Program Notes: Conrad Tao Plays Prokofiev Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26: World Premiere: December 16, 1921; Chicago, Illinois (27 minutes) Though Sergei Prokofiev was from the Ukraine, his Third Piano Concerto has strong American connections. Prokofiev was the soloist in the first performance with the Chicago Symphony in 1921, under the direction of Frederick Stock. … Read More
Ticket to Ride: Beatles, Prokofiev close Jacksonville Symphony season
Tony Nickle, Vice President & Artistic Administrator The 2022/23 season at the Jacksonville Symphony has shown us the boundless possibilities of symphonic music by spanning a wide expanse of eras, genres and artistic icons. The Pops Series in particular has featured perhaps our most diverse concert experiences with programs ranging from Cirque de la Symphonie all the way to celebrations … Read More
Performance Review: Mozart, Brahms & Schumann
Performance Review: Mozart, Brahms & Schumann The Jacksonville Symphony’s Florida Blue Classical Series presented “Mozart, Brahms & Schumann” this weekend, a generous and approachable program of three Austro-Germanic masterpieces under the baton of Music Director Courtney Lewis. Overture, Scherzo & Finale, Op. 52 by Robert Schumann Kicking off the evening was Robert Schumann’s Overture, Scherzo & Finale. Essentially a symphony in … Read More
Jacksonville Symphony leader bound for Paris
Courtney Lewis, Music Director of the Jacksonville Symphony This weekend, I head to France to spend six weeks conducting a very exciting new ballet with music by the English composer, Thomas Adès, for the Opéra national de Paris at the famous Palais Garnier. Inspired by Dante Alighieri’s 14th century epic poem, “The Divine Comedy,” “The Dante Project” is a rarity … Read More
Program Notes: Mozart, Brahms & Schumann
Program Notes: Mozart, Brahms & Schumann Robert Schumann’s Overture, Scherzo & Finale, Op. 52: (World Premiere: June 12, 1841; Leipzig, Germany) (17 minutes) Literate and passionate, Robert Schumann was a quintessential composer of the Romantic Era. Schumann often had feverish, intense bouts of composition. His wife, Clara Schumann, was one of the 19th-century’s greatest pianists. Schumann was also one of … Read More
Program Notes: The Magic Flute
Program Notes: The Magic Flute Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute, K. 620 (World Premiere September 30, 1791; Vienna, Austria) (2 hours and 35 minutes) During the first scene of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute, a fearsome serpent pursues Prince Tamino. Amid stormy and ominous music, the handsome, young nobleman cries for help but is knocked unconscious. Within moments, three … Read More
Performance Review: Beethoven’s Fifth
Performance Review: Beethoven’s Fifth The Jacksonville Symphony’s Florida Blue Classical Series presented “Beethoven’s Fifth” this weekend, a program featuring three beloved orchestral favorites led by guest conductor Giordano Bellincampi. Silvery Rills by Sean Shepherd Leading off the program was Silvery Rills by contemporary American composer Sean Shepherd. A short and punchy piece intended to evoke the flowing waters of a … Read More
A Feast for Your Eyes and Ears: The Magic Flute
Courtney Lewis, Music Director of the Jacksonville Symphony In a few weeks the Jacksonville Symphony will present our largest production of the season, The Magic Flute, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s perennially popular opera. It’s my favorite Mozart opera, a fairy tale of good versus evil, enlightenment versus ignorance and the journey of finding your own way in the world. After the … Read More
Program Notes: Beethoven’s Fifth
Program Notes: Beethoven’s Fifth Jacksonville Symphony 2022/23 Florida Blue Classical Series Sean Shepherd’s Silvery Rills: (World Premiere: March 6, 2011; Reno, Nevada) (4 Minutes) What exactly is a rill? Sean Shepherd describes rills as ripples in river water. Silvery Rills is a musical postcard about Shepherd’s home state: Nevada. Listen for individual instrumental details that are both delicate and vivid, … Read More
What Makes Us Human: The Jacksonville Symphony Transforms Students’ Lives Through Music Education Programs
Author: Marianne Rice, Vice President of Music Education & DEI Initiatives Why is music education important? Some may think music education is a privilege. However, at its core, music is a universal language that creates the melodies of our lives, and music education is the necessary vehicle we use to transport students to other destinations and new levels of growth. … Read More