| 7:00 pm
Sunday Chamber Music: Beaux Arts Trio
Members of the Beaux Arts Chamber Ensemble present a profound and exciting concert of piano trios. These veteran artists will bring the music to life through their passion, dynamism, and virtuosity.
| 7:00 pm
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Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (1 April [O.S. 20 March] 1873 – 28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music. Early influences of Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and other Russian composers gave way to a thoroughly personal idiom notable for its song-like melodicism, expressiveness, dense contrapuntal textures, and rich orchestral colors. The piano is featured prominently in Rachmaninoff’s compositional output and he used his skills as a performer to fully explore the expressive and technical possibilities of the instrument.
Born into a musical family, Rachmaninoff began learning the piano at the age of four. He studied piano and composition at the Moscow Conservatory, from which he graduated in 1892, having already written several compositions. In 1897, following the disastrous premiere of his Symphony No. 1, Rachmaninoff entered a four-year depression and composed little, until supportive therapy allowed him to complete his well-received Piano Concerto No. 2 in 1901. Rachmaninoff went on to become conductor of the Bolshoi Theatre from 1904–06, and relocated to Dresden, Germany, in 1906. He later embarked upon his first tour of the United States as a pianist in 1909.
After the Russian Revolution, Rachmaninoff and his family left Russia permanently, settling in New York in 1918. Following this, he spent most of his time touring as a pianist through the US and Europe, from 1932 onwards spending his summers at his villa in Switzerland. During this time, Rachmaninoff’s primary occupation was performing, and his compositional output decreased significantly, completing just six works after leaving Russia. By 1942, his declining health led him to move to Beverly Hills, California, where he died from melanoma in 1943.
From Wikipedia
Mikhail Glinka
Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (June 1, 1804 – 15 February 15, 1857) was the first Russian composer to gain wide recognition within his own country and is often regarded as the fountainhead of Russian classical music. His compositions were an important influence on other Russian composers, notably the members of The Five, who produced a distinctive Russian style of music.
Glinka first became interested in music at age 10 or 11, when he heard his uncle’s private orchestra. He studied at the Chief Pedagogic Institute at St. Petersburg (1818–22) and took piano lessons with the Irish pianist and composer John Field. He worked for four years in the Ministry of Communications but was uninterested in an official career. As a dilettante he composed songs and a certain amount of chamber music. Three years in Italy brought him under the spell of the composers Vincenzo Bellini and Gaetano Donizetti, though ultimately homesickness led him to the idea of writing music “in Russian.”
He studied composition seriously for six months in Berlin, where he began his Sinfonia per l’orchestra sopra due motive russe (1834; “Symphony for Orchestra on Two Russian Motifs”). Recalled to Russia by his father’s death, he married and began to compose the opera that first won him fame, A Life for the Tsar (later renamed Ivan Susanin), produced in 1836. During this period, Glinka composed some of his best songs, and in 1842 his second opera, Ruslan and Lyudmila, was produced. The exotic subject and boldly original music of Ruslan won neither favour nor popular acclaim, although Franz Liszt was struck by the novelty of the music.
Disgruntled, and with his marriage broken, Glinka left Russia in 1844. He had the satisfaction of hearing excerpts from both his operas performed in Paris under Hector Berlioz (1845, as the first performance of Russian music in the West) and other conductors. From Paris he went to Spain, where he stayed until May 1847, collecting the materials used in his two “Spanish overtures,” the capriccio brillante on the Jota aragonesa (1845; “Aragonese Jota”) and Summer Night in Madrid (1848). Between 1852 and 1854 he was again abroad, mostly in Paris, until the outbreak of the Crimean War drove him home again. He then wrote his highly entertaining Zapiski (Memoirs; first published in St. Petersburg, 1887), which give a remarkable self-portrait of his indolent, amiable, hypochondriacal character. His last notable composition was Festival Polonaise for Tsar Alexander II’s coronation ball (1855).
Glinka has been described as a dilettante of genius. His slender output is considered the foundation of most later Russian music of value. His composition “The Patriotic Song” was the Russian national anthem from the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 until 2000. Ruslan and Lyudmila provided models of lyrical melody and colourful orchestration on which Mily Balakirev, Aleksandr Borodin, and Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov formed their styles. Glinka’s orchestral composition Kamarinskaya (1848) was said by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to be the acorn from which the oak of later Russian symphonic music grew.
