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Welcome to the 2023/24 Season!

I’d like to welcome you to the Jacksonville Symphony’s 74th season. It’s a season that represents what the Jacksonville Symphony is all about: creating concert experiences that will enrich your life with inspirational performances of the very best music.

It’s a season full of the music you know and love, performed by an orchestra that reaches new heights of artistic excellence every year. I can’t wait to share the stage with many great guest instrumentalists and conductors from all over the world. As we continue to commission internationally renowned composers to write music especially for Jacksonville, I’m really looking forward to opening the season with a brand-new organ concerto by Lowell Liebermann, featuring our mighty Bryan Concert Organ.

Over the next few seasons, I’ll be introducing you to more music from my home, the British Isles. I know you’ll love our program of Edward Elgar, Ralph Vaughan Williams and William Walton, featuring our concertmaster, Adelya Nartadjieva, as soloist. We open the season with what is perhaps my favorite symphony of all, Robert Schumann’s Second, and we’ll also perform the Jacksonville Symphony’s premiere of Gustav Mahler’s Sixth.

I believe symphonic music has the power to transport us to another world and to inspire us in ways that few other art forms can. Whether we’re listening to a symphony, a Pops show or enjoying the stirring melodies of a film score, orchestral music can fill us with a sense of wonder and awe, reminding us of the limitless potential of the human spirit. This season has everything you need for those experiences. I can’t wait to share it with you!

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Courtney Lewis
Music Director, Haskell Endowed Chair

The Florida Blue Classical Series is lavish with thrilling concertos from Sergei Rachmaninoff, Johannes Brahms and Samuel Barber as well as blockbuster symphonies by Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann and Gustav Mahler. The series spotlights exceptional guest artists like organist Paul Jacobs; pianists Simone Dinnerstein, Joyce Yang and Conrad Tao; and conductors Jeannette Sorrell, Anna Rakitina and Jonathon Heyward.

Sponsored by

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Enjoy the 2023/24 Season from the Berg Choral Terrace!

Create an unforgettable experience with exclusive seating in the Berg Choral Terrace for most performances! Learn more below about how to experience the Symphony and see all of Jacoby Symphony Hall from a panoramic angle.

Purchasing for a group? Bring your group of 10 or more to receive a 20% Group Discount! Visit our Group Sales page, contact Group Sales at 904.807.1003 or email groupsales@jaxsymphony.org for more information.

*Accessible via the 2nd floor. No stairs required! (For the first and second rows, there are only two steps each.)

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Love, passion, devotion and drama are just a few emotions that describe one of the greatest operas ever composed and a fixture in opera houses worldwide: Georges Bizet’s Carmen. Step inside Jacoby Symphony Hall and be immersed in a journey that will capture your heart with its romantic, fiery story.

April 12 | 7:30 p.m.
April 14 | 3:00 p.m.
Courtney Lewis
Conductor
Gregory Keller
Stage Director

For all the other genres close to your heart, there is an exhilarating Paysafe Pops concert with the Symphony that brings them to life. Celebrate your favorite artists in electrifying tributes like The Music of Earth, Wind & Fire, The Music of John Williams, Women Rock! and other creative, collaborative programs that showcase Prince, Elvis, Queen, Paul McCartney and so many more for extraordinary moments ready to be remembered.  

Sponsored by

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E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

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September 22/23 | 7:00 p.m.

Kevin Fitzgerald Conductor

Director Steven Spielberg’s heartwarming masterpiece is one of the brightest stars in motion picture history. Filled with unparalleled magic and imagination, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial follows the moving story of a lost little alien who befriends a 10-year-old boy named Elliott. Experience all the mystery and fun of their unforgettable adventure in the beloved movie that captivated audiences around the world, complete with John Williams’ Academy Award®-winning score performed live by a full symphony orchestra in sync to the film projected on a huge HD screen!

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a trademark and copyright of Universal Studios. Licensed by Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Home Alone

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November 17/18 | 7:00 p.m.

Grant O'Brien Conductor
Jacksonville Symphony Chorus

A true holiday favorite, this beloved comedy classic features renowned composer John Williams’ charming and delightful score performed live to picture by the Jacksonville Symphony. Macaulay Culkin stars as Kevin McCallister, an 8-year-old boy who’s accidentally left behind when his family leaves for Christmas vacation, and who must defend his home against two bungling thieves. Hilarious and heart-warming, Home Alone is holiday fun for the entire family!

© 1990 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince™ in Concert

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March 15/16 | 7:00 p.m.

TBD Conductor

Introducing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince™ in Concert to the Harry Potter™ Film Concert Series. Audiences can relive the magic of Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts™ School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, set to the music of Nicholas Hooper performed by the Jacksonville Symphony. Watch Harry become a wiz at potions, win Felix Felicis and uncover the meaning of Horcruxes!

WIZARDING WORLD and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s23)

Sponsored by

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Concert Organ Series


Take a journey to the heart of Jacoby Symphony Hall and discover a truly historic monument: the Symphony's Bryan Concert Organ. Find yourself immersed in wonder with three riveting performances, each designed to highlight the organ's versatile musical power. Hear its melodies transform from intimate and colorful to grand and thunderous!

