ORLANDO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA SHARES UPCOMING EXECUTIVE DEPARTURE
June 23, 2023
Executive Director Paul Helfrich to step down in September The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra announces that Paul Helfrich has resigned from his position as Executive Director of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, effective September 15, 2023. Helfrich joined the Philharmonic in February 2020 after serving as executive director of orchestras in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio with
Paul’s Perspective: The Financial Reality of Orchestras
June 2, 2023
Here at the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, we are very grateful to all our ticket purchasers for their support of the orchestra. We’re especially thankful for season subscribers, who have committed in advance to an entire series of concerts. Last month, I described a planning process for each season starting 18 months in advance. No one could work that
Paul’s Perspective: Planning an Orchestra Season
May 5, 2023
Last month I spoke about the newly-announced 2023-2024 Season and all the exciting highlights, from Pictures at an Exhibition to Batman. Most people don’t realize, when you get that shiny new brochure in the mail, it’s the culmination of over a year of planning. Here’s how the process works. I’ll use the planning of the next OPO Season after the newly announced one
Orlando Philharmonic Celebrates Music in Our Schools Month
March 29, 2023
Every month is Music in Our Schools Month for music educators, but the month of March is when the National Association for Music Education, or NAfME, chooses to recognize it. NAfME was founded in 1907 as the Music Supervisor’s National Conference. After a few name changes, the conference association settled on National Association for Music
Orlando Philharmonic Receives First National Endowment for the Arts Grant
March 14, 2023
The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra is excited to announce that, for the first time in our history, we have received a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant! Grants are an important part of funding arts programs in the United States, so we are happy to answer your questions about what this grant means for the
Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to The Beatles with your Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra
March 6, 2023
Enjoy a nostalgic connection to The Beatles rock concert style in the beautiful outdoors of The Springs Community. Classical Mystery Tour includes four musicians who look and sound just like The Beatles, but this time, they’re performing live in concert with a symphony orchestra. Classical Mystery Tour presents A Tribute to The Beatles with your
Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra Celebrates Black History Month with Anthony McGill
February 17, 2023
February is Black History Month and during this month your Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra is highlighting black excellence in orchestral music. Black voices have historically been left out of or excluded from Western Classical Tradition and we hope to shine a light on their impact during this year’s Resonate Festival. In September 2014, Anthony McGill became
Young People’s Concerts Positively Impacts Thousands of Students
December 21, 2022
As the Orlando Philharmonic celebrates it’s 30th Anniversary Season, it also put on the 30th Anniversary of it’s Young People’s Concerts with over 40 performances for audiences of more than 65,000 students from four counties (Orange, Seminole, Osceola, and Volusia). All 5th graders from all four counties, along with 3rd and 4th graders from Orange
The different portals of James Lee III’s Beyond Sensorial Portals is actually about your concert experience
November 8, 2022
Let’s go back in time a moment – do you remember the first concert you attended? What kind of sights, sounds, and feelings did you experience? If you could, would you experience that first-time experience again like the delight of reading your favorite book for the first time all over again? This is the premise
Acclaimed Puerto Rican Musicians Celebrate Puerto Rican Spirit, Soul & Cultural Pride
October 10, 2022
Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra Kicks Off 2022-2023 Focus Series with Puerto Rican Heritage Celebration Concert featuring Latin Grammy Award-Winning Flautist Nestor Torres, and Renowned Conductor and Violinist Guillermo Figueroa In a joyous celebration of Puerto Rican music, culture, pride, heritage, and community strength, acclaimed flautist Nestor Torres will take the stage on October 24, 2022 for
Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra Welcomes Chelsea Gallo as Principal Guest Conductor for 2022-23 Season
September 1, 2022
Chelsea Gallo, principal guest conductor The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra (OPO) is pleased to announce Chelsea Gallo will serve as Principal Guest Conductor for the 2022-2023 Season. Gallo will conduct the orchestra for the March 25, 2023 “Spies, Lies, and Treble Clefs” on the Pops Series, the annual outdoor performance at The Springs, scheduled for April
Orlando Philharmonic awarded $25,000 for Music Mentors program
August 25, 2022
By Katie Cassidy, assistant director of philanthropy Some exciting news – A. Friends’ Foundation has awarded the Orlando Philharmonic $25,000 next season for our Music Mentors program, which includes virtual music lessons. Executive Director Amy Hubbard asked how they could have the greatest impact on our programming and how they could help expand the virtual
August Letter from the Executive Director
August 5, 2022
I hope everyone is enjoying the summer and keeping cool! Our wonderful concertmaster, Rimma Bergeron-Langlois, is back from a month performing as part of the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra in Switzerland, and she is reuniting with her Orlando colleagues for two great Summer Serenades Series concerts this month on August 7 & 21. Her programs
Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra to perform at the Ukraine Ballet Benefit
August 4, 2022
GINSBURG FAMILY FOUNDATION JOINS SPONSORS FOR UKRAINE BALLET BENEFIT All proceeds for the first of its kind performance will directly benefit Ukraine Media Contact: Dana Loncar dana@onmessage.com 407-808-3441 (c) ORLANDO, FLA.- [June 9, 2022] – Today, the Ginsburg Family Foundation joined the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in announcing a first of its
Former OPO Summer Camp Student to Play at Carnegie Hall and Tour Europe
July 26, 2022
Ian Woodrich, a former OPO Summer Camp and private lesson viola student with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra (OPO), will perform with the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA) from July 29 – August 10, 2022. This free program offered by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute aims to bring together the best
The OPO Beat #5: Contemporary LGBTQ+ Composers That Have Shaped Modern Music
June 14, 2022
Classical music fans may consider Georg Friedrich Handel, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein to be household names. But did you know they are part of the LGBTQ+ community? There are countless other composers who have shaped the music industry, with many still making waves today. Take a look at these contemporary LGBTQ+
ORLANDO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA’S 2022-2023 SEASON ANNOUNCED
March 31, 2022
30th Anniversary Season to be First Full Season in Steinmetz Hall The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra (OPO) announces its 2022-2023 30th Anniversary Season today, including six concerts on the Classics Series and five concerts on the Pops Series, all to be held in the newly completed and acoustically perfect Steinmetz Hall. For the first time
The OPO Beat #4: Celebrating Black History Month
February 2, 2022
These 5 Composers Blended Classical Traditions with African-American Traditions The Western Classical Tradition has gone through changes and shifts throughout its history, but it frequently left out the voices of people of color, specifically African-Americans. These composers (and many, many more) challenged the prevailing norms of exclusion and brought their own voices to the concert
The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra to present four programs in Steinmetz Hall
January 24, 2022
Spring 2022 Performances in March and May The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra is excited to present four performances as part of their 2021-2022 series in the brand-new Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in March and May. The first of these performances in the long-awaited space will be Gil Shaham Plays
THE ORLANDO PHILHARMONIC PRESENTS THE RESONATE FESTIVAL
January 19, 2022
Three days full of classical music featuring Artist-in-Residence Stewart Goodyear The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra is excited to present its all-new Resonate Festival at The Plaza Live for three nights on Thursday, February 3, Saturday, February 5, and Monday, February 7, with performances at 7 and 9 p.m. each evening. Music Director Eric Jacobsen, along with