Punta Gorda Symphony offers Tchaikovsky Feb. 5, jazz Feb. 18

The Punta Gorda Symphony’s classical mainstage concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 5 featuring Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 1, along with renowned pieces by Richard Wagner, Anton Dvořák and Manuel de Falla.
The symphony’s Jazz on the Lawn series presents Lew Del Gatto & Friends at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18 at the Florida SouthWestern State College, Charlotte Campus.
The mainstage concert on Feb. 5 begins with Wagner’s Die Meistersinger, Act 1 Prelude, which is notable for its complex textures, rich harmonies, and orchestration. Dvořák’s Serenade in D Minor is the next piece on the program. The darkly rich sonorities echo Mozart’s lovely serenades written a century earlier, while creating a uniquely Czech-sounding work. Manuel de Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance, a movement of Falla’s ballet El Amor Brujo, is full of Spanish inflections and guitar-like textures, as well as a relentless and frenetic energy. Falla achieves a fusion of poetry, asceticism, and ardor that represents the spirit of Spain at its purest.
The evening concludes with one of Tchaikovsky’s personal favorites, his Symphony No. 1, also known as “Winter Daydreams.” This piece is characterized by charming melodies and vivid orchestration, and concludes with exhilarating orchestral fireworks.
The Feb. 5 concert will be held at Charlotte Performing Arts Center, 701 Carmalita St., Punta Gorda. Tickets range from $35 – $65 for adult and $15 for youth.
The Jazz on the Lawn concert on Feb. 18 features Lew Del Gatto & Friends, with Southwest Florida musician Lew Del Gatto on tenor sax, Frank Portolese on guitar, Brandon L. Robertson on bass, and Tony Vigilante on drums. The group will be performing songs from the Great American Songbook, along with Duke Ellington tunes such as “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “The Days of Wine and Roses” and “Body and Soul,” to name a few. More than 200 people attended Jazz on the Lawn in December, enjoying an afternoon of great jazz in the Florida sunshine.
The jazz event will be held at Florida SouthWestern State College, Charlotte Campus, Lawn (near Building O), 26300 Airport Road, Punta Gorda. Tickets range from $35 – $65 for adult and $15 for youth.
Tickets to Punta Gorda Symphony concerts are on sale and available online or by calling the Symphony office at 941-205-5996. For tickets and further information, visit www.PGSymphony.org/performances.