Music and more

Summerfest and other celebrations abound.

South Florida’s longest-running music festival will soon return with guest artists from around the world starting Saturday, July 14. Symphony of the Americas will open its annual Summerfest series, this year titled “The Shape of Music,” at John Knox Village in Pompano Beach. The performances will feature classical and popular music for strings including pieces by Bach, Handel, Mozart and more.

The festival includes several tour dates set in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties through Sunday, Aug. 12. From July 23 through Aug. 1, the musicians will be doing outreach for students and residents in Panama.

The cultural exchange doesn’t stop there—guest artists from more than 10 countries will be performing alongside the symphony’s principal musicians and exploring Florida in their downtime.

Violinist Charlotte Orcel of the Orchestra Symphonique du Mont Blanc in France has recently performed in Romania, Austria and Ireland. At 22, she’s the youngest musician in the orchestra this year.

“This is my first time… in Florida,” she said. She aims “to improve my experience in music with people from different countries… to discover a new culture.”

Executive Director Renee LaBonte has planned several outings to get the musicians acquainted with Florida life, including a day at Disney World, a shopping excursion to the Sawgrass Mills and a trip to the Everglades to see the alligators.

“We come from all over so it’s strange when you see alligators how not everyone has the same reaction,” said composer Lorenzo Turchi-Floris, an Italian pianist who has been involved with Symphony of the Americas for a decade. “The musical way is the same: It’s true when you hear different people from different countries play the same musical phrase it sounds a little different.”

Turchi-Flores calls the Symphony of the Americas his second family and says he looks forward to having his commissioned piece “Evocazioni Nocturne” conducted by Maestro James Brooks-Bruzzese, the symphony’s artistic director. “It’s very good to work with him,” Turchi-Flores said. “He’s also very nice, and how do you say, sarcastic? He’s funny. He is a real leader.”

For a full schedule of tour dates, visit symphonyoftheamericas.org.

SUBMITTED PHOTO / COURTESY Italian pianist and composer Lorenzo Turchi-Flores is among the international guest artists performing during Summerfest.