'Jazz, classical, experimental': Swan City Piano Festival brings a variety of talent
For the fourth time, Lakeland will host some of the most accomplished pianists from Florida and around the United States.
The fourth season of the Swan City Piano Festival will take place from Friday through Sunday and is a free, multi-day celebration of pianists and piano repertoire, past and present. The festival invites aesthetically diverse pianists from around the country with “unique musical and curatorial voices, and commissions composers to write new works that cultivate a living repertoire,” according to the Swan City Piano Festival website.
In addition, the performing artists find time to connect with community members through educational programming and immersive performance events across Lakeland.
Scheduled for the 2024 Swan City Piano Festival are:
Robert Fleitz, 7 p.m., Friday at Harrison School for the Arts, 750 Hollingsworth Road. (His biography can be found at www.robertfleitz.com/bio.)
Martin Bejerano, 7 p.m., Saturday at the Polk Museum of Arts at Florida Southern College, 800 E. Palmetto St. (www.martinbejerano.com/new-page-1)
Byeol Kim, 3 p.m., Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church, 175 Lake Hollingsworth Drive. Her performance will be called “Reminisce” (www.byeolkim.com/bio-1)
Additionally, the 2024 commissioned composer is Natalia Rojcovscaia-Tumaha of Moldova, who is studying composition at FSU. She will have her piece played by Fleitz.
The Swan City Piano Festival was conceived by Fleitz and his father, Patrick Fleitz, to showcase the piano in one festival rather than at individual recitals held across Lakeland and Polk County.
From his office at Harrison School for the Arts where he is head of piano studies, Patrick Fleitz — who holds a master’s degree in piano performance from the University of South Florida, Tampa — said this year’s edition of the Swan City Piano Festival will feature storytelling at 9:30 and 10:15 a.m. Friday at Pressed LKLD coffee shop, 213 E. Bay St., led by Claire Fleitz, Patrick Fleitz’s daughter who has a master's degree in applied theatre.
Fleitz said there will also be an Interactive Children’s performance by John O’Leary, a Tampa jazz pianist, developed in collaboration with Claire Fleitz and held at 10:30 and 11:15 a.m. Saturday at the Florida Children’s Museum, 600 Bonnet Springs Blvd.
From 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Charles Hulin will lead a masterclass for aspiring pianists at the Harrison School for the Arts. Hulin is an associate professor of music at Southeastern University and parish pianist at Lakeland’s All Saints Episcopal Church.
Speaking from Avaloch Farm Music Institute in New Hampshire, where he's an artist in residency, Robert Fleitz said he has performed in the Swan City Piano Festival live once before, in 2022, traveling to Lakeland from his home in Helsinki, Finland.
For 2024, Robert Fleitz will play works from Latvia and Japan and the newly commissioned piece by Rojcovscaia-Tumaha. Other selections will include “Sarabande” by Edvard Grieg, “Sonata No. 2” by Kuldar Sink, “Varo’s Moon” by Alexia Riner and “Battle!” by Nobuo Uematsu.
“I chose this program because I wanted to bring to Lakeland a perspective on where I am living right now and a reflection of the current times we live in,” he said. “Our artists are really generous and no matter what relationship you have to piano music, there will definitely be something for you there – from jazz, to classical, to experimental and beyond.”
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Fleitz said he’s noticed an increase in attendance over the years to the piano performance event and credits some of that to followers of the Swan City Piano Festival on social media. He also credits the caliber of talent that performs at the festival and said when selecting who will play at the festival, Florida faculty pianists are sought.
Many of them come from college campuses in and around Polk County, such as the University of South Florida in Tampa, the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Stetson University in Deland and Southeastern University and Florida Southern College in Lakeland.
“We’ve always had high-quality performers, and we always try to give a diverse set of concerts,” he said. “We started to focus on Florida-based pianists. We found there are many, many great pianists not too far from Lakeland. It has been exciting with all the great performers we have discovered through the universities in the area. That has been a great resource.”
For information, see www.swancitypianofestival.com.
Nature and Architecture: Digital Dreamscapes
Free opening reception for photography exhibition by Craig Collins, 6 p.m., Lake Eva Art Gallery, 303 Ledwith Ave., Haines City. Exhibit runs through June 28. For information, see www.polkarts.org/event/nature-and-architecture-digital-dreamscapes-photography-by-craig-s-collins or call 863-421-5572.
A Nation’s Strength
The Plant City Community will present its summer patriotic concert “A Nation’s Strength” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 8. Held in the Limona Village Chapel UMC, 408 Limona Road, Brandon, the program showcases songs highlighting ideas and occupations that have contributed to the advancement, development and growth of the United States. $15. For information, see www.pccchorale.org; Facebook: plantcitycommunitychorale; or text 727-424-9661. Tickets may also be purchased at the Walden Lake Car Wash, Plant City, or at the door. Children 12 and younger are free.
A Tribute to the Rock Stars
Lakeland’s Union Hall, 1023 S. Florida Ave., hosts Brenda James and the Smokin’ 45's, who will play homage to some of rock’s greatest names, covering songs from artists such as Elvis Presley, The Eagles, Queen, The Proclaimers, Bryan Adams, Sam Smith and many others. Tickets start at $12. For information, see www.unionhallevents.com or call 863-288-0372.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Swan City Piano Festival brings wide range of talent to Lakeland
