The StayInMay Festival (www.StayInMay.com), – a celebrated annual cultural arts festival formerly known as the ArtsNaples World Festival – is pleased to announce its full calendar of events. The 2016 StayInMay Festival – “Best of All Worlds” – will feature culinary, music, art, film, dance, and more, representing more than 20 countries to an eager crowd of over 10,000 arts enthusiasts in and around Naples from April 25 through May 8. By focusing on a new cultural region of the world each year and partnering with dozens of area arts organizations over the past five years, the StayInMay Festival has brought national and international artists to Naples and enhanced the region’s reputation as a world-class cultural destination.
The StayInMay Festival’s artistic director Maestro William Noll – who is well-regarded for his ability to intermingle classic concerts that area residents respond to, with a dash of fresh performances in keeping with popular culture – promises to bring down the house with an innovative assortment of performances this year.
Performances range from crowd-favorite, Nachito Herrera Latin Jazz Trio; to its popular Two O’Clock concerts; to Tchaikovsky Violin & Piano Concertos.
“Through the diverse number of programs and events offered at this year’s festival, guests will be able to explore the life and culture from around the world like never before,” said Trey Farmer, president and chairman of the StayInMay Festival.
A philanthropic organization at its core, the StayInMay Festival also offers free, educational outreach programs including special reserved tickets, master classes, and concerts for students in and around Collier County.
StayInMay Festival’s Schedule of Events:
Monday, April 25, 2016
Champagne and Caviar Tasting, 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m.
La Bazenne on Fifth
La Bazenne, a favorite venue on historic and hip 5th Avenue South, will create a rare presentation of American caviar and French champagnes.
17th & 21st Century Bach, 8:00 p.m.
Fifth Avenue Chamber Orchestra, William Noll, Music Director & Conductor, and Matt Herskowitz, Pianist
The Sugden Community Theatre
Ending the 21st season, Classic Chamber Concerts will partner with the StayInMay Festival. This concert ushers in the 5th Anniversary season of the festival! The program features the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, but in a very unique manner! The strings of the Fifth Avenue Chamber Orchestra will join with the clever genius of guest pianist Matt Herskowitz who will perform Bach’s Concerto in D minor written in 1728. It was a very famous composition actually written for harpsichord. However, it became rather popular for the piano, as Mendelssohn performed it, and Brahms even wrote a cadenza for it. Following intermission, we are going to feature a most special arrangement of 21st Century Bach a la Jazz! Mr. Herskowitz is famous world-wide for his styling of Bach’s famous C minor Prelude.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Evening Concert with IBERIABANK, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
IBERIABANK
Join us for a great evening at IBERIABANK. A unique musical journey spanning from the Denmark Fjords to the sultry winds of Argentina. Strings of Fifth Avenue Chamber Orchestra will perform charming works by Niels Gadde and Astor Piazzolla.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
International Tea Service & Afternoon Tea, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Brambles English Tea Room
Bramble’s English Tea Room is an oasis of tranquility in our busy world. Our experts will present an international tea service as practiced in five different countries. Then, enjoy afternoon tea in the finest English tradition with delicious home-made miniature specialties, aromatic tea and champagne. The international tea service will be presented in costumes, representing five different countries.
An Evening of Music and Art, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Up Art and Design Gallery
Join us for a cocktail party celebrating the 5th Annual StayInMay Festival with our friends at Up Art and Design Gallery. Brilliant art and entertainment await your arrival. Space is limited – get your tickets early.
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Film Series – Writer’s Cramp, 2:00 p.m.
