“It’s been 14 long months since the Southwest Florida Symphony last played Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall,” writes Charles Runnells in Wednesday’s (4/14) Fort Myers News-Press (FL). “The Fort Myers orchestra returns Saturday for the first of two shows…. ‘This is our life,’ violinist Dilyana Tsenov says.… ‘For us, this is very important—to keep playing for people and sharing our art.’ First up for the symphony: Saturday’s mash-up of Beethoven and rock band Coldplay, led by composer/conductor Steve Hackman. After that: Former music director Nir Kabaretti’s long-delayed farewell concert on May 1…. ‘It’s kind of like you’re a little kid and your parents tell you that they’re taking you to Disney World. And you just don’t want to believe it until you actually get there,’ Executive Director Amy Ginsburg says.… For safety, the symphony decided to forgo concerts with the full orchestra for most of its 2020-21 season…. The symphony’s donors have continued to be supportive [and] the orchestra got two loans from the federal Paycheck Protection Program…. Another help: The orchestra moved out of its old business office and into new, donated space inside the Sanibel Captiva Community Bank building.”
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