Event
Beethoven: I Shall Hear in Heaven
Naples Philharmonic Special Performance
Musicians of the Naples Philharmonic
Tama Matheson, author and actor
Suzy Kohane, actor
Tim Licata, actor
Acclaimed actor and playwright Tama Matheson returns, joined by fellow actors Suzy Kohane and Tim Licata and musicians of the Naples Philharmonic for an immersive theatrical experience exploring the life and career of Beethoven in the uniquely riveting music-play Beethoven: I Shall Hear in Heaven. From Beethoven’s troubled youth and his elevation as one of the world’s greatest music makers to defying deafness, the production paints an intimate portrait of the composer through dramatic storytelling and exciting live musical excerpts from many of the composer's most celebrated concertos, sonatas and symphonies.
Naples Philharmonic
Naples Philharmonic
Founded in 1982, the Naples Philharmonic normally performs over 140 orchestral and chamber concerts, as well as opera and ballet, education, community and special event concerts from September through June each year.
Meet the Musicians
Alexander Shelley
Artistic and Music Director Meet Alexander
Jack Everly
Principal Pops Conductor Meet Jack
James Ehnes
Artistic Partner Meet James
Manuel López-Gómez
Associate Conductor Meet Manuel
Alvin Ho
Assistant Conductor Meet Alvin
Tama Matheson
Tama Matheson
Tama Matheson is an award-winning writer, director and actor with over 20 years of experience in theater, film and opera. He has written, directed and performed in plays around the world and has a passion for creating innovative, multidisciplinary dramatic works. Over the past few years, Matheson has created a series of music plays that fuse theater and music into a fresh form. Playwriting credits include Don Juan – the Scandalous Life of Lord Byron, Johann Sebastian, Mahler and His 10th Symphony and several noteworthy adaptations. As a director, Matheson has worked in theater and opera companies worldwide, including Covent Garden, the Sydney Opera House and Madrid’s Teatro Real. He is the artistic director of the Brisbane Shakespeare Festival and a founding member of London’s Poesis: Words and Music. He has also collaborated with orchestras including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and London Mozart Players. As an actor, Matheson has worked with major theater companies in England and Australia. Matheson has won several awards for his work. This year, he makes his U.S. debut with A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Naples Philharmonic.
Suzy Kohane
Suzy Kohane
Suzy Kohane is a London-based actor and collaborative theater maker hailing from Ohio. She has been working with Tama Mattheson since 2021 on several iterations of I Shall Hear in Heaven and is thrilled to be a part of this form-defying production. She trained at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and the Guthrie Program at the University of Minnesota. Some of her theater credits include: Bright Stars Shone for Us (Opera Holland Park), Dinner with Ionesco (Riverside Studios), I Shall Hear in Heaven (Opera Holland Park), French Toast (Riverside Studios), Henry V (Changeling Theatre) and Present Laughter (Changeling Theatre). Her film and TV credits include Lockerbie (BBC) and The People We Hate at the Wedding (Amazon/FilmNation).
Tim Licata
Tim Licata
Tim Licata studied theater and English literature at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY. He trained in acting at the Piven Theatre Workshop in Chicago and with Philippe Gaulier and Monika Pagneux in Paris. He qualified as a teacher of the Feldenkrais Method of Awareness Through Movement with Movement Educators in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2003 and recently completed his Level 1 qualification in British Sign Language.
Licata is also co-artistic director of Plutôt la Vie theatre company, which he founded in 2003 with Ian Cameron. Plutôt la Vie creates and tours imaginative, visually driven theater throughout Scotland and the UK. With Plutôt la Vie, Licata has created and performed in By the Seat of Your Pants, A Clean Sweep, Flik Flak: The Story of an Angel & a Demon, Clandestine Clowning and directed First You’re Born, The Builders and Couldn’t Care Less.
