Underwriters announced for Community Concert Association

Frank Mann Sr. and Ellie Fox

The Fort Myers Community Concert Association Inc., board of directors announced at its Nov. 7 meeting that Alexandra Bremner and her mother Eunice Bremner will underwrite the entire 2022 concert season. Alexandra and Eunice are the niece and sister of the late Berne Davis, who served as series underwriter for many years prior to her death in 2016. Program sponsors will include Rob Diefenbach of Fort Myers, Sanibel-Captiva Community Bank, John and Pam Noland of Fort Myers and Ellie Fox of South Fort Myers.

“Berne was a program sponsor every year for 18 years and a member of the Community Concert Association for 68 years,” said Mary Lee Mann, president of the Community Concert Association. “This gracious gesture by her sister and niece ensure that Berne’s memory will live on and make possible the continuation of the association for many years to come. We are eternally grateful to them.”

Tickets are still available for the concert series’ 72nd season, which begins in January. A season ticket to attend all five concerts costs $155 for orchestra seating, $85 for lower balcony and $65 for upper balcony. Purchase season tickets from the Community Concert Association at www.fortmyerscommunityconcerts.org or 239-693-4849.

Marc Collins and Fran Fenning

Individual concert tickets go on sale Dec. 1. Except for the Itzhak Perlman concert, a single ticket costs $55 for orchestra/mezzanine seating, $35 for lower balcony and $25 for upper balcony. Single tickets for Itzhak Perlman are $70 each or $80 for prime orchestra pit seating. To purchase, call the Barbara B. Mann Hall box office at 239-481-4849 or visit www.bbmannpah.com.

All performances start at 7:30 p.m. at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall on the campus of Florida South Western State College:

• The Polish Wienlawski Philharmonic Orchestra – Jan. 17. The orchestra was founded in 1944 and is making its first-ever tour of the United States in 2022. They will perform Brahms’ Variations on a Theme of Haydn, Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Schubert’s Symphony No. 9, “The Great Symphony.”

Alexandra Bremner, Chip Cantisano and Lynn Cantisano

• VOCES8 – Feb. 17. The British vocal ensemble VOCES8 will present an a cappella concert celebrating diverse musical expression. The ensemble of eight has released acclaimed recordings that have all reached the top of the classical charts.

• The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass – March 3. The internationally acclaimed brass ensemble is dedicated to bringing the joyous experience of great music. The group breaks the usual barriers between genres playing Handel, Sousa and New Orleans traditional. The ensemble is composed of some of America’s top brass musicians, who have appeared on the world’s most prominent stages and performed with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Boston Brass.

• Itzhak Perlman – March 5. Mr. Perlman is the reigning virtuoso of the violin and is returning to the Community Concert series for a third time. He will highlight personal remembrances of his career interspersed with live performances. It will give listeners the opportunity to explore the man behind the artistry. He has been honored with more than 20 Grammy Awards (including one for Lifetime Achievement in 2008), four Emmy Awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.

• Russian National Ballet – March 22. The Russian National Ballet will perform the timeless “Swan Lake.” The music, lush scenery and romance will be captured through the classical ballet in Tchaikovsky’s beloved masterpiece. The Russian National Ballet Theatre was founded with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and invigorates the tradition of classical Russian ballet with developments in dance from around the world.

The Fort Myers Community Concert Association is an all-volunteer not-for-profit organization founded by the Barbara B. Mann in 1949 to bring world-class entertainment to Southwest Florida at affordable prices. The association consists of more than 1,200 members, underwriters and sponsors. Performers brought to Fort Myers in the past by the association include the Israel Ballet, violinist Itzhak Perlman, the Boston Brass, Minnesota Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Vienna Boys Choir, pianist Andre Watts, violinist Joshua Bell with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and many others. ¦