As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this season Artis—Naples highlights art’s power to unite with its theme, America 250: E Pluribus Unum—Out of Many, One. Sharon and Timothy Ubben Artistic and Music Director Alexander Shelley will lead six Naples Philharmonic Masterworks programs, starting with the world premiere of African Queens, January 8 and 9. He will also conduct an exploration of two bold and contrasting works Beethoven composed around 1804 on January 23 and 24. Shelley explains the performances offer “a compelling exploration of the artistic voices, traditions, and ideals that have shaped American culture.”
Naples Illustrated spoke with the accomplished conductor about his leadership role with the Naples Philharmonic, a long-standing cornerstone of Southwest Florida’s arts community. Read on for more.
NI: As you enter your second season, how are you feeling about your role?
Shelley: I am enjoying every moment of my time in Naples and every aspect of my work. I have one of the most rewarding and interesting jobs I can think of: rehearsing and performing with the marvelous musicians of the Naples Philharmonic as we continue to grow this wonderful orchestra; conceiving of themes and collaborating on programming with my brilliant colleagues across the organization as we strive to provide thought-provoking and enriching culture for our audiences; and finally, building an ever-deeper relationship with our fascinating and sophisticated community.
Before each performance, the audience is invited to join you for a half-hour discussion about the program. Are you finding these individuals eager to learn?
Absolutely! Because we present such a rich variety of cultural offerings at Artis—Naples, I am aware that at any given time we will have patrons in the room with knowledge and passion across various disciplines. I love drawing parallels between genres and exploring how the human experience is examined and articulated across a range of art forms. During the prelude conversations, I truly relish engaging with our informed and enthusiastic audiences.
This season’s programming highlights the unifying power of artistic expression. How can you contribute to this theme as a conductor, especially considering we are living in increasingly divisive times?
The essence of a conductor’s job is to bring people together—to create a sense of symbiosis and a common goal. Music does the same. Across borders, across language groups, across culture and time, it has the capacity to express the innermost feelings we all share and have shared since time immemorial—whether hope, or longing, fear, joy, love, rapture, desolation; the list goes on and on. This is the power and uniquely meaningful importance of sharing music. It affirms there is far more that binds us than separates us. Ultimately, this is why I am a musician and why it is such a rewarding responsibility and privilege.
Do you believe music will continue to help unite and inspire people?
As our world shifts and as computing and artificial intelligence potentially evolve to a place that far outstrips our own abilities, I believe humanities and the arts will play a far greater role in our lives than ever before. I believe we will be rewarded by refocusing our energies on the “why” of life—philosophical, metaphysical, profound questions about the nature of perception and the value of human empathy, interaction, and understanding. This is the realm of music and art.
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