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
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
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
The Jacksonville Symphony Casts Operatic Enchantment With ‘The Magic Flute’
Courtney Lewis, Music Director of the Jacksonville Symphony, Haskell Endowed Chair On April 28 and 30, the Jacksonville Symphony will present one of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s most beloved and famous operas, “The Magic Flute.” The two performances will be the culmination of several years of planning and preparation, and the Symphony’s largest production of the season. This is the story … Read More
Silence is Not Golden: Amplifying Student Voices in JSYO
Grant O’Brien, JSYO Music Director and Assistant Conductor, Winston Family Endowed Chair When I accepted the position to be Music Director of the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras (JSYO), I was determined to create rehearsal environments that differed from that which I had in high school band. This is not to say I had a negative experience. I have so much … Read More
The Jacksonville Symphony Rings in a Bright Holiday Season
Courtney Lewis, Music Director of the Jacksonville Symphony The holiday season is almost upon us, a time when we can enjoy being together with family and friends, eat and drink too much and reflect on the year that has passed. I’m looking forward to traveling to London and Belfast to be Uncle Courtney for a few weeks. It’s a time … Read More
Schumann’s heartbreaking Second one of Lewis’ favorites
When I’m asked the impossible question, “What’s your favorite symphony”, I usually refuse to answer, but inside my head a voice always cries out: Schumann’s Second! Robert Schumann (1810-1856) was the archetypal Romantic: he loved poetry as much as music, couldn’t decide whether to be a musician or a writer, married another artist (the great pianist Clara Wieck), struggled with … Read More
Arts Organizations Are A Good Community Investment
We are still in the midst of a global pandemic and the sheer magnitude of the lives affected by COVID-19 is hard to fathom. As we all know, great news has arrived with the approval of several vaccines and thus we know there is light at the end of the tunnel, provided that enough people receive both doses of the … Read More
Mozart, MacMillan pieces will challenge symphony
I know I speak for all the musicians and staff at the Jacksonville Symphony when I say we are delighted to be back onstage performing. I’m especially looking forward to our program on Nov. 13-14, which features works by Mozart and the Scottish composer James MacMillan. MacMillan is Scotland’s leading composer, having been in the public eye since the late … Read More
Symphony Building Strong Ties With Student Musicians
Deanna Tham of the Jacksonville Symphony shines a light on the symphony’s work with Communities in Schools to bring classical music to students who might never otherwise experience it. The on-stage performance of a symphony orchestra is just the tip of the iceberg. There is the rehearsal, stage, library and personnel that must come together. Beyond that, there are hours … Read More