and creative writing site-specific outdoor public exhibition. Under the guidance of their professors, this exhibition will be created by and feature the work of FGCU students in both programs. As the arts become increasingly integrated throughout campus, these cross-curricular efforts promote increased collaboration between diverse students. The result of the project will be a large-scale multi-panel mural on display in the highly visible walkway between the Cohen Student Union & Sugden Hall leading the way to Parking Garage 1.

Students in Jesse Millner’s Nature Writing and Creative Writing courses and Sasha Minsky’s The Art of Design I course will create the mural.

Justin McDowell, You Are Not Shaken, 2018, Printed digital design }

SERGEI ISUPOV AND SELECTIONS FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION

3RD FLOOR LIBRARY ART GALLERY

JANUARY 6–MAY 3, 2025

Works from the FGCU Art Galleries’ Permanent Collection will be displayed on the third floor of the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library behind University Archives & Special Collections. This selection features a variety of works with a focus on Sergei Isupov, graduate from the Art Institute of Tallinn, Estonia, in 1990 with a BA/MFA in ceramics. Isupov explores individual, interior landscapes and the continually expanding dualities of the self within complex psychological relationships. This exhibition space rotates each semester to feature different aspects of the permanent collection, which houses over 2,100 works of art in a variety of mediums and styles.

Sponsored by Gene and Lee Seidler and the Wasmer Endowment.

Sergei Isupov, Monkey, 2000, Siligraph print with digital transfer, Gift of Carol L. Shay, Collection of FGCU Art Galleries, 2021.0006.0070

FINDING FORM: SUE HAVENS

WASMER ART GALLERY

Artist’s Talk, Thursday, January 16, 5:30-7:30 p.m. in U. Tobe Recital Hall followed by a reception in the Arts Complex JANUARY 17–FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Sue Havens is an artist based in New York and Tampa and is currently associate professor of art at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Her solo exhibition at FGCU will combine two- and three-dimensional works to create an immersive installation in the gallery.

Disparate influences — such as the lights on amusement park rides at the state fair, dotted sidewalk pavers, painted lines in parking lots, thrift store fabrics, cracked pavement, Turkish kilims and ruins, supermarket packaging, miniature golf architecture and tree bark — are bolstered by ongoing investigations of flatness, dimensionality, color and pattern within painting and sculpture. Havens creates new forms by culling references from areas lived in, places traveled and by objects and ephemera collected so that content might be remembered, discovered and felt.

The hybrid nature of her expanding practice evolves in cycles, as she exhausts possibilities for pushing boundaries within media. Havens challenges and redefines notions of boundaries within painting and sculpture, driven by contradiction and the challenge of engaging with complex ideas. See more of her work at suehavensstudio.com.

Sue Havens, Butterfly (detail), 2017, Raku fired clay and ceramic glaze }

27TH ANNUAL JURIED STUDENT ART EXHIBITION

WASMER ART GALLERY

Opening Reception and Awards Presentation, Thursday, March 20, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

MARCH 21–APRIL 3, 2025

Students working in sculpture, drawing, printmaking, painting and ceramics submit their finest works for this annual juried exhibition. Up to 70 works of art, demonstrating students’ accomplishments and experiments, will be featured. The jurors for the exhibition are area arts professionals.

Sponsored by the Layden Family Foundation, the Smith Family Foundation of Estero, Method & Concept, the Southwest Florida Fine Craft Guild, WGCU Public Media and the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Maya Dudley, Solitude, 2023, Acrylic on canvas }

SENIOR PROJECTS, SPRING 2025

WASMER ART GALLERY

Opening Reception and Artists’ Presentation, Thursday, April 17, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

APRIL 18–MAY 2, 2025

Faculty mentor, Patricia Fay

Brigette Baker, Permanent Transition, 2015, Installation view of Senior Project }

FGCU STORYTELLING

(fgcustorytelling.com)

Florida Gulf Coast University presents “Spoken Stories Creating Community.”

LOCATION: FGCU Wasmer Art Gallery, Arts Complex (*unless otherwise noted)

FALL 2024

Tue, Sep 17 5–7 p.m.

Tue, Sep 24 6–7:30 p.m.

Wed, Sep 25 6–7:30 p.m.

Tue, Oct 22 6–7:30 p.m.

Wed, Oct 23 6–7:30 p.m.

Tue, Oct 29 5–7 p.m.

Wed, Oct 30 6–7:30 p.m.

Tue, Nov 12 5–7 p.m.

Wed, Nov 13 6–7:30 p.m.

Wed, Nov 20 5–7 p.m

SPRING 2025

Tue, Jan 28 6-7:30 p.m.

Wed, Jan 29 6–7:30 p.m.

Tue, Feb 11 5–7 p.m.

Wed, Feb 12 6–7:30 p.m.

Tue, Mar 25 5–7 p.m.

Wed, Mar 26 6–7:30 p.m.

Tue, Apr 1 6–7:30 p.m.

Wed, Apr 2 6–7:30 p.m.

Wed, Apr 16 5–7 p.m.

Tue, Apr 22 5–7 p.m.

Tell Your Story – Theme: “Home”

Susan O’Halloran – Everyone Has a Story

Susan O’Halloran – Pot of Gold: Irish Stories and Songs!

