March Music Makes Sanibel Magic

Sanibel Island, by all accounts, is a magical land.

It's whispering Palms, off the beaten path location, and abundant wild life create a sense of tropical oasis.

But the crickets, birds and frogs are only a few of the marvelous sounds you will hear on Sanibel in March.

Because March is also the month of man made sounds, harmonious sounds, that can be heard and enjoyed throughout the month, and all at a most reasonable cost ranging from $30 to $40 per ticket.

The music, otherwise known as the Sanibel Music Festival, begins on Tuesday, March 2 with the Borealis String Quartet. This dynamic, young quartet from Canada, will be playing a diversified selection of music from such composers as Imant Karlis Raminsh, Schubert and Beethoven.

Violinist Janet Sung will join the American Chamber Players on Saturday, March 6, in a glorious concert reflecting the works of Bach, Faure, Schoenfield and Mozart.

On Tuesday, March 9, the award winning three some, The Boston Trio, will captivate its audience with music by Schubert, Mendelssohn and Smetana.
Within months of its inception in 2005, the Escher String Quartet was invited to be quartet- in- residence at both Pinchas Zuckerman's and Itzhak Perlman's summer festivals. This winter, 2010, their Sanibel performance will take place on March 13 and they will be joined by pianist Wu Han. Composers featured include Prokovief and Beethoven.

Tuesday's performance on March 16 will feature Cliburn Piano Competition Silver Medalist YeolEum Son. The program will challenge the pianist and dazzle the audience with these selections: Scarlatti: Four Sonatas; Ravel: Miroirs; Saint-Saens/Liszt: Danse Macabre, Op. 40; Rachmaninoff: 13 Preludes, Op. 32; Kreisler-Rachmaninoff: Liebesfreud.

The Saint Lawrence String Quartet is deeply committed to bringing music to less traditional venues outside the classroom or concert hall. Whether at Lincoln Center or an elementary school classroom, the St. Lawrence players maintain a strong desire to share the wonders of chamber music with their listeners. Their performance will take place on March 20.

And concluding the program in March, on the 23, the Opera Theatre of Connecticut will perform. A select group of the company's vocal artists will present an exciting new program of excerpts from opera scenes by the following composers: Thomas, Offenbach, Mascagni, Donizetti, Rossini, Rodgers, Romberg, Bizet, Mozart, Verdi, Massenet, Puccini. Some of these areas are guaranteed to lift you from your seat.

All the above concerts will be heard at 8 p.m. I can't wait for the magic and music to begin!