In honor of Women's History Month, WLRN is collecting stories about inspiring women in South Florida. We appreciate your tweets, emails and texts about the amazing women in your communities.
Florence Morgenstern has always loved music — classical and soul, contemporary and folk.
Nearly 17 years ago, she had an idea: to create a concert series that would bring more of the music she loved to her South Florida community. In one performance, there could be four tenors; in another, a pop trio singing Broadway tunes.
"I'm proud of what we've accomplished," said Morgenstern, 83. "It takes a village."
She's the founder and creative director of the Spanish River Concert Series, formerly known as Community Performing Arts, in Boca Raton. The series runs from January to March, with each musical group or performer taking the stage multiple times before season's end. This year's sets included Vintage Reflections, Sarina Khang and Kol Esperanza. Next year's schedule is already set.
"She introduced us to something that we never had," said Barbara Rosenthal. She's a huge fan of the concert series and of Morgenstern. "It gave my husband and myself a place to go to see ... tremendous singers."
Once just an attendee, Rosenthal now volunteers with the concerts series too. She oversees ushers during the performances.
Rosenthal and seven other people nominated Morgenstern as a woman of inspiration in their community.
WLRN talked to Rosenthal about how Morgenstern has impacted her life and the lives of the people around her. The following has been edited for clarity.
WLRN: Can you tell us about a specific moment within the work that she's been doing that really stood out to you?
Rosenthal: It's the way she speaks to the audience and before [the performers] come. I've seen her speak to everybody. She knows just so many of the patrons because they've come for so many years. She just welcomes everybody, tells them how happy she is to see them. After the show, she'll come out, ask people 'how did you enjoy the show?' — very much one on one. I think that is such a wonderful thing that you don't get when you go to see a show elsewhere.
Who attends the concerts?
We live in Delray Beach but the people who come to the concerts not only come from Delray Beach, but the surrounding areas. Up until this year, the concerts were shown in Spanish River Church and King's Point (an adult community). So it gave the people at King's Point, many of whom are seniors who don't drive, [the ability] to use a bus service to go right off to the theater [where] they have access to entertainment. Most serniors are the ones who have the time and the bucks to do it.
There are full-timers [in King's Point] and there are snowbirds and that's the good thing about the series. It's January to March, so it really hits right when most of the people are here.
And they (the concert series) do try to do what the people want, [for example] some of the people ask for more classical. So Florence listened and she said, you know, let's put one more classical special event [on] and it was greatly received. They try to listen to the population and do what they want.
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