Nestor Gomez – Stories of Growing Up

Nestor Gomez – Stories of Immigration

Tell Your Story – Theme: “Unbelievable”

Tamiami Tale Tellers – Storytelling Showcase

Tell Your Story – Theme: “Kindness and Compassion”

Joel Ying – Let’s Get Personal

Student Showcase: Storytelling as Healing (*Veterans Pavilion, Library Lawn)

Carol Birch – Fire and Ice: A Pittsburgh Inheritance

Carol Birch – Only Connect: Stories Old and New

Tell Your Story – Theme: “Love”

Joel Ying – Legacy of Love

Tell Your Story – Theme: “Luck”

Tamiami Tale Tellers - Storytelling Showcase

Diane Macklin – Mining Story Gems

Diane Macklin – Bringing Hearts Together

Student Showcase: Storytelling as Healing (*Veterans Pavilion, Library Lawn)

Tell Your Story – Theme: “Kindness and Compassion”

Free tickets, details at fgcustorytelling.com

2024-25 ART SPECIAL EVENTS

Please refer to the website for the most up-to-date information regarding occupancy and safety protocols. fgcu.edu/artevents

FJELSTUL ART LECTURE SERIES

CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION 2.0

MICHELE MARINCOLA

SHERMAN FAIRCHILD DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF CONSERVATION CONSERVATION CENTER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FINE ARTS, NYU

U. TOBE RECITAL HALL, MUSIC BUILDING

Followed by a reception in the Arts Complex

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2024

6:00 p.m.

Restoration, conservation and preservation of art and artifacts have a long history. We associate these activities with the repair, cleaning, safe exhibition and careful storage of artworks. While these actions remain important to the profession, recent decades have brought pressing new concerns. This lecture will review how conservation has responded to contemporary forms of art making, to social movements that call for community-based decision-making and to climate change.

Michele Marincola is Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor of Conservation at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. Before joining the university’s faculty in 2002, she was conservator for The Cloisters, Metropolitan Museum of Art. Marincola’s research interests include the conservation and technical art history of polychrome wood sculpture, as well as the history and ethics of art conservation. She is the editor of a new edition and translation of Johannes Taubert’s Polychrome Sculpture, Meaning, Form, Conservation (Getty Publications, 2015) and co-author, with Lucretia Kargère, of The Conservation of Medieval Polychrome Wood Sculpture: History, Theory, Practice (Getty Publications 2020), which received the 2015 FAIC-Samuel H. Kress Publication Award and the 2023 AIC Publication Award. In 2021 Marincola received the AIC Sheldon and Caroline Keck Award for Excellence in Teaching and in 2023 the CAA/FAIC Distinguished Scholarship in Conservation Award.

Image credit: Institute of Fine Arts, NYU }

art special events

LESSONS FROM EDEN: THE CONSERVATION OF TULLIO LOMBARDO’S SCULPTURE OF ADAM

GEORGE WHEELER

RETIRED DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION, HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAM, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

ARTS COMPLEX

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2024

6:00 p.m.

Less than an hour after the Metropolitan Museum of Art closed on October 6, 2002, the wooden base supporting the marble sculpture of Adam collapsed – shattering the sculpture and sending 28 large pieces and hundreds of smaller ones across the gallery floor. After mapping and collecting the fragments, a long journey of research and discovery ensued that resulted in a new body of knowledge for the conservation of sculpture and a tour-de-force reconstruction of Lombardo’s 1495 figure. This presentation by chief scientific advisor George Wheeler will show how a team of scientists and conservators developed that new knowledge and put it into practice.

Dr. George Wheeler is senior scientist at Highbridge Materials Consulting. Prior to retiring from full-time teaching, he was director of conservation in the Historic Preservation Program at Columbia University and senior scientist in the Department of Scientific Research at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Images courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art }

Tullio Lombardo’s Adam on Oct. 7, 2002

Tullio Lombardo’s Adam after restoration

23RD ANNUAL POTTERY SALE

FGCU ARTS COMPLEX (FACING THE LIBRARY)

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6

10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

In December 2024 we welcome you to join us for the 23rd edition of the FGCU Pottery Sale, made possible through our ongoing collaboration with United Arts Collier. Beautiful, functional clay works from our talented Ceramics Studio alumni are featured at this annual event, along with contributions from current faculty, students and community participants.

Enjoy free coffee with the artists at 10:00 a.m.!

18TH ANNUAL FGCU EMPTY BOWLS FUNDRAISER

FGCU ARTS COMPLEX COURTYARD

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6

Intended start time 11:30 a.m.

Now in its 18th year, the FGCU Empty Bowls Fundraiser is committed to helping our neighbors in need who are experiencing food insecurity through support for the food pantry at our partner organization, Interfaith Charities of South Lee. As always, there will be handmade bowls and delicious soups, dedicated student volunteers, and the friends, colleagues and community participants that make this support possible. Please join us!

For more info closer to the event, follow Facebook.com/FGCUEmptyBowls

art special events

FGCU Ceramics Studio alumni, Breah Fyffe (’22, Art)

CREATIVE CONNECTIONS

This new initiative, spearheaded by the College of Arts and Sciences, seeks to reinforce connections between creative disciplines such as art, music, theatre and writing with fields of study in the social and natural sciences, health, law, business, athletics and more.