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Anton Arensky
Anton Stepanovich Arensky (12 July [O.S. 30 June] 1861 – 25 February [O.S. 12 February] 1905) was a Russian composer of Romantic classical music, a pianist and a professor of music.
Born into an affluent, music-loving family in Novgorod, Russia, Arensky was musically precocious and had composed a number of songs and piano pieces by the age of nine. With his mother and father, he moved to Saint Petersburg in 1879, after which he studied composition at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
After graduating from the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in 1882, Arensky became a professor at the Moscow Conservatory. Among his students there were Alexander Scriabin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Alexander Gretchaninov.
In 1895, Arensky returned to Saint Petersburg as the director of the Imperial Choir, a post for which he had been recommended by Mily Balakirev. He retired from this position in 1901, living off a comfortable pension and spending his remaining time as a pianist, conductor, and composer.
Arensky died of tuberculosis in a sanatorium in Perkjärvi, in what was then the Russian-administered Grand Duchy of Finland, at the age of 44. While very little is known about his private life, Rimsky-Korsakov alleges that drinking and gambling undermined his health. He was buried in the Tikhvin Cemetery. The Antarctic Arensky Glacier was named after him.
Dr. Catherine Lan
Born in Taiwan, Dr. Catherine Lan has concertized across the US, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Mexico, Thailand, China, United Kingdom, Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia at prestigious venues such as the Carnegie Hall in New York and Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. Her highly acclaimed performances have been featured at WLRN-Public Television, “Beethoven Universal TV” series, Becon TV, Fu-Hsin Broadcasting Station, and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Radio. She will be making her Ireland debut this season.
A soloist with Milwaukee Symphony, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Vancouver Symphony, British-Columbia Chamber, and Edmonton Symphony, Dr. Lan is also an avid chamber musician; she has collaborated with Itamar Zorman, James Buswell, David Requiro, Ayano Ninomiya, Aspen String Trio, Henschel String Quartet, Thalea String Quartet, Maxwell String Quartet, Naples Philharmonic and Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia Chamber Players, to name a few. She is the pianist at Duo Beaux Arts, Duo Arpeggione, Duo Formosa, Tallinn Piano Trio, Delray Piano Trio, Atlantic Piano Trio, and Beaux Arts Ensemble.
Received her Bachelor of Music from University of British-Columbia, Master of Music from Indiana University (Bloomington), and Doctor of Musical Arts from University of Miami, Dr. Lan serves on the faculty of Broward College and she is also the co-artistic director of Rosemary Duffy Larson Classical Series. Dr. Lan records for Centaur Records. www.catherinelan.com
Huifang Chen
As an international violin soloist, Chen has appeared with many orchestras around the globe including New Taoyuan Philharmonic and Taipei Symphony Orchestra in Taiwan, Brno Philharmonic in Czech Republic, Macomb, Rochester, and Warren Symphony Orchestras in Michigan, Alhambra Orchestra, Dreyfoos Philharmonic, Florida Youth Orchestra, Frost Symphony of University of Miami and the Greater Miami Youth Symphony in Florida among others. She was the recipient of the 1999 Young Concert Artist of the Year awarded by the National Concert Hall of Taipei, Taiwan and a Concerto Competition Winner at the University of Miami in 2003.
Chen has recently been appointed as the Concertmaster of SFSO. Previously she played as Concertmaster for Ars Flores Symphony, The Symphonia of Boca Raton, Florida Grand Opera, Orchestra Miami, Palm Beach Symphony in Florida, Macomb, Rochester and Warren Symphonies in Michigan, among others. As a recording artist, Ms. Chen appears on dozens of award-winning recordings for artists such as Bee Gees, Natalie Cole, Gloria Estefan, Julio Iglesias, Ricky Martin, Jon Secada and Barbra Streisand. In 2012, she recorded Thomas Sleeper’s Violin Concerto with the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra in the Czech Republic and the CD of this recording was released in 2014 on the Albany Label. Additionally, she has performed the National Anthem on numerous occasions at the Miami Dolphins football games.
