Symphony Notes
The First Notes on the Model D
In August, I travelled to New York City with our CEO and artistic administrator on an especially exciting mission: we were headed to the Steinway factory to choose a new concert grand piano for Jacoby Symphony Hall. While good pianos in our homes can last for generations, the sheer volume of use on concert instruments means they usually need to be replaced every twenty years, and our existing piano was at the end of its distinguished career. With a season full of Mozart piano concertos on the horizon, we needed to get something new quickly.
read moreDeck the (Symphony) Hall with Boughs of Holly!
As the weather starts to cool and the festive decorations come out, the joyous sounds of the holidays begin to waft through the air, much like the smell of chestnuts roasting on an open fire. The light of menorahs and string lights twinkle throughout our office buildings, homes, and windows. The scarves and sweaters are removed from the depths of our Floridian closets, and we eagerly look forward to traditions of baking cookies or singing carols. Yet, regardless of the holiday traditions or activities we attentively adhere to, there is one common theme that ties us all together: music.
read moreSymphony in 60
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!
read moreConnect, Experience, Soar
From the first note to the last, the Jacksonville Symphony’s 2021/22 season will take you on a soul-stirring adventure. Explore the many musical facets of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart through a series of stunning piano works.
read moreWhat Do Opera, Elton, and Star Wars have in common?
You can find them all in the 2021/22 Jacksonville Symphony season! After a season of triumphs and tribulations, the Jacksonville Symphony is planning a full return for the start of the 2021/22 season. If all goes as planned, September 2021 will mark the first time in well over a year that Jacoby Symphony Hall will be open without physical distancing.
read moreNow More Than Ever …
A phrase that has been used exhaustively for over a year. We’ve all seen it: letters, emails, maybe even a Zoom invite. Yet, even as we may laugh it off, “there’s that phrase again,” there is still a piece that settles in the mind as truth. Now more than ever …
read moreA Concert from the Comfort of Your Couch
It’s fair to say that this past year has brought about a fair bit of change. The performing arts are no exception to this and, perhaps, embody the necessity for change a little more than others. Gone were the days of sitting elbow to elbow with a fellow concertgoer, shaking hands with old friends in the lobby, or sharing a drink with a friend while waiting for the concert to start. Although, as we come into the spring season, concert hall doors are slowly starting to open once again, there are side effects of COVID-19 that may stick around.
read moreWhy Support the Arts Now?
The arts bring communities together, celebrate life, bring joy, and improve academic performance.
read moreA Musician’s Time in Quarantine
I’m used to being asked, “What did you do over summer break?” but being asked, “What have you been up to since the quarantine began?” is definitely a new question and, hopefully, not one that we’ll all get used to being asked in the future.
read moreKeeping the Symphony Safe
Wear a mask. Stay six feet apart. At the beginning of 2020, these are phrases that meant absolutely nothing to most of us. Gone are the days of hugs, handshakes, and walking whichever way you want down a grocery store aisle.
Gone also are the days of sitting elbow to elbow in a concert hall to hear the marvelous sounds of a symphony orchestra. Though the experience may look a little different, the one thing that hasn’t changed is the desire for live music. Surveys and anecdotal data have both shown that, even given the exponential increase in digital content, there is no replacement for a live performance. So, what will the Jacksonville Symphony do to safely bring music to Jacksonville?
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