FGCU’s Bower School of Music and the Arts is well into its 2022/23 extensive program of special events featuring plays, jazz, orchestral and choral performances, and other musical events, but with much more to come! There is so much to experience during the 2022-2023 artistic season. Check out the program at  https://www.fgcu.edu/concerts/

As a regular visitor to many of the events held at the state-of-the-art U. Tobe Recital Hall, there have been many world-class performances from visiting musicians as well as the students themselves. For example

• In the Nisita Concert Series
  • James Houlik (saxophone) is a critically acclaimed world leader among saxophonists
  • Liza Stepanova (piano) has played at Carnegie Hall and many other prestigious events. She has won many awards, not least in 2020 Musical America Worldwide’s “New Artist of the Month.”
• The Piano Recitals from the school’s senior students have been so impressive. Jair Zacarias took on the highly complex pieces from Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, and Liszt, while Michelle Wijaya impressed with her sensitive playing of Bach, Beethoven, and Chopin.

The impact on the students is immense, given that Bower Schools Dr. Michael Baron, Distinguished Professor, who is not only recognized by many as one of the world’s leading piano teachers, but is also an internationally renowned award-winning pianist himself! Moreover, Priscila Navarro, a past student of the Bower School and now one of the world’s top pianists, has been spending time providing additional guidance to students at the University.

Michelle Wijaya, Jair Zacarias, Arturo Fernandez and Cesar Perez were selected to play at the Naples Bower Chapel on March 12^th. All four have won several important competitions and have performed in many parts of the world to critical acclaim. Jair Zacarias and Arturo Fernandez have also been chosen as one of five two-piano teams nationwide to compete in the Stecher and Horowitz Two Piano finals. They will compete at the Music Teachers National Association national convention in March in Reno, Nevada. Senior Music’s Natalia Mondragon and Miguel Montalvan were recently featured on the Facebook page of the Music Conservatory in Trujillo, Peru, where some of the Bower School of Music students had their early training.

But there are many others across all areas of the Bower School’s focus such as the Orchestra, Choral, Jazz, Theater and Ensembles that have also attained state, national or international recognition.     

Read more about other accomplishments at the school https://www.fgcu.edu/cas/bsma/files/First-Friday-News-Febraury-23.pdf