alexander shelley naples philharmonic artis naples
Photography by Christina Bankson

How Alexander Shelley is Transforming Southwest Florida's Classical Music Scene

The conductor's first full season marks a watershed moment for Artis—Naples, combining technical brilliance with audience engagement.

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 BEST STAGE PRESENCE 

When Alexander Shelley answers the phone to discuss his first full season as the artistic and music director for Artis—Naples, there’s a symphony close by—one of buzzing insects and sloshing water. The British-born conductor is deep in the Everglades with his family, exploring his new musical home. For conductors like Alexander—who rotate between multiple posts around the world—home can be a fluid concept. But in Naples, Alexander has begun to lay down roots.

His adventures continue throughout Naples’ varied pocket communities: Morning runs are punctuated with neighborly conversation; post-concert receptions and community events nurture new relationships. Under Alexander’s baton, even the podium at Artis—Naples has become a platform for connection. That’s his mission: to connect with the spirit of Southwest Florida and deepen its residents’ connections with the music.

I first saw the conductor perform in 2023 during his auditions with Naples Philharmonic, where he performed an hour-long piece by Wagner without a score. While his musical acumen continues to impress, his mastery of audience engagement sets Alexander apart. He’s broken the monolithic image of the silent conductor, addressing audiences directly with commentary and personal insights into the music. “I try to keep it brief, but it can offer [an environment] for people to contextualize or make heads or tails out of some of these pieces,” he says. “If I can frame the ‘why’ of a composer’s choice, then the audience is forewarned and forearmed.”

Two years of regional immersion, beginning with a stint as Artis—Naples’ artistic and music director designate in 2023, have led Alexander to know and trust his audience. “There’s a great variety of people who come to the concerts. They’ve come to this place because it’s got a quality which is very rare,” the conductor says. “They ask questions—they are thoughtful, inquisitive and interesting things.” 

 “He’s broken the monolithic image of the silent conductor,” says local arts authority Harriet Howard Heithaus.

Alexander meets the call. This year,  he shepherded Naples Philharmonic through a technically and thematically challenging season—a bold statement of purpose from the affable conductor. His aim is to renew the revolutionary character of work from titans like Beethoven and champion emerging composers to draw audiences into the evolving legacy of music.

Alexander’s season opus was delivered in March, with Ode to Joy—a stunning amalgamation of the conductor’s intrepid approach to challenging material and steadfast search for community bonds. Before plunging into the depths of Beethoven’s emotionally gripping score, Alexander led the philharmonic through contemporary British-American composer Anna Clyne’s Color Field. It was a sort of homecoming for the suite, inspired by Naples philanthropist and entrepreneur Melanie Sabelhaus, who served in the George W. Bush administration and as vice chair for philanthropy at the American Red Cross.

Then, with no sheet music to guide him, Alexander introduced the pièce de résistance: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. With its behemoth scale, dynamic score, and demanding vocal requirements, it would be a daunting enterprise in anyone’s first season, but Alexander viewed the performance as a chance to pull in talents outside his institutional sphere. The Naples Philharmonic Chorus partnered with Moorings Presbyterian Chancel Choir and additional instrumentalists to reinforce the philharmonic’s presence. All told, some 200 musicians and vocalists commanded the Artis—Naples stage. 

As he searches for ways to exalt and connect with regional culture, Alexander doesn’t shy away from sharing a piece of himself through his work. In February, he brought Songs for Murdered Sisters, a gripping new Jake Heggie composition about loved ones lost to domestic violence, to Naples audiences for the first time. Alexander led the work’s world premiere in 2023 while working as music director for Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra (a position he still holds), which co-commissioned the piece in memory of Canadian baritone Joshua Hopkins’ late sister. To add depth and audience understanding, Alexander invited Booker Prize-winning novelist Margaret Atwood—who wrote the score’s thought-provoking lyrics—to host an evening of discussion and Q&A in Hayes Hall several weeks before the performances.

These human links between art and audience set the tone for each performance under Alexander’s direction. Each masterpiece becomes a masterclass, immersing audiences in a sanctuary of sound and meaning that sets a new standard for classical music in Southwest Florida.