St. Armands Lutheran host Strings Con Brio to kickstart free concert series

St. Armands Key Lutheran Church invited residents to “be its guest” at the first concert of its free Midsummer Music on the Circle series featuring Strings Con Brio.

To kick off the concert series, Strings Con Brio presented its “Tale As Old As Time” program at 7 p.m. on Aug. 8. SAKLC’s Minister of Music and Director of Operations Michael Bodnyk hopes that this will provide an accessible opportunity for new and long-time residents to experience the rich arts culture of the area.

Strings Con Brio Conductor Kenneth Bowermeister led the crowd through a selection of familiar theatrical melodies such as “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Les Miserables,” “Phantom of the Opera” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Bodnyk sang select songs in the program and received multiple standing ovations. 

The program also featured two talented Ukrainian musician brothers. Yurii and Andrii Padkovskyi are from Lviv, Ukraine, and were relocated to the Czech Republic and then Florida due to the war in Ukraine. 

Yurii, 20, is a clarinetist who studied clarinet at the University of Ostrava in the Czech Republic. He participates in orchestras internationally, including the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, the Majovak Karvina Orchestra in the Czech Republic and Strings Con Brio in Sarasota. He has won multiple awards for his clarinet performances across the globe. In this program, Yurii played his clarinet on the song “Nella Fantasia.”

Andrii, 14, started learning violin when he was 6 years old. He is involved with orchestras in the area, including the Illyrian Symphony Orchestra, Strings Con Brio and the Sarasota Youth Orchestra. Andrii also competed in this year's Sarasota Orchestra Young Artists Competition, where he won first place in the junior strings division. Andrii was featured in the "Beauty and the Beast" medley. 

“It has been so great to play with the orchestra,” said Andrii. “It’s great music and I really love the people I get to play with.”

Strings Con Brio Executive Director Monica Sirocchi raved about having the brothers be a part of the nonprofit orchestra that she started in 2015. She said that their dedication to their instruments exemplifies the nonprofit's mission.

“Before I started Strings Con Brio, I was working in marketing for a local hospital,” said Sirocchi. “I found through my connections that there were others like me who had a background in music, but their schedules didn't allow them to play. They were looking for community outlets to surround themselves with like-minded people and bond through their love of music.”

With musicians from ages 10 to 90 years old, Sirocchi created a volunteer-based community of passionate musicians who want to give back to the area through their music. She said it was an honor to play at SAKLC and is excited to continue to work with them in the future.

SAKLC’s Midsummer Music on the Circle continues with three more concerts in August as a way to provide free exposure of the arts to residents.