Aaron Merritt
Praised by the Miami Herald for his “eloquent” and “cathartic” playing, Aaron Merritt enjoys a varied career of teaching and performing. He currently performs with Miami’s Nu-Deco Ensemble, the Palm Beach Opera, and the Naples Philharmonic, and has performed with the Florida Grand Opera and New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas from 2004-2008. He has performed across the United States, Austria and the Netherlands and he performs at the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in Santa Cruz, California during the summer months. With his colleagues in the Sona String Quartet, Mr. Merritt has presented over one hundred educational concerts for underserved schools and communities in the Greater Miami area. He is Adjunct Professor of Cello at Miami’s New World School of the Arts. His students have been laureates and participants at national and international competitions, including the Sphinx and Tchaikovsky. Mr. Merritt studied at Indiana University (BM) and Rice University (MM). Principal teachers include Lynn Harrell, Emilio Colón and Helga Winold.
Composers
Guest Artists
Swearingen & Kelli
Swearingen & Kelli
In addition to their successful careers as established songwriters with multiple albums, the duo is also on a mission to share this iconic music with audiences around the country. Both artists were heavily inspired by the great 70s singer-songwriters and their ability to channel the sounds of that era are immediately apparent at when you hear them perform live.
The duo’s brand new album, Cold-Hearted Truth, bridges the gap between folk singers and country rebels. Recorded in a series of live takes with Grammy Award-winning producer Mitch Dane (Jars of Clay, JJ Heller, The Blind Boys of Alabama), this third LP has been featured on Americana Highways, Cowboys and Indians, and Red Line Roots.
Swearingen & Kelli have shared the stage with artists including David Bromberg, Crystal Gayle and Kenny Rogers. Swearingen’s song “You’re Not Here With Me” was recorded by folk icon Tom Rush featuring Nanci Griffith on his album, What I Know.
More on Swearingen & Kelli: www.swearingenandkelli.com
Hannah Cruz
Hannah Cruz
Hannah is 16 years old and is in her sophomore year at Bishop Verot HighSchool. Performing has always been her passion and her little 3 year-old self would be so proud to see how far she has come! She has done a variety of shows in a variety of places including at school, Florida Rep, Gypsy Playhouse, Fort Myers Theatre, & Broadway Palm. Some of her performing credits include — Miss Jones – How to Succeed in Business… (Verot), Katherine – Newsies Jr (Fl Rep), Little Gloria – On Your Feet (Broadway Palm), & Carmen Diaz – Fame! (FMT). She is beyond excited to be apart of this show! She would like to thank her family, teachers, & everyone who supports her in doing what she loves!
Hope you enjoy the show! 🙂
@hannah.cruz03
Cara Chumbley
Cara Chumbley
Cara is so excited to be here at Gulf Coast Symphony. This is her third time in Nunsense, but her first time playing Robert Anne! Cara recently moved from Chicago to New York City and has been performing regionally for years. She would like to thank her parents, friends and family for all their love and support. All my love to my 20lb cat Guinness. Enjoy the show!
Carachumbley.com
Kiki Sanchez
Kiki Sanchez
The extraordinarily Peruvian producer, composer, arranger, educator and pianist Luis Enrique “Kiki” Sanchez can capture the hearts of many through his variations of skillful and unique style that have filled the airwaves with a distinctive blend of soulful jazz, tropical, and afro-Peruvian fusion. This gifted musician was born and raised in Lima, Peru where he studied piano with Coco Macedo and Edermi Chavez and started playing professionally at the age of 11. He became a well-rounded musician by playing with his father’s band “Orquesta Majestic” doing corporate venues in Lima. Later he moved to Miami, FL where he has worked with several Jazz and Latin Jazz Artists. He continued to expand his knowledge and education at the Florida Atlantic University where Sanchez earned a Master Degree in Music Composition.
As an educator, Sanchez has also released an Educational DVD titled “The Real Latin Piano and Introduction to Afro-Peruvian Rhythms” (2009) published by ADG Productions and the book “The Real Latin Piano Book” published in 2012 by ADG Productions. Kiki has been doing music clinics and workshops in the States and overseas. He is currently a Music professor at Miami Dade College and also he has been teaching music technology courses at Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Sanchez is very active as an artist, producer, arranger, educator, and pianist. He performed at the inauguration of the Larry Rosen “Jazz Roots” at the Arsht Center in Miami, FL. He also has been the music director of several musical theaters in South Florida. Kiki also has performed in several Jazz Festivals such as: Montreux, St. Lucia, Grenada, Ohio Jazz and Rib and others. He also has been the music director for “Noches Tropicales” Jazz series at Miami Dade County Auditorium. Recently, Sanchez has been performing locally and overseas, during the summer of 2015, he performed at the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco, CA, Instituto Cervantes in New York, Centro Cultural Kichner in Buenos Aires, Argentina and several other places. Kiki is also the Music Outreach Director of Beauliere Academy of Music in Haiti, where he goes every summer to provide music education.