Sheffield Theatre at Moorings Park
Directed by Darva Campbell (1 hour and 40 minutes)
Selected for our film series by actor and producer Judy Copeland, this is a wild romp that takes a look at human nature through the dreams, hopes and desires of a couple of labor slackers who have never drawn that thin line between fantasy and reality. Eventually, one of the pair becomes delightfully unhinged, liberating her colorful inner characters to do their worst. And that’s where the trouble begins… Between the butler, the kids, the detectives, the reporter, and the protagonists; it’s a race to exhume what may be evidence of heinous murder. Or something else entirely. 2015 winners of Best of Fest and Best Debut Film (Route 66 Film Festival), Best Original Screenplay (Manhattan Film Festival and Frozen Film Festival) and Best Feature Film (Fort Myers Beach Film Festival).
Ignacio Alperin Festival Art Exhibition Opening with the Naples Arts Association, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The Naples Art Association
Ignacio Alperin is an international artist based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The inspiration for his colorful and exuberant paintings comes from jazz greats like Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Charles Brown, Joe Pass and Kenny Clark as well as other legendary musicians including Frank Sinatra and Argentina’s Dino Saluzzi. Alperin’s love affair with jazz began in Australia where he was an avid follower of the jazz scene. The music’s complex rhythms and intertwining melodies inform his paintings and together, with improvisation, Alperin’s works are a fusion pushing the limits of color and shape within a marked abstraction. The result is dynamism and a never ending exploration of rhythm, beat and counterpoint. His paintings have been exhibited in New York, Miami, London, Melbourne, Zurich, Lisbon and Argentina. Alperin is the Professor of Creativity and Innovation at the Universidad Católica Argentina (The Argentine National Catholic University) in Buenos Aires and he conducts private workshops and seminars on creativity in Spanish and English. Ignacio Alperin: A Visual Jazz Affair (Exhibited in the Frederick O. Watson Gallery) is a Naples Art Association production held in conjunction with the StayInMay Festival 2016.
Friday, April 29, 2016
Peruvian Cooking Demonstration & Lunch, 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m.
Inca’s Kitchen –Pavilion Shopping Center
Inca’s Kitchen, located in North Naples in the Pavilion Shopping Center, offers the best in Peruvian cuisine. Chef Rottiers will demonstrate various Peruvian dishes, using authentic ingredients. Discover Peruvian wines or enjoy a Pisco sour, the Peruvian national cocktail.
Tchaikovsky Violin & Piano Concertos: Nadir Khashimov (Violin) & Philipp Kopachevsky (Piano), The Festival Orchestra, and Evgeny Bushkov & William Noll, Conductors, 8:00 p.m.
Moorings Presbyterian Church
2 Maestros. 2 Soloists. 2 Concertos. All – Tchaikovsky!
Experience the sonics of the Festival Orchestra for a presentation of two dynamic, Romantic concertos. This night of musical fireworks is sure to be a sell-out. Not to be missed!
Saturday, April 30, 2016
All Russian Violin & Piano: Nadir Khashimov, violin and Philipp Kopachevsky, piano, 2:00 p.m.
The Naples Art Association
Don’t miss this first pairing of this undeniable dynamic duo. They will be featured with performances of two brilliant sonatas. Prokofiev’s D Major Sonata and Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata are the exciting featured works.
Music from Belarus!, 7:00 p.m.
Belarusian State Chamber Orchestra
Evgeny Bushkov, Conductor
South Regional Branch, Collier County Public Library
A rare opportunity to experience the music of Belarus, including: Yaskou’s “Lullaby” for string orchestra (composed in 2010 as a tribute to Chopin’s 200th Birthday), Kurian’s exotic Concerto for Belarusian cymbalom and orchestra, Alkhimovich’s Concerto Grosso “Belarusian Journey” for orchestra, and Kurian’s vibrant “Steeplechase” for string orchestra..
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Vivaldi Four Seasons: Belarusian State Chamber Orchestra, Evgeny Bushkov, Conductor, and Nadir Khashimov, Violin, 2:00 p.m.
Trinity by the Cove Episcopal Church
Join us in this beautiful church for a special presentation of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. A wonderful opportunity to hear the superb chamber orchestra from Minsk, Belarus, their music director, and our own Nadir Khashimov as the guest soloist. Maestro Noll will narrate the poems that influenced Vivaldi to write this unforgettable program music.
