Wordless like light

The new Fort Myers Philharmonic shines

BY ROGER WILLIAMS
rwilliams@floridaweekly.com

In an extraordinary phoenix moment, 90 Mastersingers will help lift the new Fort Myers Philharmonic orchestra from the ashes of an old one as they perform together a concert of remembrance and praise: Friday, Sept. 11, beginning at 7:30 p.m., at the Barbara B. Mann Hall on the campus of Florida Southwestern State College.

First responders, including some who were present at the worst American day since the bombing of Pearl Harbor — the terrorist assault on New York City and Washington that resulted in 2,977 deaths on Sept. 11, 2001 — will be honored and celebrated in the program.

The occasion marks a significant addition to regional classical music following the collapse of the old Southwest Florida Symphony. It’s the first of nine planned concerts in 24 performances on the horizon.

The men and women of the orchestra are awash in both talent and discipline, people who devote their lives to their instruments and this singular art.

“There’s a common denominator for all of us: You have a calling and you have to do it. You can’t not do it,” said concertmaster Florentina Ramniceanu, an internationally celebrated violinist.