Such connections already exist. But we are making an active effort to make these connections visible via special events and branding so that more people at FGCU and in the wider community can better see how an art project might make a huge difference in environmental sustainability. Or the way a theatre production can reflect both historical and ethical concerns surrounding public health. The possibilities are endless.

Artist and ocean explorer Rebecca Rutstein said, “I think it’s incredibly important for people to get out of their individual silos and sit at the table together. This is the only way forward if we are to solve the greatest global challenges of our time, like our climate crisis. Artists can play a critical role in communicating with and moving the general public by creating the expressive and emotional drivers that scientific data lacks.”

Visit the website fgcu.edu/cas/creativeconnections or scan the QR code for a list of events being featured as part of Creative Connections!

fgcu.edu/cas/creativeconnections

THE BUSINESS OF PERFORMANCE

U. TOBE RECITAL HALL, MUSIC BUILDING

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4

6:00 p.m.

The evening will focus on “The Business of Performance” and feature a panel of world-renowned industry professionals: Sandi Moran and Ken Davenport are Tony Award®-winning Broadway producers, while Kristen Coury is the artistic director of Gulfshore Playhouse in Naples, Florida. They will share stories about their experiences and the workings of the theatre industry from a perspective that we don’t often hear about. The evening will focus on the professional and business aspects required to create a successful performance, including creative collaboration, creating a sustainable business model and overcoming industry obstacles.

Sandi Moran is an American theatre producer and philanthropist. A three-time Tony Award® winner, some of her Broadway, West End and Tour credits include Moulin Rouge! (Best Musical), Hadestown (Best Musical), Once on This Island (Best Revival of a Musical), A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, Harmony, Gutenberg, Tina Turner The Musical, Anastasia, Deaf West Theatre’s Spring Awakening, The Visit, and more. Sandi, a sixth-generation Floridian, has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Naples Children & Education Foundation and has been a Trustee, along with her husband Tom, since 2010. She currently serves on the board of the Gulfshore Playhouse.

Ken Davenport is a Tony Award®-winning Broadway producer whose credits include A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, Once On This Island (Best Revival of a Musical), Harmony, Gettin’ the Band Back Together, The Play that Goes Wrong, Groundhog Day, Deaf West Theatre’s Spring Awakening, It’s Only a Play, Macbeth starring Alan Cumming, Godspell, Kinky Boots (Best Musical), The Visit, Mothers and Sons, The Bridges of Madison County, Allegiance, Chinglish, Oleanna starring Bill Pullman and Julia Stiles, Speed-the-Plow, Will Ferrell’s You’re Welcome America, Blithe Spirit starring Angela Lansbury, and 13.

Kristen Coury is the CEO and Producing Artistic Director of Gulfshore Playhouse. She founded the Playhouse in 2004, after moving to Naples from New York City. Kristen is also a frequent investor in Broadway productions, most recently A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical Kristen has directed over 50 productions for the Playhouse, including a ten-person, 2 piano My Fair Lady, the world premiere of The God Game by Suzanne Bradbeer and the final production in the Norris Center, She Loves Me. She has just completed a $72M capital campaign to build a new Theatre and Education Center at the gateway to downtown Naples.

special events

Kristen Coury

Ken Davenport

Sandi Moran

Nisita Concert Series and Music Special Events

Sponsored by Maurizio and Laura Nisita

2024-25 NISITA CONCERT SERIES

All performances take place in the U. Tobe Recital Hall in the Music Building. Tickets can be purchased online at fgcu.edu/concerts and are $15 for the general public or $7 for students.

ASTRALIS CHAMBER ENSEMBLE

ANGELA MASSEY, flute

KRIS MARSHALL, trumpet

CAROLINE OWEN, piano

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7

7:30 p.m.

The highly acclaimed Astralis Chamber Ensemble presents over 60 recitals each season at venues across the U.S. with instrument pairings that are unique worldwide. Angela Massey (flute), Kris Marshall (trumpet) and Caroline Owen (piano) present “Radiance” with a brilliant trio by Jim Stephenson, an exciting new work by Alan Elkins, and solos to feature each performer. Award-winning flutist Angela Massey has been a featured soloist with the Tryon Concert Association, Kosciuszko Foundation in New York City and abroad in France, Germany, Italy, Romania and Switzerland. Kris Marshall is principal trumpet with the Southwest Florida Symphony and Venice Symphony, and performs with leading orchestras across Florida. Pianist Caroline Owen has performed in venues across the U.S. and internationally in the Czech Republic, Italy and Austria where she studied at the prestigious Salzburg Mozarteum. Join us as we explore chamber music for flute and trumpet with the Astralis Chamber Ensemble.

From left to right: Caroline Owen, Kris Marshalls and Angela Massey

JEANIE DARNELL, SOPRANO & MICHAEL BARON, PIANO

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10

7:30 p.m.

