The past five months have been a time unlike any we have experienced before. The arts world has been rocked- not just here in Orlando, but across the globe. There are many challenges and opportunities ahead, but one thing is certain: we need live music in our lives, and the music will play on!
Our staff has worked tirelessly over the past 5 months to create innovative outlets to allow the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra to fulfill its mission to enrich and inspire the diverse communities of Central Florida through the transformative power of music.
We have launched virtual lessons, an entirely virtual concert series entitled Summer Serenades, and started a weekly broadcast with WMFE to air archival recordings. We hope you have been able to enjoy our music over your summer and welcomed our musicians, virtually, into your home. While launching these new musical offerings, we have also been in close communication with our venue partners and local authorities to safely plan our upcoming 2020–2021 Season. We know that when we return to the concert hall, in-person events will look very different.
We’ve learned that the timing of our move to Steinmetz Hall will be later than anticipated. Further, as recently announced by the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the Bob Carr Theater will remain closed for the foreseeable future and will not be available for our concerts. To keep the music playing safely, we will be relocating some of our Fall 2020 events to other venues.
We are excited about these new opportunities to safely experience live music! Here are all the details.
The first FAIRWINDS Classics Series concert will be performed on Saturday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Exploria Stadium in Downtown Orlando. Classics 2 and 3 will move to Calvary Orlando in Winter Park on Saturday, October 10 and Saturday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m. The Focus Series and Symphony Storytime Series performances will remain at The Plaza Live, as previously announced.
We are working with our venue partners to determine the best location for our Pops Series performances and will announce the venue for those performances at a later date.
Current 2020–2021 Philharmonic Subscribers will have first access to these events. Single tickets will be made available on an event-by-event basis, when possible.
Our first priority is the safety of our patrons, staff, and performers. The Philharmonic will follow the guidance of our state and local authorities, and patrons will be required to follow all county and state public health guidelines. These will include social distancing, the wearing of face coverings, and temperature checks.
Social distancing for patrons will mean changes to seating, compared to what you may have experienced in the past at the Bob Carr Theater. This will be a different experience for all of us, and we are grateful for your patience and understanding. Again, our top priority is the safe presentation of live music under truly unprecedented circumstances.
Due to the need to have social distancing on stage as well as in the audience, we have had to make modifications to the number of musicians we present on stage. Maestro Eric Jacobsen has worked hard to revise our 2020–2021 Classics Series programming so that we may enjoy great music with an appropriately distanced orchestra. We’re really excited about what Eric has done and know you will be as well.
Thank you for your continuing support of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. In this challenging and unusual time, your support means a great deal. We look forward to welcoming you back to the concert hall and hearing the music play on!