By Courtney Lewis, Music Director
Symphony in 60 is one of my favorite Jacksonville Symphony concert series. It’s a simple idea: Happy hour at 5:30, an hour-long concert at 6:30, and then an opportunity to meet the musicians and conductor over a drink. This season we’re expanding the series from three concerts to five!
It’s exciting to see the many recent developments in our downtown, especially as plans emerge for the symphony’s next-door neighbor, the former site of the Jacksonville Landing. We wanted to find a way to keep people downtown after work. With Symphony in 60, you can meet friends, replace the stress of traffic with an hour of inspiring music, and still make it home in time for dinner.
These concerts are deliberately much more relaxed than our other classical programs. We begin with an introduction to the music. I’ll give you a little history, introduce you to the composer, and give you a quick tour of the piece’s highlights, all with musical examples played with the symphony. You can also watch the musicians up close through live projections on a huge screen behind the stage. If you’ve ever thought about coming to the symphony but were nervous about what to wear and what to do, Symphony in 60 is for you. You can’t go wrong, and it only lasts an hour. It’s a really great way to introduce yourself to classical music.
This year I will share the Symphony in 60 series with Associate Conductor Gonzalo Farias and our new Assistant Conductor Daniel Wiley. Join me for Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony on October 28 and Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet on May 26. Gonzalo takes a journey through Beethoven’s works on November 18 and conducts an introduction to the French Impressionists on March 10. Daniel will introduce you to Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite on February 10. This is all fantastic music you’ll really enjoy.
Why not do something different with your Thursday night, and join us for Symphony in 60? The whole Jacksonville Symphony is waiting to meet you!