The founding faculty members of the Bower School of Music & the Arts at FGCU and longtime musical collaborators, soprano Jeanie Darnell, Head of Vocal Studies, and pianist Michael Baron, Head of Piano Studies, will take you on a musical journey of art songs, beginning in Vienna with the colorful Walzer Gesänge, Op. 6 of Alexander Zemlinsky and the Sieben frühe Lieder of Alban Berg, a new Viennese School composer; continuing through Paris, France, with stylistically eclectic and charming melodies of Francis Poulenc and on to Bergen, Norway, with Edvard Grieg, who set to music the poetry from the Golden Age of Scandinavian writers; finally, ending with witty Michigander, the accomplished modern composer/pianist Logan Skelton in the United States.

Jeanie Darnell

TRIO MAKARI

MARIA FOGLIETTO, voice, guitar, tamburello

TOMMASO ADORNI, oud, clarinet, voice

KAVI CARDINALE, clarinet, voice, guitar

with TOM CIMARUSTI, accordion

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27

3:00 p.m.

Come enjoy the sounds of the Mediterranean as Trio Makari takes you on an exciting musical journey from Sicily to Greece and Spain to mainland Italy. The Athens-based ensemble will dazzle the audience with ancient and newly composed songs, hypnotizing tarantellas and other works featuring the accordion, clarinet, guitar, oud and tambourine. The evening promises to be one you’ll never forget!

JOSSECARLO ROMO, FLUTE & MICHAEL BARON, PIANO

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17

3:00 p.m.

A proud alumnus of FGCU, Peruvian flutist Jossecarlo Romo began his classical music training at age 8 at the National Conservatory of Peru and has been featured twice as a soloist with the Peruvian National Symphony Orchestra. He holds a bachelor of arts in music performance from Florida Gulf Coast University (summa cum laude, ’17), a master of music from the University of Miami, and a doctor of musical arts from the University of North Texas. His teachers include Suzanne Kirton, Trudy Kane, Valerie Coleman and Mary Karen Clardy. For his return to FGCU, Romo is partnering with pianist Michael Baron to present music of Poulenc, Reinecke, Donizetti and others. Virtuoso flute music at its best!

Trio Makari

Jossecarlo Romo

MAXIM LANDO, PIANO

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8

3:00 p.m.

We welcome back the sensational young pianist Maxim Lando. He has been performing for us since he was a child. Now a 21-year-old student at the Juilliard School, he performs throughout the world to great critical acclaim as a soloist and with major orchestras. A frequent guest artist on the music festival scene, his recent appearances have included The Gilmore, Aspen, Caramoor, Dresden Music Festival, Kissinger Sommer, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, Stars and Rising Stars Munich, Musical Olympus International Festival in Russia, Vilnius Piano Festival, Gower Festival in Wales, and Lednice-Valtice Music Festival in Czech Republic. Recital highlights include performances at the National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, Carnegie Hall Presents, Symphony Hall in Shenzhen, Chicago’s Millennium Park, Lied Center of Kansas, Beethoven Haus in Bonn, and GRAMMY® Salute to Classical Music. He was recently invited by Lang Lang to perform for the historic opening of Steinway and Sons in Beijing. Lando’s burgeoning career was fully launched after winning first prize at the Young Concert Artists Auditions at age 16, concluding with soldout recitals at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center of the complete Transcendental Etudes by Franz Liszt.

JAMES GILES, PIANO

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12

3:00 p.m.

Brilliant pianist James Giles is Coordinator of the Piano Program and Director of Music Performance Graduate Studies at Northwestern University. Giles regularly performs in important musical centers in America, Europe and Asia. Recent tours include recitals in Toronto, Paris, Naples, Budapest, Manchester, England and across Denmark. He collaborated with colleagues at the Tucson Chamber Music Festival, the Dempster Street Promusica, the American Liszt Society Festival and was soloist with the Peoria Symphony. This season he plays Stravinsky with Northwestern’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble; plays recitals in Italy and Portugal; tours China; and travels to Yale University, Lawrence University, New England Conservatory, University of Texas, University of Michigan and Indiana University. His program at FGCU will feature Beethoven’s everpopular “Moonlight” Sonata and Schubert’s heavenly Drei Klavierstücke amongst other masterpieces.

Maxim Lando

James Giles

KIRSTEN CHAMBERS, SOPRANO &

MICHAEL BARON, PIANO

SUNDAY, JANUARY 26

3:00 p.m.

Kirsten Chambers is a fearless performer of Strauss and Wagner operatic heroines. She will present a diverse program featuring operatic arias by Mozart, Puccini and Wagner, alongside Verdi oratorio, soaring Strauss art song and beloved musical theater classics. She is most known for her portrayal of the title role of Salome, which she has sung at the Metropolitan Opera, Opera Hong Kong, Florida Grand Opera, and later this year San Diego Opera. She first joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera as a cover of Isolde in Tristan und Isolde and later for Die Walküre and Wozzeck. Her European debut was with the Savonlinna Opera Festival as Elsa in Lohengrin, a role she has since performed with Opéra de Rennes and the Hong Kong Arts Festival. From the dramatic depths of Wagner to the soaring melodies of Rodgers and Hammerstein, her recital promises to captivate audiences of all tastes.

BARON & NAVARRO PIANO DUO

MICHAEL BARON, piano

PRISCILA NAVARRO, piano

KYLE SZABO, conductor

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2

3:00 p.m.

