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Local symphony to put on free concert in Cape for citizens

By Staff | Dec 18, 2008

The magic of the movies is coming to Cape Coral next year as the Gulf Coast Symphony will play a free concert at Cultural Park Theatre.
“Cape Movie Magic,” scheduled for Feb. 28, will mark the first time the Gulf Coast Symphony brings its free concert series to the Cape.
It will play themes from some of Hollywood’s biggest motion pictures, including “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones,” “Lord of the Rings,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Harry Potter.”
Co-organizer and Cape resident J.P. Terrasi got the idea of bringing music to the Cape after watching a free symphony concert in south Lee County.
“I’ve been to a few of their free concerts before,” Terrasi said. “I was talking with Andrew (Andrew Kurtz, symphony director) and asked him if they ever played in the Cape. He told me ‘No, I’ve never been invited.'”
Taking the reins, Terrasi quickly decided to not only put on a free show, but organize an entire day of events centered around music.
The day starts at 11 a.m. as the Gulf Coast Symphony gathers for a two-hour rehearsal. Then Cape high school jazz or pops bands will take the stage until 5 p.m., when the symphony comes back out for the main event.
Symphony director Andrew Kurtz is looking forward to bringing his group of musicians to the Cape.
He said the Cape makes up a serious portion of his musicians and core audience.
“We have a good percentage of our orchestra and our audience that lives in our Cape,” Kurtz said. “We’re a true community orchestra, not some hired guns from around the state. They live here and they work here.”
Kurtz credits Terrasi with the putting the event together, and he did not blink an eye when Kurtz told him the financial requirements of putting on a large, free concert.
“He said, ‘I can do it,’ and that’s what it takes,” Kurtz recalled of his initial conversations with Terrasi. “The arts take a merger of all the aspects of a community … it’s those partnerships that are the most successful and the most beneficial.”
Terrasi said the timing of the concert is perfect given the economy, though it was not planned as such.
He is already looking forward to next year’s concert, which has all but been decided upon.
“We’re already committed to next year,” Terrasi said.