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Rachel Kudo dances Grand Piano Series into 2023
December, 2022
Along with “music,” one word would dominate any word cloud describing 35-year-old virtuoso pianist Rachel Naomi Kudo.
That word would be “Passion.”
“When I say ‘passion,’” Ms. Kudo explains, “I mean channeling composers and what they wanted. What I love about playing piano, especially now that I’m older and have some perspective, is how I can dive inside the world of composers through the window of each piece I play, and put myself in their shoes.”
Nicolas Namoradze brings Southwest Florida calm after the storm
November, 2022
He grins happily, as if tickled by how his own long fingers are able to scamper up and down the keyboard faster than seems humanly possible.
In another persona — mindful meditation guide — his deep, hypnotic voice leads the listener to a place of peace, swathed in beautiful classical music selections.
“Allow your eyes to gently close, breathe deep, let your body relax into a sense of ease, and listen,” he says.
Grand Piano Series gets legs, literally, and breathing exercises with Beethoven
October, 2022
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 Milano 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.
Sicilian pianist coming to Naples teaches, performs with passion
May, 2022
It was clear even before he was born that Alessandro Mazzamuto would have a musical life, and a musical life in strings at that.
How could it be otherwise?
His family tree fairly blossoms with musicians — his grandmother and great-aunt operatic singers, both parents, cellists. His mother played cello in the orchestra at Catania, Sicily, while pregnant with him and his older brother, Lorenzo.
Grand Piano Series to feature dynamic duo of musical friends
April, 2022
The Grand Piano Series audience will soon experience the rarefied energy of two close friends: New Zealand-born violinist Geneva Lewis and Evren Ozel, a fellow student at the New England Conservatory of Music who has played piano since the age of three and has performed with Geneva Lewis since they were in high school.
Grand Piano Series presents virtuosic chamber music trio
March, 2022
This season, the Grand Piano Series namesake instrument is sharing the spotlight — first, with a rare combination of clarinet, violin and piano in the expert hands of the Manasse/Frautschi/ Nakamatsu Trio. The Manasse/ Nakamatsu Duo already pairs two of America’s most distinguished artists: charismatic clarinetist Jon Manasse and eloquent pianist Jon Nakamatsu. Soon the three join forces in Bonita Springs, in a lively virtuosic program where all will star and regroup in different combinations.
Grand Piano Series seeks to re-create a love of the classics
February, 2022
Bach, Mozart and Beethoven were part of the vocabulary for generations of young piano students in a past without video games and smart phones. Children from any economic background had an aunt, a neighbor or a tutor who skillfully directed small fingers across the ivory and ebony piano keys, started the metronome and marked the paper or book whose magic language became music.
Grand Piano Series resumes tour of Beethoven’s sonatas
February, 2022
Beethoven biographer John Suchet, author of “Beethoven: The Man Revealed,” wrote: “Of all the musical genres … the piano sonata is the only one that Beethoven worked on more or less consistently throughout his life. No large gaps as with the symphonies or string quartets.”
This year, it's a Grand-er Piano Series in Southwest Florida with chamber concerts, jazz
August, 2021
The Grand Piano Series created a Plan B series this season, but that's in name only. It's a whole roster of "A" stars: Beethoven, be-bop, Bochum.
Two concert pianists start their post-COVID return in Southwest Florida
February, 2021
When the International Chopin Piano Competition, the definitive word on who is best among new interpreters of the composer, opens Oct. 2, Washington, D.C., native Avery Gagliano will be there as the U.S. winner.
Israeli music power couple to dazzle SW Florida music lovers
January, 2021
On Monday, Feb. 1, local music lovers will hear world-renowned Israeli violin/ piano duo Vadim Gluzman and Angela Yoffe in Bonita Springs. Widely recognized as one of today’s top-performing violinists, Vadim Gluzman brings to life the glorious violinistic tradition of the 19th and 20th centuries
Classic Chamber Concerts' new home in Naples: Grand Piano Series
November, 2020
In an arts year when only change has become a constant, Classic Chamber Concerts has changed in the biggest way possible: It has become part of the Grand Piano Series.
Grand Piano Series includes online concerts, lectures classes and chats
September, 2020
Milana Strezeva could have surrendered to despair when the Grand Piano Series was forced to discontinue live performances due to COVID-19. Instead her creative instincts quickly engaged, leading her to adopt an alternate method of reaching audiences: the internet.
Grand Piano Series receives a grant.
July, 2020
Grand Piano Series is pleased to announce it has received a $1500 grant from the Community Foundation of Collier County. These funds provide needed support to our active concert and community outreach operations. Though our live concert program came to an abrupt halt in March 2020, we responded by implementing a diverse online program to maintain our connection to local students and reduce the isolation of seniors.
Ludwig groupies, or just music lovers: Beethoven 2020 offers Naples a solid grounding
October 21, 2019
The only thing missing from Beethoven 2020 is a college credit. It's nearly 16 hours of Beethoven piano sonatas and another 16 hours of fervent discussion around them. Milana Strezeva, founder of the Grand Piano Series in Naples, might concede getting...
Pianist brings his own keys to Naples
June 18, 2017
Trumpet soloists carry their own brass, and violinists their own strings. But Mike Cheng-Yu Lee is one of the few performers who brings his own 450-pound piano.
Beethoven meets two Italians in Naples recital Monday
December 6, 2018
When Rodolfo Leone, winner of the 2017 International Beethoven Competition, sits down at the piano for his Naples appearance Monday, he won't be the only Italian in the hall.
A portrait of the artist Hyejin Kim
May 31, 2018
Praised by critics for her, “passionate… polished and expressive,” performances, Ms. Kim is one of South Korea’s most thrilling young classical stars. She completed her studies in Germany, earning her MA in musical art as a “Konzertexamen” (highest distinction) from Berlin’s Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler.
A portrait of the artist, Sophie Shao
June 21, 2018
Cellist Sophie Shao will perform alongside noted concert pianist Milana Strezeva at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 21, at Trinity-by-the-Cove, playing selections by Bach, Dvorak and Chopin, as part of the Grand Piano Series. She is the winner of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and top prizes at the Rostropovich and Tchaikovsky competitions
Eric Lu, U.S. Chopin champ, in Naples to play, of course, Chopin
July 15, 2018
Eric Lu rehearses piano six hours a day, plays at least 30 concerts a year, and has won first prizes in four of five international competitions he has entered.
And he's not even out of school yet.
A portrait of the artist Eric Lu
July 19, 2018
Concert pianist Eric Lu gained the world’s attention when he was first prizewinner at the ninth U.S. National Chopin Competition in Miami in 2015, and also a prize winner at the 2015 International Fryderyk Chopin Competition in Warsaw at the age of 17.