'STRINGS IN THE SPRING' CONCERT SERIES

CENTER ANNOUNCES NEW 'STRINGS IN THE SPRING' CONCERT SERIES

The Carrollwood Cultural Center and pianist Franz Mantini recently announced a new concert series titled Strings in the Spring in which Mantini will perform on the Center's Shigeru Kawai concert grand piano with an acclaimed guest musician.

The inaugural concert, scheduled for Sat. March 12 at 7 p.m. at the Center located at 4537 Lowell Road in Tampa, will feature violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti. Mantini and Moretti will perform Spring Sonata by Beethoven and a Dvorak Sonatine as well as an exciting blend of short, sonorous and virtuosic pieces by Gershwin, Tchaikovsky, Novacek, Massinet, and Kreisler.

"As a resident of Carrollwood, it was with great pleasure that I watched the community work so hard to bring the Center from an idea to reality," wrote Mantini.  "As an artist, it was with great anticipation that I wondered if the performance space would be conducive to the classic musical performance - a fact that has been confirmed many times over."

For the 2011 Strings in the Spring series, Mantini invited guest musicians with international credentials and strong ties to the Tampa area.  Moretti, with connections to The Florida Orchestra, will perform with Mantini in March and violist Che-Yen Chen will perform on Sun. April 17.

Invited to Carnegie Hall for her solo concerto debut in 1998, Moretti is recognized for her musical elegance and grace. She has made extensive solo and collaborative appearances in addition to orchestral performances as former Concertmaster of the Oregon Symphony and The Florida Orchestra. She performs on a Jean Baptise Vuillaume violin made in Paris in 1874.

Moretti has been Director of the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at the Mercer University Townsend School of Music since January 2007. Previously, she was Concertmaster of the Oregon Symphony in Portland and The Florida Orchestra in Tampa Bay. She currently coordinates the Robert McDuffie and Friends Labor Day Festival for Strings in Georgia and is Education Coordinator of the Rome Chamber Music Festival in Italy.

Tickets for Strings in the Spring featuring Mantini and Moretti are $20 for members, $25 for non-members and $20 for seniors (ages 65 and older) and students (ID required). Tickets may be purchased at the Center, online at CarrollwoodCenter.org, or by calling (813) 269-1310.