OCT 14 ∙ Greg Zelek in Recital ∙ Greg Zelek Organ
FEB 10 ∙ Brass, Organ & Percussion ∙ Joshua Stafford Organ, Kevin Fitzgerald Conductor
MAY 4 ∙ Organ Chamber Music ∙ Greg Zelek Organ, Grant O'Brien Conductor

Sponsored by JF Bryan
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Coffee Series


Mix and mingle with coffee and tea while enjoying the stirring music of our Coffee Series concerts, which feature a wide variety of performances from select classical and pops concert programs.

The Coffee Series performances are all on Fridays at 11:00 a.m.

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Symphony in 60 Series


This highly popular series is back with fun, must-see performances that are kicked off with a casual and lively cocktail hour in the lobby and introductions to the music by the conductor. Whether symphonic music is familiar or new to you, each concert shines with remarkable moments for all to experience—in just 60 marvelous minutes.

Symphony in 60 Series performances are on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.; Cocktail Hour at 5:30 p.m.
Cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks and light snacks available for purchase.
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OCT 26 ∙ Classical Mix Tape
JAN 18 ∙ A Journey from Bach to Beethoven
FEB 29 ∙ The Four Seasons
MAY 23 ∙ At the Ballet II

Symphony in 60 is made possible with support from

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Jazz Series


Savor your Sunday with the riveting rhythms of swing and other jazz tunes performed by sensational local and national talent. Experience the magnitude of jazz with an invigorating big band concert, an intimate trio performance and a finale spotlighting today’s most groundbreaking jazz stars. From exhilarating moments of improv to splashy riffs that sing from the stage, discover even more of what Jacksonville’s musical culture has to offer and explore an entirely new world of music inside Jacoby Symphony Hall.

NOV 19 ∙ Big Band Feature: East to West
JAN 21 ∙ Mid-Century Modern Combo
MAY 5 ∙ Terence Blanchard: Absence
Featuring the E-Collective and Turtle Island Quartet

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The Jazz Series is curated by the Jacksonville Symphony’s Principal Tuba and Jacksonville Jazz Collective Director, James Jenkins.

Be enchanted by magical holiday performances as the Symphony shines while performing your festive favorites! Celebrate the Jacksonville Symphony's First Coast Nutcracker, the long-cherished tradition of Holiday Pops and the uplifting joy of Handel's Messiah to create treasured memories your family will forever cherish.
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First Coast Nutcracker


Kevin Fitzgerald Conductor
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker

DEC 15/16/17

Presented by

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Handel's Messiah


Courtney Lewis Conductor
Jacksonville Symphony Chorus
George Frideric Handel Messiah

DEC 16/17
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Holiday Pops


Tim Hankewich Conductor
Ryan Silverman Vocalist
Jacksonville Symphony Chorus
Dancers from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts

DEC 7/8/9/10



*Holiday Pops performances are presented as part of the regular Paysafe Pops Series concert schedule.

Award-winning pianists Simone Dinnerstein, Joyce Yang and Conrad Tao join the Symphony for three programs featuring a lineup of breathtaking masterpieces played on the Jacksonville Symphony’s stunning Steinway concert grand piano. Spanning a colorful spectrum of classical repertoire, this series brings maestros and masters together for an unforgettable season of symphonic music.
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Simone Dinnerstein
Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 2
OCT 20/21
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Joyce Yang
Barber, Piano Concerto
DEC 1/2
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Conrad Tao

Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 4
JAN 5/6

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Jeannette Sorrell
Handel, Zadok the Priest
Handel, Selections from Royal Fireworks Music
Vivaldi, La folia (Madness)
arr. Jeannette Sorrell
Mozart, Overture from Don Giovanni
Mozart, Mass in C major, “Coronation Mass”

JAN 26/27
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Anna Rakitina
Rachmaninoff, Vocalise
Rachmaninoff, Symphony No. 2

FEB 16/17
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Jonathon Heyward
Hailstork, Epitaph for a Man Who Dreamed
Daugherty, American Gothic
Respighi, Fountains of Rome
Respighi, Pines of Rome

APRIL 26/27

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Commissioning the Brightest Composers


In this season’s remarkable lineup of historic masterpieces, new music makes history of its own with not one but two world premieres. First up is Lowell Liebermann’s Organ Concerto, a perfect match for GRAMMY® Award-winning Paul Jacobs, who brings his awe-inspiring genius to the colossal Bryan Concert Organ. Later in the season, Courtney Bryan returns for the world premiere of another Jacksonville Symphony commission, showcasing her virtuosity as “a composer of panoramic interests” (New York Times). Learn more about past, present and upcoming commissions on the Jacksonville Symphony Commissions Page.

2024 Symphony Gala

Join us for a gala fundraiser benefiting the Jacksonville Symphony.

Your Support Today Is More Important Than Ever

The Jacksonville Symphony is beyond grateful for the dedication and support of each and every member of the Jacksonville Symphony family. Your gifts support our musicians, guest artists, teachers, students and staff, helping them bring music and inspiration to audiences and schools each and every season. Thank you.

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