A special event afternoon concert featuring the popular two-piano team of Michael Baron, Head of Keyboard Studies, and Priscila Navarro, assistant professor at the University of Kansas, performing two-piano concerti with a chamber group conducted by Kyle Szabo, Orchestra Director at the Bower School of Music. Composers from Bach to the most contemporary composers have composed concerti for two pianos and orchestra. Come watch these marvelous musicians up close and personal in masterpieces we seldom have a chance to hear!

Kirsten Chambers

Michael Baron & Priscila Navarro

Kyle Szabo

RAYMOND JARAMILLO McLEOD, BASS-BARITONE

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8

7:30 p.m.

This concert will take you on a journey through McLeod’s career in opera, musical theatre and soundtracks. The first half will consist of highlights from many of the productions he has performed over the years from Mozart to Berlioz to Puccini. The second half will include songs from Oscarwinning movies and Tony Award®-winning shows. There may even be voices from commercials you’ve heard a million times. And if you’re not careful, you might learn something along the way! He has been in demand as a frequent master class clinician at numerous university vocal programs throughout the United States. His talents as a performing artist and clinician have been extended to high school students through the Angel Fountain Educational Endowment Program in Georgetown, Texas.

ENRICO ELISI, PIANO

TUESDAY, MARCH 11

7:30 p.m.

Enrico Elisi has earned international recognition for his performances across four continents. Praised for his “mastery of elegance, refinement, and fantasy” (La Nueva España) and “remarkable sensitivity, imagination, and polish” (Baltimore Sun), he has given recitals throughout Europe at venues such as the Bemberg Museum in Toulouse (France ), Centro del Carmen in Valencia (Spain), Dante Society in Bonn, Wolfsburg Castle, and Kiel Universität’s Bach-Saal (Germany), Cyril and Methodius Foundation in Piestany (Slovakia) as well throughout his native Italy. He has performed to acclaim in Japan, South Korea (IBK Hall, Seoul), China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, Peru (Centro Cultural de España, Lima) and Canada (Banff Centre) and at notable venues in the United States, including the National Gallery of Art, the Italian Embassy in Washington, D.C., the New York Public and Morgan Libraries, and Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall. Elisi holds the Harold D. and Imogene Herndon Endowed Professorship of Music in Piano at Texas Christian University. Throughout his distinguished teaching career, he has taught at the University of Toronto, the Eastman School of Music, Penn State University and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Raymond Jaramillo McLeod

Enrico Elisi

PIANO QUINTET

MICHAEL BARON, piano

MING GAO, violin

KYLE SZABO, viola

SI-CHENG LIU, cello

JORDAN NASHMAN, string bass

SUNDAY, APRIL 6

3:00 p.m.

An exciting opportunity to hear two piano quintets by Schubert and Hummel. Pianist Michael Baron joins his FGCU colleagues in presenting the much loved “Trout” Quintet of Schubert and the rarely heard Piano Quintet of Johann Nepomuk Hummel. These are the two most famous quintets for the unusual combination of piano, violin, viola, cello and bass. Hummel’s extreme virtuosity and Schubert’s deeply felt melodies combine to produce a concert of contrasting beauty, depth and excitement.

Michael Baron

Si-Cheng Liu

Jordan Nashman

Ming Gao

Kyle Szabo

MAKE A GIFT

The Bower School of Music & the Arts is the only school between Tampa and Miami that offers the breadth of programs FGCU does for performing arts. We strive to recruit, teach and mentor talented students in all forms. Through the years, our students have become increasingly successful, and our student population is bursting at two hundred with more who want to attend.

These students and the programs they choose need scholarships, training, and opportunities. Generous community members like you set the stage for our students’ ongoing success. To continue this, we need your financial support.

For more information about giving to The Bower School of Music & the Arts, please visit fgcu.edu/cas/bsma/giving or contact Katie Schweikhardt at kschweikhardt@fgcu.edu.

Thank you for your generous and dedicated support.

fgcu.edu/cas/bsma/giving

JOYFUL &

TRIUMPHANT: FGCU

CHOIRS AND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA IN CONCERT

MOORINGS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 791 HARBOUR DRIVE, NAPLES

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3

4:00 & 7:00 p.m.

Experience the magic of the season with the Bower School of Music’s perennial favorite, Joyful & Triumphant. This concert features performances by the Chamber and University Choirs, Bel Canto, Cantabile and the Symphony Orchestra, along with the ever-popular audience sing-alongs.

Tickets are $30 for general admission and are available at fgcu.edu/joyful

music special events

ALL IS BRIGHT: FGCU CHAMBER STRINGS AT THE SANIBEL LUMINARY FESTIVAL

SANIBEL CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, 2050 PERIWINKLE WAY, SANIBEL

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6

4:00 p.m.

Join members of the Bower School of Music’s string program as they perform a concert of chamber pieces as part of the return of the Sanibel Luminary Festival. More information about the Sanibel Luminary Holiday Stroll can be found at sanibel-captiva.org.

CHAMBER STRINGS AT MUSIC AT SCUCC CONCERT SERIES

SANIBEL CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, 2050 PERIWINKLE WAY, SANIBEL*

TUESDAY, APRIL 1

7:30 p.m.