A Trio of Short Films: The Walk – Greater Goode – Again, 7:00 p.m.
Sheffield Theatre at Moorings Park
An evening of three award-winning short films selected by actor and producer Judy Copeland. After the showings, Mitch Glass (the director of the third film “Again”) will discuss his work and lead a Q&A.
“The Walk”- Featuring Peter Riegert, directed by Aaron Wolf (20 minutes)
Soon after the death of his father, Danny, a young boy growing up in the late 1980’s Brooklyn, meets an older man, Alfred (Peter Riegert) outside a local synagogue. The two quickly strike up a friendship as Alfred imparts life lessons during their walks through the neighborhood. Over twenty years later, Danny will learn a whole new lesson he never saw coming. Winner, Best Actor, Wild Rose Independent Film Festival, 2015.
“Greater Goode” – Directed by Jordan Wall (13 minutes)
A cat and mouse game between a soldier and his superior officer, after the escaped POW discovers he was set up for capture. As tensions build, motivations are revealed, and neither man will leave the same way he entered. Winner of Best Drama in a Short Film, 2016 Hollywood Florida Film Festival.
“Again” – Directed by Mitch Glass (25 minutes)
Ben Crowe, a twenty-something busboy, discovers a business card belonging to a company that specializes in “Simulated Time-Placement” aptly named AGAIN. Ben undergoes the procedure multiple times, reliving various moments of a past relationship; things go awry when a side-effect buried in the fine print becomes apparent. Winner of Best Local Short at the Bonita Springs International Film Festival, 2016.
Monday, May 2, 2016
Philipp Kopachevsky Piano Recital, 2:00 p.m.
The Naples Art Association
Mr. Kopachevsky returns to Naples for a rare solo concert. His repertoire will be chosen from recitals that he has performed throughout the world in the past two seasons. Of course Chopin and Russian favorites will be a part of this virtuosic recital.
Nachito Herrera Latin Jazz Trio, 8:00 p.m.
North Naples United Methodist Church
Back by popular demand, Nachito Herrera and his brilliant trio will present another stunning array of virtuoso Latin jazz and familiar favorites. Caliente!
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Borodin’s Trio on Russian Folk Music & other Chamber Music Masterworks – Belarusian State Chamber Orchestra, 2:00p.m.
The Naples Art Association
A dynamic selection of Chamber Music to include Borodin’s Trio on Russian Folk
Music, Mozart’s famous Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, and Beethoven’s Prelude and
Fugue in E minor. All performed by members of the Belarusian State Chamber Orchestra.
An Evening with the Belarusian State Chamber Orchestra, 7:30 p.m.
The Bower Chapel at Moorings Park
Enjoy an evening of charming and magical compositions performed by our musicians from Minsk! Experience Britten’s Simple Symphony (one of the most tuneful British works ever!), and Kurian’s mystical Concerto for Belarusian cymbalom and orchestra. The program concludes with an array of stunning miniatures for orchestra.
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Four-Hand Piano Music – Schubert & Brahms: Philipp Kopachevsky & Milana Strezeva, Piano, 2:00p.m.
The Naples Art Association
Exhilarating Brahms four-hand duets and select Dvorak dances will be coupled with the epic Fantasy in F minor by Schubert and performed in an intimate setting for your enjoyment.
A Trio of Short Films: Sisters – Zizi and Honeyboy – Falling to Pieces, 7:00 PM
Sheffield Theatre at Moorings Park
An evening of three award-winning short films. Meet the producer and lead actress of the film “Sisters”.
“Sisters” – Meet producer and lead actress Judy Copeland, Directed by Mark Stolzenberg (13 minutes) Sisters is a quirky comedy about two feuding sisters, who, with a little help from a sleazy funeral director, come together as they fondly remember their recently deceased mother. After the reading of the will, they transform in the most unexpected way. Winner of Best Local Film, Ft. Myers Film Festival, 2015.