Kiki was the Director of Music Department at Hurst Chapel A.M.E Church in Riviera Beach, Florida and currently he is the Director of Music Department at Ebenezer United Methodist Church located in Miami, Florida.
In the near future Kiki plans to release two Latin Jazz singles titled “Sanchez’s Blues” and “It is a Peruvian Thing” by Diola Entertainment. Additionally he will also release two other Gospel singles “I Praise You Lord” and “I Want to Give You My Best”.
Finally, Sanchez is so exciting about his 501C3 Non-Profit Organization “PW (Praise and Worship) for the Arts” where the mission is to help and provide music education to kids from less fortunate families and communities. One of Sanchez' dreams is to make a difference through Arts/Music education and to expose its benefits through “PW for the Arts” journey.
Ruth Stokes
Ruth Stokes
Ruth Stokes is a cellist invested in musical collaboration and innovation. Her playing is characterized by a rich, passionate sound and dynamic interpretations. Currently Ruth is working and studying at Penn State University as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for cello and a Master’s student in cello performance. Originally from Minnesota, she received her Bachelor’s degree in 2022 from Frost School of Music at the University of Miami where she was a Stamps Distinguished Ensemble Scholar with the Stamps String Quartet from 2018-2022.
Throughout her undergraduate degree Ruth performed extensively throughout South Florida as well as in New York, South Carolina, and Georgia with the Stamps Quartet. She has spent the summers at music festivals in Ohio, Massachusetts, New York, Minnesota, California, and Pennsylvania, as well as overseas in Germany and Poland.
Ruth has been playing as a principal of the Chamber and Philharmonic Orchestras at Penn State School of Music and won the 2023 Penn State Concerto Competition playing Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo. She also currently plays with the Altoona and Williamsport Symphony Orchestras, and performs solo, chamber, and outreach concerts. Ruth has taught at Penn State since fall 2022 and teaches outside the school both privately and as a faculty member at the State College Academy of Music. She has also recently given performance classes at Concordia Academy in MN and Altoona Area High School in PA.
Ruth’s recent projects include performing Shades for solo cello by Daijana Wallace for the Penn State African American Music Festival, Tan Dun’s Elegy: Snow in June for solo cello and percussion ensemble, Postludium DSCH by Valentin Silvestrov for a Ukrainian sister city benefit concert, ensemble performances featuring piano quartets and trios by Chausson, Brahms, and Mahler, and premieres of both solo and ensemble works by student composers at Penn State. Ruth is currently at work on a variety of fresh solo and chamber projects.
Natalie Brouwer
Natalie Brouwer
Natalie Brouwer is thrilled to be in her first show at Gulf Coast Symphony! She performs professionally as an actor & singer throughout the east coast, and recently made SWFL her permanent base. Some recent shows include I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Players Circle Theatre), Miracle on 34th Street (Beach Street Repertory Theatre), Bright Star and Working: The Musical (Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre), and multiple singing engagements with Brian Gurl Productions. MFA in Acting ‘16 (UNC Greensboro). Big thank you to this wonderful and dedicated cast and crew! Special thanks to MM and her family & friends.
Eliette Rogers
Eliette Rogers
Eliette Rogers is a performer living in the Florida panhandle. She graduated from the University of South Florida with a BA in Theatre Performance and a minor in Videography. This is Eliettes first time performing with the Gulf Coast Symphony, and she is so excited to be a part of this show! Some of her credits include touring the U.S with Bright Star Touring Theatre, playing a dancer/combatant in Unto These Hills, Daniela in In The Heights, Anita in West Side Story, and a Dynamite in HairSpray! Special thanks to her faith, family, and friends.
Avalyn Calandra
Avalyn Calandra
Avalyn is delighted to be performing in the Gulf Coast Symphony’s production of Gypsy. Recent credits include Susan Waverly in White Christmas, Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka, Jr., and Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Jr. She is a 7th grade student and attends Middle School in Cape Coral, FL. Avalyn thanks her family and friends for all their ongoing support.
Patrece Bloomfield
Patrece Bloomfield
Patrece is excited to make her debut on this stage. When not working on a production for theater or her craft as an actress in film and TV, you can find her casting spells as Celestina Warbeck, the “Singing Sorceress” in Diagon Alleyat Universal Studios.