Music at SCUCC will once again feature the Strings of the Bower School of Music. For the past four seasons, Dr. Kyle Szabo has brought student string ensembles to perform on Sanibel and will continue this tradition in 2025. More information about Music at SCUCC can be found at sanibelucc.org

*Please note that this location is subject to change. Check fgcu.edu/concerts for the most up-to-date information.

2024-25 STUDENT ENSEMBLE CONCERT SERIES

Please refer to the website for the most up-to-date information regarding dates, times, locations and ticketing information. All concerts in the U. Tobe Recital Hall will be livestreamed at youtube.com/@BowerSchoolofMusicLiveStream/streams

Sun, October 6, 2024

Chamber & University Choirs

CHORAL

The Chamber Choir is a select auditioned ensemble of mixed voices.

The University Choir is a large ensemble of mixed voices and is open to all students.

Bel Canto is a select, auditioned ensemble of treble voices.

Cantabile is a select, auditioned ensemble of bass and tenor voices.

Naples United Church of Christ, 3:00 p.m.

Tue, December 3, 2024

Bel Canto & Cantabile 5200 Crayton Road, Naples

Choirs & Symphony Orchestra: Moorings Presbyterian Church, 4:00 & 7:00 p.m. Joyful & Triumphant 791 Harbour Drive, Naples

Tickets are $30 and are available at fgcu.edu/joyful

Sun, February 16, 2025

Chamber Choir

Trinity-by-the Cove Episcopal 4:00 p.m. Church, 553 Galleon Drive, Naples

Fri, February 21, 2025

Bel Canto, Cantabile

U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. & University Choir Music Building, FGCU Campus

Fri, April 11, 2025

Bel Canto & Cantabile

U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

Sun, April 13, 2025

Chamber & University Choirs and First Presbyterian Church of Bonita 4:00 p.m. Symphony Orchestra with Springs, 9751 Bonita Beach Rd SE, Choral Artistry: Bonita Springs Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45

Tickets are $35 for premium seating, $20 for general admission and $5 for students and are available at choralartistry.org/ performances. There will be a pre-concert lecture beginning at 3:15 p.m.

Thu, April 24, 2025

Chamber Choir

Bower Chapel, 4:00 pm 130 Moorings Park Drive, Naples

Sun, October 20, 2024

Symphony Orchestra

ORCHESTRA

The Symphony Orchestra is a large, auditioned ensemble performing standard symphonic literature. Students of all majors are eligible to participate. Regular collaborations with FGCU choral ensembles include the annual holiday concert, Joyful & Triumphant

U. Tobe Recital Hall, 3:00 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

Tue, December 3, 2024

Symphony Orchestra & Choirs: Moorings Presbyterian Church, 4:00 & 7:00 p.m.

Joyful & Triumphant

Tickets are $30 and are available at fgcu.edu/joyful

Sun, February 23, 2025

Symphony Orchestra

791 Harbour Drive, Naples

U. Tobe Recital Hall, 3:00 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

Sun, April 13, 2025

Symphony Orchestra and First Presbyterian Church of 4:00 p.m.

Chamber & University Choirs

Bonita Springs, 9751 Bonita with Choral Artistry perform Beach Rd SE, Bonita Springs Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45

Tickets are $35 for premium seating, $20 for general admission and $5 for students and are available at choralartistry.org/performances. There will be a pre-concert lecture beginning at 3:15 p.m.

JAZZ

The Bower School of Music offers a variety of jazz experiences from an auditioned big band to various combos.

student ensemble concert series

BANDS

The FGCU Wind Orchestra and Symphonic Bands perform the highest quality music composed and adapted for wind band.

Tue, September 17, 2024

Symphonic Bands

U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

Thu, September 19, 2024

Wind Orchestra

U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

Thu, October 17, 2024

Wind Orchestra

U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

Thu, November 14, 2024

Symphonic Band

U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. (Blue Band) Music Building, FGCU Campus

Tue, November 19, 2024

Symphonic Band

South Fort Myers High School, 7:00 p.m. (Green Band) 1420 Plantation Rd, Ft Myers

Thu, November 21, 2024

Wind Orchestra

Lely High School, 6:30 p.m. 1 Lely High School Blvd., Naples

Thu, February 6, 2025

Wind Orchestra

U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

Thu, February 13, 2025

Symphonic Bands

U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

Mon, March 24, 2025

Wind Orchestra

Carnegie Hall, 8:00 p.m. 881 Seventh Ave., New York, NY

*Ticket information will be available in late 2024 on the Student Ensembles website

Thu, March 27, 2025

Wind Orchestra

Gulf Coast High School, 7:00 p.m. 7878 Shark Way, Naples

Tue, April 15, 2025

Symphonic Band

U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. (Green Band) Music Building, FGCU Campus

Thu, April 17, 2025

Symphonic Band

Aubrey Rogers High School, 7:00 p.m. (Blue Band) 15100 Patriot Place, Naples

Thu, April 24, 2025

Wind Orchestra

U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

INSTRUMENTAL CHAMBER ENSEMBLES

The Bower School of Music offers instrumental ensembles of modest size to perform chamber music.

