The Jacksonville Symphony Celebrates Different American Voices with Gershwin, Simon and Copland By Matt Bickett The Jacksonville Symphony celebrated the close of its historic seventy-fifth season on June 6 and 7 with an all-American program under Music Director Courtney Lewis’s baton. Presenting programmatic works by George Gershwin and Carlos Simon along with Aaron Copland’s third symphony, the Symphony’s celebration reassured as it … Read More
The Jacksonville Symphony Takes on Mozart’s Classics with Nartadjieva and Kuo By Matt Bickett “Classical music” has always held a handful of meanings. Your middle school chorus teacher was likely quick to remind you that it’s not just a genre on Spotify. “Classical refers to the period in music history after the Baroque and before the Romantic,” she might say, distinguishing … Read More
Gershwin & Copland Program Notes Program Notes by Laurie Shulman © 2024. Reproduction of all or part of these notes without explicit written permission from the Jacksonville Symphony is strictly prohibited. George Gershwin’s An American in Paris World Premiere December 13, 1928; New York, New York 16 Minutes George Gershwin’s father immigrated from Russian in 1890, changing his … Read More
The Jacksonville Symphony Celebrates Spring in a Program of Debussy, Tao, and Stravinsky By Matt Bickett In the warm sun of spring, ice falls from the wintery trees, crashing down as the once-frozen ground cracks opens. Nature announces the arrival of this season’s listless heat with violent sounds—at least in colder climates, as Courtney Lewis, Music Director of the Jacksonville … Read More
Conrad Tao & Rite of Spring Program Notes Program Notes by Laurie Shulman © 2024. Reproduction of all or part of these notes without explicit written permission from the Jacksonville Symphony is strictly prohibited. Claude Debussy’s Nocturnes World Premiere October 27, 1901; Paris, France 25 Minutes Nocturnes was one of Debussy’s earliest orchestral compositions to secure a niche … Read More
Jacksonville Symphony Reveres Classical Music’s Greats in Performances of Barber, Sibelius and Beethoven In reverent performances, the Jacksonville Symphony admired the careers of some of classical music’s greats Friday and Saturday nights. The characterful and dynamic program saw the Symphony and conductor Courtney Lewis welcome special guest pianist Barry Douglas for a sturdy rendition of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto … Read More
The Jacksonville Symphony Danced the Night Away with Beethoven and Rachmaninoff Look inside any beehive and you’ll find bees dancing for one another. Wiggling and waggling, bees dance to share the location of nearby pollen in relation to the sun and the hive. In much the same way, Theseus, an ancient Greek hero, danced the Crane Dance to show young Athenians how … Read More
The Jacksonville Symphony presented an enjoyable and heady program in two concerts over Friday and Saturday nights. The Marcus Roberts Trio joined the orchestra, bringing an electric presence to the stage, while renowned conductor Robert Spano gathered the ensembles together with grace and intensity. The combined musical results conveyed an especially urgent message of collaboration. Through this weekend’s performance of … Read More
In honor of Black History Month, the Jacksonville Symphony highlights the remarkable contributions of African American composers and artists, alongside our diverse programming and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) efforts throughout the 2024/25 Season. Follow us on Instagram for weekly updates on how we are celebrating Black History Month and showcasing these important initiatives. Groundbreaking musical visionaries: African American composers … Read More
“Remember me, remember us. Life is good. Celebrate it for those who perished, for those who survived—for all people.” This poignant message resonates through the Violins of Hope, a collection of instruments that survived the Holocaust. Once played by Jewish musicians before and during World War II, these violins, violas and cellos embody stories of resilience and humanity. Lovingly restored … Read More
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