Patrece has co-starred on HBO’s “The Outsider”, portrayed “Delores Van Cartier” in “Sister Act”, portrayed Armelia in “Aint Mis-Behavin”, performed multiple cabarets, and her favorite role to date, portraying the legendary “Billie Holiday” in “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill” at The Dr. Phillips performing arts center. Patrece is grateful to the support of her loving family and friends.
Whitney Grace
Whitney Grace
Whitney Grace, a Punta Gorda native, has been giving audiences the old Bazazz since she was 5 years old. Whitney’s journey has taken her across the vibrant stages of Florida’s regional theaters. She was most recently seen playing the role of Sister Hubert in the musical Nunsense with the Gulf Coast Symphony.
Whitney’s star has also shone brightly at esteemed venues like Palm Beach Dramaworks in The Science of Leaving Omaha (Ruth Ellen), the Maltz Jupiter Theater in Hairspray, Mamma Mia, and How to Succeed.., Gablestage in White Guy on the Bus (Molly), The Wick Theatre in Milk and Honey (Barbara), Cinderella (Gabrielle), Brigadoon, Crazy For You, and West Side Story (Minnie), TheatreZone in The Secret Garden (Martha), and The Show Palace in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Sarah).
Rave reviews have poured in for Whitney’s captivating one-woman cabaret musicals. “Showstopper: A Love Letter To Broadway” and “The Lullaby of Broadway: A Tribute to the City That Never Sleeps” have taken audiences on unforgettable journeys through the magic of song. Her cabaret shows, filled with heart and soul, have graced stages such as Cape Cabaret, The Ascot Experience, The Charlotte Harbor Events Center, and prestigious country clubs throughout Florida. In 2022, Whitney won the ‘Punta Gorda Chamber’s Got Talent’ Show, further solidifying her reputation as a dynamic and captivating performer.
Currently, Whitney is immersed in rehearsals for the upcoming production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, where she is set to embody the role of Judy Haynes with the Fort Myers Theatre. The show will open November 30th and will tour in Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, and Marco Island.
Beyond the spotlight, She also owns and operates Growing With Grace Studios; a performing arts school nestled in Arcadia, FL. A homeschool graduate and alumna of Palm Beach Atlantic University, Whitney’s commitment to excellence was acknowledged with the prestigious Women of Distinction Award. With gratitude in her heart, she extends special thanks to her director Mark, her parents Tom and Linda, her fiancé Daniel, and the Lord. For sweet Myra. Psalm 77:11-12
Whitney Grace, a Punta Gorda native, has been giving audiences the old Bazazz since she was 5 years old. Whitney’s journey has taken her across the vibrant stages of Florida’s regional theaters. She was most recently seen playing the role of Sister Hubert in the musical Nunsense with the Gulf Coast Symphony.
Whitney’s star has also shone brightly at esteemed venues like Palm Beach Dramaworks in The Science of Leaving Omaha (Ruth Ellen), the Maltz Jupiter Theater in Hairspray, Mamma Mia, and How to Succeed.., Gablestage in White Guy on the Bus (Molly), The Wick Theatre in Milk and Honey (Barbara), Cinderella (Gabrielle), Brigadoon, Crazy For You, and West Side Story (Minnie), TheatreZone in The Secret Garden (Martha), and The Show Palace in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Sarah).
Rave reviews have poured in for Whitney’s captivating one-woman cabaret musicals. “Showstopper: A Love Letter To Broadway” and “The Lullaby of Broadway: A Tribute to the City That Never Sleeps” have taken audiences on unforgettable journeys through the magic of song. Her cabaret shows, filled with heart and soul, have graced stages such as Cape Cabaret, The Ascot Experience, The Charlotte Harbor Events Center, and prestigious country clubs throughout Florida. In 2022, Whitney won the ‘Punta Gorda Chamber’s Got Talent’ Show, further solidifying her reputation as a dynamic and captivating performer.
Currently, Whitney is immersed in rehearsals for the upcoming production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, where she is set to embody the role of Judy Haynes with the Fort Myers Theatre. The show will open November 30th and will tour in Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, and Marco Island.