Thu, October 24, 2024

Wind Chamber Choirs U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

Wed, November 6, 2024

Percussion Ensemble U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

Thu, November 7, 2024

Wind Chamber Ensembles U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

Fri, December 6, 2024 All is Bright: Chamber Strings Sanibel Congregational United 4:00 p.m. at Sanibel Luminary Festival Church of Christ, 2050 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

Thu, March 13, 2025

Wind Chamber Choirs U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

Tue, April 1, 2025

Chamber Strings at Music Sanibel Congregational United 7:30 p.m. at SCUCC Concert Series Church of Christ, 2050 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel

Thu, April 3, 2025

Wind Chamber Ensembles U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

Thu, April 10, 2025

Percussion Ensemble U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

ADDITIONAL STUDENT CONCERTS

Sat, September 28, 2024

Vocal Area Recital: U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. An Ornithologist’s Dream Music Building, FGCU Campus

Thu, December 5, 2024

Piano Ensemble U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

Wed, February 26, 2025

Student Compositions Concert U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

Sat, March 22, 2025

Refuge: The Love Story of Ruth U. Tobe Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Opera Workshop performance Music Building, FGCU Campus

Sun, March 23, 2025

Refuge: The Love Story of Ruth U. Tobe Recital Hall, 3:00 p.m. Opera Workshop performance Music Building, FGCU Campus

Sat, March 29, 2025

Refuge: The Love Story of Ruth Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point 3:00 & 7:00 p.m. Opera Workshop performance 17281 On Par Blvd., Fort Myers Tickets will be sold through Shell Point and information about ticketing will be available at a later date

Sun, April 27, 2025

Piano Ensemble U. Tobe Recital Hall, 3:00 p.m. Music Building, FGCU Campus

student ensemble concert series

Theatre

Performances

The season is sponsored in part by Gene and Lee

Seidler

All performances take place in TheatreLab in the Arts Complex. Tickets can be purchased online at fgcu.edu/theatrelab and are $15 for the general public or $7 for students, unless otherwise noted.

LETTERS TO SALA

Arlene Hutton

originally conceived by Lawrence Sacharow based on the book Sala’s Gift by Ann Kirschner directed by Kristin Mellian

NOVEMBER 1-10

NOVEMBER 1, 2, 8 & 9 at 7:30 p.m.

NOVEMBER 3, 9* & 10 at 2:00 p.m.

In her golden years, the real-life Sala Garncarz Kirschner revealed her 50year secret to her daughter, Ann, when she gifted Ann 350 letters written and exchanged during World War II. Arlene Hutton’s Letters to Sala, based on Sala’s story and adapted from Ann Kirschner’s book Sala’s Gift, chronicles young Sala’s survival journey as a young Jewish woman working in seven WWII Nazi labor camps. During her journey, young Sala’s letters give her hope and bear witness to her experiences. Letters to Sala also follows Ann’s research and exploration of her mother’s painful history, while older Sala revisits the circumstances, people and places of her recently unearthed past. Three generations of women wrestle with what should become of the letters, as they recognize the weight of their Jewish heritage, the power of loving bonds and the resilience of the human spirit.

Tickets are $15 for the general public and $7 for students and can be purchased at fgcu.edu/theatrelab

*There will be a discussion with the cast and crew following this performance

Letters to Sala is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. (www.dramatists.com)

Image by Olivia Daley (’23, Theatre)

theatre RADIUM GIRLS

by D.W. Gregory directed by Brittney Brady

FEBRUARY 14-23

FEBRUARY 14, 15, 21 & 22 at 7:30 p.m.

FEBRUARY 16, 22* & 23 at 2:00 p.m.

Based on actual historical events, Radium Girls depicts the plight of the American female factory workers who suffered and died from radium poisoning while working with luminous radium-based paint a century ago. The play recounts the excruciating journey of Grace, Kathryn and Irene as they face down the callous institutions that caused them harm and tried to silence them, while they seek justice in court. Radium Girls urges us to bear witness and remember what happens when profits are prioritized over people, when women are silenced, and the unyielding perseverance that can bring about change when individuals advocate for justice for all.

Tickets are $15 for the general public and $7 for students and can be purchased at fgcu.edu/theatrelab

*There will be a discussion with the cast and crew following this performance

Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois

Image by Olivia Daley (’23, Theatre)

ANTIGONE THE WOLVES

APRIL 11-27

APRIL 11, 12, 25 & 26 at 7:30 p.m.

APRIL 13, 26* & 27 at 2:00 p.m.

Sometimes goofy, sometimes catty, the players’ raw adolescent gamesmanship spills effortlessly from the playing field and onto the practice field in this athletic play about what it means to come of age in the crucible of sport. Young women with the common goal of being the best high school soccer team in the region weave together a fabric of community from the strings of each other’s fears, confusion, loves and losses.

Tickets are $15 for the general public and $7 for students and can be purchased at fgcu.edu/theatrelab

*There will be a discussion with the cast and crew following this performance

The Wolves is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com by Sarah DeLappe directed by Barry Cavin

Image by Olivia Daley (’23, Theatre)

EMERGING PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

NOVEMBER 22 & 23

FGCU Theatre presents staged readings of new works by two individuals with strong ties to our program. Dane Futrell graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and theatre minor from FGCU, where he also acted frequently and began his playwriting journey. He now attends Arizona State University’s Dramatic Writing MFA program where he writes and develops new theatre relentlessly. Robin O’Connell, a senior majoring in English with theatre and creative writing minors, is a playwright, dramaturg and performer who has been involved in numerous FGCU Theatre shows. The FGCU Emerging Playwrights Festival performances will be presented in TheatreLab in the Arts Complex and are free and open to the public.

