Kaysea Suzana | Assistant Entertainment Director
While February may be the shortest month of the year, the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim School of Music continue their spring semester plans.
On the first two days of the month, the Opera Theatre presents their performance “Dido & Aeneas”, a classic production composed by prominent 1695 baroque composer Henry Purcell.
Hopping over to Feb. 4, a feature show between violinist and FIU Artist in Residence Robert Davidovici, and lauded Ukrainian pianist Marina Radiushina, will cover sonatas originally composed by Beethoven, and Cesar Franck.
Following January’s jazz festival, FIU’s own Big Band, comprised of both undergraduate and graduated students, will be performing on Feb 6. These talented students have been learning from masters in the craft and are excited to give an unforgettable performance.
Speaking of students, FIU alumni Juraj Kojs, Daniel Estrada, Emmanuel Berrido, Jeff Herriot, and Pablo Chin will have their compositions played by the NODUS ensemble on Feb. 7.
Noise travels by air– and with the lovely valentines special this Feb. 9, so too does love with the ensemble Fuoco Obbligato “Amor Diletto”. This baroque opera follows a mischievous cherub, not unlike the iconic Cupid, who is also a master at archery.
On Feb.10, winners of the 2023-2024 annual FIU Concerto Competition will have the opportunity to perform their winning pieces alongside the guidance of Dr. Javier Jose Mendoza.
Critically acclaimed Grigorios Zamparas takes the stage on the evening of Feb. 11 to play piano renditions of Chopin, Bach, and Beethoven.
To go back to romance, there’s a performance on Feb. 13 titled “Broadway in Love” performed by FIU’s Vocal Performance group, based on famous songs of love and passion played in Broadway theatre.
Student artists and performers will take the main stage on Feb. 15 in a Departmental Recital where they’ll showcase the pieces and skills they’ve been working on this semester. Admission is free.
On Feb. 16, the FIU Wind Ensemble, composed of students, will be led by Dr. Brenton F. Alston in an experimental performance that will dazzle audiences with fine tunes.
Ending the last couple of days for February is the GuitART festival, a series of concerts showing off expertise, culture, and styles from a variety of musicians.
Here’s the full festival schedule:
- Feb. 17, a Latin American Folk Blend featuring guitar and cuatro player Hector Molina, as well as fellow cuatro player and singer Luciana Kube, and finally bandola and mandolin player Saul Vera.
- Feb. 18, Anatolian Ensemble, features kemenche, a mediterranean lyre, player Neva Özgen Kösoglu, violinist Cihat Askin, cellist Yelda Özgen Öztürk, and guitarist Mesut Ozgen.
- Feb. 20, guitarist Marco Batttaglia will be performing a solo concert by works made originally by Niccolo Paganini, Ferdinando Carulli, Mauro Giulani, and Giulio Regondi—all 1800’s Italian composers. Batttaglia will also be utilizing a 19th century guitar that once belonged to a famous Italian patriot.
- Feb. 21, Peruvian guitarist Jorge Caballero will perform a solo concert of his own composition, as well a works created by Giulani and Joaquin Turina.
- Feb. 23, Dr. Robert Trent will play acoustic tunes with his legendary guitar built in the19th century.
- Feb. 24, at 1:00 p.m., a wonderful guitar combo of classical, electric, bass, as well as voice and ukelele by the Miami GuitART orchestra. Laura Mazon Franqui, Latina guitarist, will also be playing at 4:00 p.m., followed by fellow Cuban guitarist Rafael Padron playing at 7:30 P.M.
- Feb. 25, starting the day off at 12:00 p.m. is Los Hermanos Caleros, an ensemble dedicated to presenting Colombian-styled music. Following at 3:00 p.m. is Dr. Koh Kazama, playing the guitar to a number of styles from Baroque to modern–day. Ending at 6:00 p.m. is the Gradus Jazz Trio, with a focus on playing music that conjures up images of landscapes, as well as some additional Spanish songs and jazz standards.
It’s an exciting schedule the Wertheim music school has lined up for February! Make sure you’re following them for the latest performance updates and more.
It’s an exciting schedule the Wertheim music school has lined up for February! Make sure you’re following them for the latest performance updates and more.
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