Beyond the spotlight, She also owns and operates Growing With Grace Studios; a performing arts school nestled in Arcadia, FL. A homeschool graduate and alumna of Palm Beach Atlantic University, Whitney’s commitment to excellence was acknowledged with the prestigious Women of Distinction Award. With gratitude in her heart, she extends special thanks to her director Mark, her parents Tom and Linda, her fiancé Daniel, and the Lord. For sweet Myra. Psalm 77:11-12
Production Team
Swearingen & Kelli
Swearingen & Kelli
In addition to their successful careers as established songwriters with multiple albums, the duo is also on a mission to share this iconic music with audiences around the country. Both artists were heavily inspired by the great 70s singer-songwriters and their ability to channel the sounds of that era are immediately apparent at when you hear them perform live.
The duo’s brand new album, Cold-Hearted Truth, bridges the gap between folk singers and country rebels. Recorded in a series of live takes with Grammy Award-winning producer Mitch Dane (Jars of Clay, JJ Heller, The Blind Boys of Alabama), this third LP has been featured on Americana Highways, Cowboys and Indians, and Red Line Roots.
Swearingen & Kelli have shared the stage with artists including David Bromberg, Crystal Gayle and Kenny Rogers. Swearingen’s song “You’re Not Here With Me” was recorded by folk icon Tom Rush featuring Nanci Griffith on his album, What I Know.
More on Swearingen & Kelli: www.swearingenandkelli.com
Hannah Cruz
Hannah Cruz
Hannah is 16 years old and is in her sophomore year at Bishop Verot HighSchool. Performing has always been her passion and her little 3 year-old self would be so proud to see how far she has come! She has done a variety of shows in a variety of places including at school, Florida Rep, Gypsy Playhouse, Fort Myers Theatre, & Broadway Palm. Some of her performing credits include — Miss Jones – How to Succeed in Business… (Verot), Katherine – Newsies Jr (Fl Rep), Little Gloria – On Your Feet (Broadway Palm), & Carmen Diaz – Fame! (FMT). She is beyond excited to be apart of this show! She would like to thank her family, teachers, & everyone who supports her in doing what she loves!
Hope you enjoy the show! 🙂
@hannah.cruz03
Cara Chumbley
Cara Chumbley
Cara is so excited to be here at Gulf Coast Symphony. This is her third time in Nunsense, but her first time playing Robert Anne! Cara recently moved from Chicago to New York City and has been performing regionally for years. She would like to thank her parents, friends and family for all their love and support. All my love to my 20lb cat Guinness. Enjoy the show!
Carachumbley.com
Kiki Sanchez
Kiki Sanchez
The extraordinarily Peruvian producer, composer, arranger, educator and pianist Luis Enrique “Kiki” Sanchez can capture the hearts of many through his variations of skillful and unique style that have filled the airwaves with a distinctive blend of soulful jazz, tropical, and afro-Peruvian fusion. This gifted musician was born and raised in Lima, Peru where he studied piano with Coco Macedo and Edermi Chavez and started playing professionally at the age of 11. He became a well-rounded musician by playing with his father’s band “Orquesta Majestic” doing corporate venues in Lima. Later he moved to Miami, FL where he has worked with several Jazz and Latin Jazz Artists. He continued to expand his knowledge and education at the Florida Atlantic University where Sanchez earned a Master Degree in Music Composition.
As an educator, Sanchez has also released an Educational DVD titled “The Real Latin Piano and Introduction to Afro-Peruvian Rhythms” (2009) published by ADG Productions and the book “The Real Latin Piano Book” published in 2012 by ADG Productions. Kiki has been doing music clinics and workshops in the States and overseas. He is currently a Music professor at Miami Dade College and also he has been teaching music technology courses at Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Sanchez is very active as an artist, producer, arranger, educator, and pianist. He performed at the inauguration of the Larry Rosen “Jazz Roots” at the Arsht Center in Miami, FL. He also has been the music director of several musical theaters in South Florida. Kiki also has performed in several Jazz Festivals such as: Montreux, St. Lucia, Grenada, Ohio Jazz and Rib and others. He also has been the music director for “Noches Tropicales” Jazz series at Miami Dade County Auditorium. Recently, Sanchez has been performing locally and overseas, during the summer of 2015, he performed at the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco, CA, Instituto Cervantes in New York, Centro Cultural Kichner in Buenos Aires, Argentina and several other places. Kiki is also the Music Outreach Director of Beauliere Academy of Music in Haiti, where he goes every summer to provide music education.
Kiki was the Director of Music Department at Hurst Chapel A.M.E Church in Riviera Beach, Florida and currently he is the Director of Music Department at Ebenezer United Methodist Church located in Miami, Florida.
