There is Music in the Air on Sanibel

There are so many beautiful sounds on Sanibel Island.

Whip-poor-wills sing you to sleep.

Osprey and raptors fill the skies with their hunting and warning screeches.

The Gulf rolls into shore with a constant slap of gentle wave.

And then there are the sounds made by humans.

Children shrieking with joy, adults laughing, oboes playing.  Oboes?

Well, not just oboes, but a wide variety of instruments fill our halls , particularly during high season, and most brilliantly at Big Arts.  Sometimes the musical instruments are joined by the voice organ , too.

For example, on January 14, The brilliant pianist Andrew Armstrong will scale the heights and plum the depths of Wolfgang Mozart's Piano Concerto in A major, a rich and emotionally complex work at the Schein Performance Hall

Then on January 18,  The Merling Trio performs at the Phillips Gallery.  The Merling Trio  has been hailed as a brilliantly distinguished group endowed with remarkable gifts of communication, magnificent precision, and an impeccable blend of sound.       

 The Amphion String Quartet will fill the Schein Hall on January 22.  Hailed for its “precision, assertiveness, and vigor” (The New York Times) and its “gripping intensity” and “suspenseful and virtuoso playing” (San Francisco Classical Voice), the Amphion String Quartet is a winner of the 2011 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition..

Hailed as “a fresh young voice of great promise” by Musical America and praised for the “gleaming richness” of her voice by The New York Times, rising American soprano Emalie Savoy is becoming widely recognized for both the lyrical beauty of her instrument and the unique interpretive depth she brings to her performances.  She will perform at the Schien Hall on January 25.

Hailed by The New Yorker as “vibrant” and “superb,” Third Coast Percussion, playing at Schein on February 5,  explores and expands the extraordinary sonic possibilities of the percussion repertoire, delivering exciting performances for audiences of all kinds. Since its formation in 2005, Third Coast Percussion has gained national attention with concerts and recordings that meld the energy of rock music with the precision and nuance of classical chamber works.

Love is in the air as the Island and Big Arts  salute St. Valentine's Day and all things amorous. Mozart’s Serenade Under the Stars begins the Big Arts celebration, followed by the “heart on your sleeve” music of Giuseppei Verdi. Elgar’s wistful work for solo violin and orchestra gives the concert its name, and will feature Jillian Prescott Music Award-winner Stephanie van Duijn.  Again at the Schein Performance Hall, February 11.

And there is more in store.  If you love music, winter on Sanibel will hit high notes for you and your family.