“Zizi and Honeyboy” – Featuring Doris Roberts, Directed by Brett Donowho (15 minutes)
After being blackballed, Gerald experiences an absolute fall from grace that takes him to a dark, confusing and unfamiliar place. The only person he has around him is an old, humble, sage-like woman, his aunt Zizi (Doris Roberts) – a woman who embodies some of the best of what her fading generation had to offer. As Gerald struggles to figure out his own uncertain future, Zizi’s undampened spirit continues to carry him through to the point where hope is illuminated. Gerald learns a few things about himself, the power of the human spirit, and comes to realize what is truly important in life. Based on a true story. Winner of Best Short Film, Manhattan Film Festival, Platinum Award, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Film and Best Cinematography, Cinerockom Filmfest, 2015
“Falling to Pieces” – Directed by Chris and Vivian Connolly (18 minutes)
Cassandra had no idea that her husband checked the organ donation box on his driver’s license. And after he died, she became determined to meet every one of the recipients. Each encounter proves more disastrous than the last; but if she can’t move on, she might just fall apart. Winner of Best Short Film – 2015 Fort Myers Beach Film Festival, Best Dramedy – 2015 Snake Alley Festival of Film, Best Story 2015 Long Island International Film Expo.
Thursday, May 5, 2016
The 4 Ballades of Chopin with Costa Rican Pianist, Daniela Navarro, 2:00 p.m.
The Naples Art Association
This young Costa Rican pianist, who has studied in Moscow for the past five years, is the winner of several major competitions. Maestro Noll was so impressed by her performance in Russia, he requested her to play all 4 Ballades by Chopin. This is a unique opportunity to experience these four iconic piano favorites.
An Evening with Mendelssohn Azalea String Quartet, 7:00 p.m.
JFCS of Southwest Florida
Come and hear the Azalea String Quartet perform the magnificent melodies of Mendelssohn’s exciting and energetic String Quartet in D major, Opus 44 #1 and other favorites.
Friday, May 6, 2016
An Afternoon with Lyric Soprano Nancy Peery Marriott, 2:00 p.m.
The Naples Art Association
Lyric Soprano Nancy Peery Marriott has delighted audiences throughout the world with her lyric sense and dramatic charm. She has sung at the Kennedy Center, as well as with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on National broadcasts. Join Nancy to experience a most enjoyable afternoon of the Lyric Soprano repertoire.
Big Band at the Naples Zoo: William Noll Jazz Orchestra, 5:30 p.m.
Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens
It’s Swing! Swing! Swing! night at the Naples Zoo! Join William Noll and his incomparable Big Band Orchestra as they recall the great melodies of Dorsey, Miller, Ellington and Gershwin. Before the performance there will be a champagne reception and a special visit by a select few of Naples Zoo’s animal residents and staff.
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Mother’s Day Eve Open House and Afternoon Chamber Music, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Historic Palm Cottage
The StayInMay Festival has selected Naples Historical Society as one of its coveted partners for its 2016 musical celebration! Enjoy Historic Palm Cottage and The Norris Gardens at Palm Cottage as you delight in Naples history and relax. Listen to Chamber Music performed by The Azalea String Quartet, who will perform energetic compositions by Vivaldi, Mozart and Bach. This event is Free to all members of the Naples Historical Society. If you are not a member, you can apply the admission charge on that day to a membership. Bring your neighbors and friends and enjoy our history and music combined in a wonderful afternoon
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Special Mother’s Day Concert with Young Artists, 2:00 p.m.
The Naples Art Association
This concert was a sold-out hit last season. Alexandra Carlson hosts an array of talented youngsters as soloists and in ensembles. Bring the entire family and enjoy this special tribute to mothers through the gift of music.
For information about the 2016 StayInMay Festival l or to purchase tickets, please visit www.StayinMay.com or call 888.613.8488.