WATERLOGGED

by Robin O’Connell

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22

7:30 p.m.

Dragged from the water and stripped of her sealskin, a fantastical water creature is taken from the sea and into the human world. Magically bound to her captor, she must recover her sealskin and return home to the waves.

SOUL MAGNET BENEATH THE LIMESTONE

by Dane Futrell

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23

7:30 p.m.

This surrealist play studies various forms of alcoholism and addiction through the lens of a storied Prohibition-esque cocktail bar with a dark underside. It received the second place National Student Playwriting Award at the 2024 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

Robin O’Connell

Dane Futrell

For Bower School of Music & the Arts concerts, special events and theatrical productions, please contact Joanna Naumes, Events Coordinator, at jnaumes@fgcu.edu or by phone at (239) 745-4268

For gallery exhibitions, please contact Anica Sturdivant, Assistant Curator, at asturdiv@fgcu.edu or by phone at (239) 590-7199

The BSM&A’s monthly newsletter, First Friday News, can be found at fgcu.edu/cas/bsma/newsletter

The BSM&A would like to thank our streaming partner, WGCU Public Media. Many past performances and lectures can be found at video.wgcu.org/show/bower-school-music-arts

2024-25 Subscription Series for Music & Theatre

The Bower School of Music & the Arts is pleased to offer a subscription series. Get tickets in advance for the 2024-25 season and save up to 33%. Pick your package and choose your concerts and/or theatre performances. You can choose the performances now or contact us later. A subscription does not, however, guarantee tickets to any performance. You must reserve your spot. Your tickets will be at the door.

ALL-ACCESS PACKAGE

10-PERFORMANCE PACKAGE

7-PERFORMANCE PACKAGE

One ticket for each performance in the season Choose 10 performances Choose 7 performances

$150 (33% savings)

$110 (27% savings)

Please note that individual ticket prices are $15 for the 2024-25 season.

$85 (20% savings)

Subscription Form – Indicate performance preferences/number of tickets

2024-25 NISITA CONCERT SERIES

Saturday, September 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Astralis Chamber Ensemble

Thursday, October 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Jeanie Darnell, soprano & Michael Baron, piano

Sunday, October 27 at 3:00 p.m.

Trio Makari

Sunday, November 17 at 3:00 p.m.

Jossecarlo Romo, flute & Michael Baron, piano

Sunday, December 8 at 3:00 p.m.

Maxim Lando, piano

Sunday, January 12 at 3:00 p.m.

James Giles, piano

Sunday, January 26 at 3:00 p.m.

Kirsten Chambers, soprano & Michael Baron, piano

Sunday, February 2 at 3:00 p.m.

Baron & Navarro Piano Duo

Saturday, February 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Raymond Jaramillo McLeod, bass-baritone

Tuesday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Enrico Elisi, piano

Sunday, April 6 at 3:00 p.m.

Piano Quintet

2024-25 THEATRE PRODUCTIONS

Letters to Sala

Friday, November 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 2 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 3 at 2:00 p.m.

Friday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 9 at 2:00 p.m.*

Saturday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 10 at 2:00 p.m.

Radium Girls

Friday, February 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, February 16 at 2:00 p.m.

Friday, February 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 22 at 2:00 p.m.*

Saturday, February 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, February 23 at 2:00 p.m.

The Wolves

Friday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 13 at 2:00 p.m.

Friday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 26 at 2:00 p.m.*

Saturday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 27 at 2:00 p.m.

*Post-performance discussion with cast and crew

SEE REVERSE SIDE FOR PAYMENT INFORMATION

2024-25 Subscription Series for Music & Theatre

Number of Subscriptions:

All-Access Package(s) at $150 each

10-Performance Package(s) at $110 each

7-Performance Package(s) at $85 each TOTAL:

CONTACT INFORMATION

Name:

PAYMENT METHOD

AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa and checks accepted.

Name on Card:

Card #:

Exp. ____ /____ CVV:

Check # (Payable to FGCU BSM&A):

Please call or email Joanna Naumes with any ticketing or subscription questions at (239) 745-4268 or jnaumes@fgcu.edu. Thank you for your support of the Bower School of Music & the Arts.

MAIL ORDER FORM TO:

Joanna Naumes, Events Coordinator

Bower School of Music & the Arts at FGCU Music Building, Room 115 10501 FGCU Blvd. S., Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565

Florida Gulf Coast University

DIRECTIONS

From Ben Hill Griffin Parkway, turn onto FGCU Boulevard (FGCU's Main Entrance). Drive to the first stop sign and turn right. Follow the curve around to the next stop sign and turn left. There is a parking lot directly on the right and a parking garage on the left as soon as you turn at the stop sign.

} The Music Building and Arts Complex are at the northern end of the parking lot. Please park here for all events in the Music Building, Arts Complex and the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library.

} TheatreLab and the Wasmer Art Gallery are in the Arts Complex.

} The U. Tobe Recital Hall is in the Music Building on the right once you enter through the sliding glass doors.

} 3rd Floor Library Art Gallery is in the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library behind the University Archives & Special Collections.