In the near future Kiki plans to release two Latin Jazz singles titled “Sanchez’s Blues” and “It is a Peruvian Thing” by Diola Entertainment. Additionally he will also release two other Gospel singles “I Praise You Lord” and “I Want to Give You My Best”.
Finally, Sanchez is so exciting about his 501C3 Non-Profit Organization “PW (Praise and Worship) for the Arts” where the mission is to help and provide music education to kids from less fortunate families and communities. One of Sanchez' dreams is to make a difference through Arts/Music education and to expose its benefits through “PW for the Arts” journey.
Ruth Stokes
Ruth Stokes
Ruth Stokes is a cellist invested in musical collaboration and innovation. Her playing is characterized by a rich, passionate sound and dynamic interpretations. Currently Ruth is working and studying at Penn State University as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for cello and a Master’s student in cello performance. Originally from Minnesota, she received her Bachelor’s degree in 2022 from Frost School of Music at the University of Miami where she was a Stamps Distinguished Ensemble Scholar with the Stamps String Quartet from 2018-2022.
Throughout her undergraduate degree Ruth performed extensively throughout South Florida as well as in New York, South Carolina, and Georgia with the Stamps Quartet. She has spent the summers at music festivals in Ohio, Massachusetts, New York, Minnesota, California, and Pennsylvania, as well as overseas in Germany and Poland.
Ruth has been playing as a principal of the Chamber and Philharmonic Orchestras at Penn State School of Music and won the 2023 Penn State Concerto Competition playing Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo. She also currently plays with the Altoona and Williamsport Symphony Orchestras, and performs solo, chamber, and outreach concerts. Ruth has taught at Penn State since fall 2022 and teaches outside the school both privately and as a faculty member at the State College Academy of Music. She has also recently given performance classes at Concordia Academy in MN and Altoona Area High School in PA.
Ruth’s recent projects include performing Shades for solo cello by Daijana Wallace for the Penn State African American Music Festival, Tan Dun’s Elegy: Snow in June for solo cello and percussion ensemble, Postludium DSCH by Valentin Silvestrov for a Ukrainian sister city benefit concert, ensemble performances featuring piano quartets and trios by Chausson, Brahms, and Mahler, and premieres of both solo and ensemble works by student composers at Penn State. Ruth is currently at work on a variety of fresh solo and chamber projects.
Natalie Brouwer
Natalie Brouwer
Natalie Brouwer is thrilled to be in her first show at Gulf Coast Symphony! She performs professionally as an actor & singer throughout the east coast, and recently made SWFL her permanent base. Some recent shows include I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Players Circle Theatre), Miracle on 34th Street (Beach Street Repertory Theatre), Bright Star and Working: The Musical (Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre), and multiple singing engagements with Brian Gurl Productions. MFA in Acting ‘16 (UNC Greensboro). Big thank you to this wonderful and dedicated cast and crew! Special thanks to MM and her family & friends.
Eliette Rogers
Eliette Rogers
Eliette Rogers is a performer living in the Florida panhandle. She graduated from the University of South Florida with a BA in Theatre Performance and a minor in Videography. This is Eliettes first time performing with the Gulf Coast Symphony, and she is so excited to be a part of this show! Some of her credits include touring the U.S with Bright Star Touring Theatre, playing a dancer/combatant in Unto These Hills, Daniela in In The Heights, Anita in West Side Story, and a Dynamite in HairSpray! Special thanks to her faith, family, and friends.
Avalyn Calandra
Avalyn Calandra
Avalyn is delighted to be performing in the Gulf Coast Symphony’s production of Gypsy. Recent credits include Susan Waverly in White Christmas, Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka, Jr., and Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Jr. She is a 7th grade student and attends Middle School in Cape Coral, FL. Avalyn thanks her family and friends for all their ongoing support.
Patrece Bloomfield
Patrece Bloomfield
Patrece is excited to make her debut on this stage. When not working on a production for theater or her craft as an actress in film and TV, you can find her casting spells as Celestina Warbeck, the “Singing Sorceress” in Diagon Alleyat Universal Studios.
Patrece has co-starred on HBO’s “The Outsider”, portrayed “Delores Van Cartier” in “Sister Act”, portrayed Armelia in “Aint Mis-Behavin”, performed multiple cabarets, and her favorite role to date, portraying the legendary “Billie Holiday” in “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill” at The Dr. Phillips performing arts center. Patrece is grateful to the support of her loving family and friends.
