Program Notes: Bach, Beethoven & Brahms Jacksonville Symphony 2022/23 Florida Blue Classical Series Johann Sebastian Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3 A titan of the German Baroque, Bach is considered by many to be among the greatest of all Classical composers. He spent his early career as organist or Kapellmeister in small German cities. He married twice and had 21 children. … Read More
Program Notes: Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1
Program Notes: Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 Jacksonville Symphony 2022/23 Florida Blue Classical Series Dmitri Shostakovich’s Festive Overture Shostakovich spent much of his career in reaction against the Soviet regime. A brilliant pianist, he began his career playing piano in silent movie houses. His 15 symphonies and 15 string quartets are 20th century landmarks. He was a classicist at heart, … Read More
The Jacksonville Symphony Furthers DEI Strides and Welcomes Visiting Sphinx Violist Carlos Lozano
The Jacksonville Symphony Furthers DEI Strides and Welcomes Visiting Sphinx Violist Carlos Lozano Through robust Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, the Jacksonville Symphony is making sure that symphonic music is accessible to all, both on and off the stage. Part of the Symphony’s DEI strategy is to diversify audiences who attend the Symphony’s concerts and to recruit and retain … Read More
Jacksonville Symphony Names Grant O’Brien as Music Director for JSYO
Jacksonville Symphony Names Grant O’Brien as Music Director for the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras The Jacksonville Symphony proudly announces that Grant O’Brien has been appointed as the newest Music Director for the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras (JSYO). O’Brien is a conductor, composer and producer of music and musical productions with many years of experience in the symphonic world. As a … Read More
Performance Review: Beethoven’s Ninth
Performance Review: Beethoven’s Ninth The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra’s Florida Blue Classical Series concluded in great fashion this weekend with “Beethoven’s Ninth: Ode To Joy,” a program featuring the seminal nineteenth century masterwork alongside a world premier by contemporary composer Tarik O’Regan. “Trances,” by Tarik O’Regan The evening kicked off with “Trances” by British-American composer Tarik O’Regan. O’Regan was present for … Read More
Program Notes: Beethoven’s Ninth
Trances Jacksonville Symphony Commission World Premiere | June 10, 2022; Jacksonville, Florida Tarik O’Regan (b. 1978) Closing the season is the first in a multi-year series of commissions from some of today’s most esteemed living composers: the world premiere of Trances by the British and American composer, Tarik O’Regan. “Trances is another fast-paced work for orchestra and will conclude a … Read More
The Jacksonville Symphony’s First Pride Night: Celebrating Love Through Music
The Jacksonville Symphony’s First Pride Night: Celebrating Love Through Music Written by Sara Albertelli, Engagement and Communications Manager Partnering With JASMYN On May 26, 2022, the Jacksonville Symphony will conclude its Symphony In 60 series for the 2021/22 season by hosting its first ever Pride Night. The Symphony will partner with JASMYN, an organization dedicated to promoting the empowerment of … Read More
Program Notes: Mozart’s Radiance
Dawn: Chacony for Orchestra at Any Distance (2020) Thomas Adès The son of an art historian and a poet, Thomas Adès is a native of London He studied at London’s Guildhall School of Music and King’s College Cambridge Adès achieved success early, having a retrospective of his music when he was only in his 30s His operas The Tempest, Powder … Read More
Performance Review: Mozart’s Groundbreaker
Performance Review: Mozart’s Groundbreaker The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra presented “Mozart’s Groundbreaker: Piano Concerto No. 25,” a generous program featuring two Austro-Germanic symphonic classics bookending a contemporary work. “Symphony No. 95,” by Franz Joseph Haydn The concert kicked off with Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 95 in C minor. Music Director Courtney Lewis launched into the work with confidence and poise, … Read More
New Associate Conductor: Kevin Fitzgerald
New Associate Conductor: Kevin Fitzgerald The Jacksonville Symphony Appoints Kevin Fitzgerald as Associate Conductor Jacksonville, FL: Following an international search, the Jacksonville Symphony is pleased to announce that Kevin Fitzgerald will serve as associate conductor beginning in the 2022/23 season. “Kevin comes to us with impeccable credentials and a wealth of experience,” said Courtney Lewis, Music Director of the Jacksonville Symphony. … Read More