Designed to link the artistic and cultural traditions of the world with those of Florida, Summerfest, presented by the Symphony of the Americas and Musicfor International, is the longest-running music festival event to take place in Florida, and is one of the top cultural projects to be funded by the State of Florida’s Division of Cultural Affairs International Cultural Exchange Grant Programs. As a true cultural exchange, it involves both European and American musicians in joint performance.

This year, the Florida Summerfest hosts internationally acclaimed musicians, foreign artistes joined by selected Symphony of the Americas musicians for concerts in Florida and the Americas under Maestros James Brooks-Bruzzese and Lorenzo Turchi-Floris baton.

This year we will have the extraordinary presence of trumpet player Claudio Osorio, already known by the American public for his numerous performances within the Symphony of the Americas. Special guest will be the Italian Angelo di Veroli, an extraordinary percussionist who will perform the world premiere of the piece Rondò Latino at the marimba, written on commission by the Festival by Maestro Lorenzo Turchi-Floris. Finally, the already well-known violinist Glenn Basham will interpret two pieces from A. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons: Summer and Winter. Orlando Forte, the Concertmaster, accompanied by Glenn, will propose jazz pieces expressly arranged for the occasion by Maestro Forte.

The QuartettOrfeo from Rome (Italy), as a permanent member of the Musicfor Italia Onlus, will participate in the Festival offering a series of two concerts in Florida: Norton Museum of Art (West Palm Beach), St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church (Boca Raton). The program presented includes film music adapted and arranged for string quartet and the participation of the organist Timothy Brumfield who will present a new piece of his at the Boca Raton concert.

As part of the U.S. and Florida outreach, the ensemble travels to Panama for public and educational performances as well as master classes. These activities are often presented together with local organizations such as Empressarios Juveniles, International Sister Cities, and Rotary Clubs International. U.S. Embassies have joined this partnership in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Haiti, Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil. Educational events reaching over 8,000 students expose and introduce the masterful sounds of American, European and Latin composers through Summerfest. Many have never before experienced the exhilaration of the music of great composers in live performances.