Whitney Grace
Whitney Grace
Whitney Grace, a Punta Gorda native, has been giving audiences the old Bazazz since she was 5 years old. Whitney’s journey has taken her across the vibrant stages of Florida’s regional theaters. She was most recently seen playing the role of Sister Hubert in the musical Nunsense with the Gulf Coast Symphony.
Whitney’s star has also shone brightly at esteemed venues like Palm Beach Dramaworks in The Science of Leaving Omaha (Ruth Ellen), the Maltz Jupiter Theater in Hairspray, Mamma Mia, and How to Succeed.., Gablestage in White Guy on the Bus (Molly), The Wick Theatre in Milk and Honey (Barbara), Cinderella (Gabrielle), Brigadoon, Crazy For You, and West Side Story (Minnie), TheatreZone in The Secret Garden (Martha), and The Show Palace in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Sarah).
Rave reviews have poured in for Whitney’s captivating one-woman cabaret musicals. “Showstopper: A Love Letter To Broadway” and “The Lullaby of Broadway: A Tribute to the City That Never Sleeps” have taken audiences on unforgettable journeys through the magic of song. Her cabaret shows, filled with heart and soul, have graced stages such as Cape Cabaret, The Ascot Experience, The Charlotte Harbor Events Center, and prestigious country clubs throughout Florida. In 2022, Whitney won the ‘Punta Gorda Chamber’s Got Talent’ Show, further solidifying her reputation as a dynamic and captivating performer.
Currently, Whitney is immersed in rehearsals for the upcoming production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, where she is set to embody the role of Judy Haynes with the Fort Myers Theatre. The show will open November 30th and will tour in Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, and Marco Island.
Beyond the spotlight, She also owns and operates Growing With Grace Studios; a performing arts school nestled in Arcadia, FL. A homeschool graduate and alumna of Palm Beach Atlantic University, Whitney’s commitment to excellence was acknowledged with the prestigious Women of Distinction Award. With gratitude in her heart, she extends special thanks to her director Mark, her parents Tom and Linda, her fiancé Daniel, and the Lord. For sweet Myra. Psalm 77:11-12
Whitney Grace, a Punta Gorda native, has been giving audiences the old Bazazz since she was 5 years old. Whitney’s journey has taken her across the vibrant stages of Florida’s regional theaters. She was most recently seen playing the role of Sister Hubert in the musical Nunsense with the Gulf Coast Symphony.
Whitney’s star has also shone brightly at esteemed venues like Palm Beach Dramaworks in The Science of Leaving Omaha (Ruth Ellen), the Maltz Jupiter Theater in Hairspray, Mamma Mia, and How to Succeed.., Gablestage in White Guy on the Bus (Molly), The Wick Theatre in Milk and Honey (Barbara), Cinderella (Gabrielle), Brigadoon, Crazy For You, and West Side Story (Minnie), TheatreZone in The Secret Garden (Martha), and The Show Palace in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Sarah).
Rave reviews have poured in for Whitney’s captivating one-woman cabaret musicals. “Showstopper: A Love Letter To Broadway” and “The Lullaby of Broadway: A Tribute to the City That Never Sleeps” have taken audiences on unforgettable journeys through the magic of song. Her cabaret shows, filled with heart and soul, have graced stages such as Cape Cabaret, The Ascot Experience, The Charlotte Harbor Events Center, and prestigious country clubs throughout Florida. In 2022, Whitney won the ‘Punta Gorda Chamber’s Got Talent’ Show, further solidifying her reputation as a dynamic and captivating performer.
Currently, Whitney is immersed in rehearsals for the upcoming production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, where she is set to embody the role of Judy Haynes with the Fort Myers Theatre. The show will open November 30th and will tour in Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, and Marco Island.
Beyond the spotlight, She also owns and operates Growing With Grace Studios; a performing arts school nestled in Arcadia, FL. A homeschool graduate and alumna of Palm Beach Atlantic University, Whitney’s commitment to excellence was acknowledged with the prestigious Women of Distinction Award. With gratitude in her heart, she extends special thanks to her director Mark, her parents Tom and Linda, her fiancé Daniel, and the Lord. For sweet Myra. Psalm 77:11-12
Tentative Program
An Evening of Russian Trios
Trio élégiaque No. 1 in G minor Sergei Rachmaninoff
Trio pathétique in D minor Mikhail Glinka
Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 32 Anton Arensky
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