SoundWaves with The Florida Orchestra

The Florida Orchestra

For more than 55 years, The Florida Orchestra has been a driving force for cultural arts in the Tampa Bay region. Every work of music, every musician, every composer has a story to tell. SoundWaves with The Florida Orchestra gives those stories a voice, so you can experience a deep, personal connection to the music during a concert or anytime. The non-profit Florida Orchestra is the largest orchestra in the state and the only arts organization that bridges Tampa Bay. TFO exists to INSPIRE – UNITE – EDUCATE as we build community through the power of music onstage and in our schools and community. With 71 full-time professional musicians and conductors, TFO performs more than 100 concerts a season, including a wide range of classical, popular, film, rock and family-friendly music. Performances are at three major performing arts venues: Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, Straz Center in Tampa and Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. For tickets and information: FloridaOrchestra.org

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Program Notes: Saint-Saens’ Organ Symphony

Program Notes: Saint-Saens’ Organ Symphony

We’re taking a tour of France in the spring. Magnifique! Saint-Saens’ Organ Symphony – used so effectively in the 1995 movie Babe – is a lush masterpiece that builds and builds until … wait for it … the organ is let loose in the finale. Fauré’s Requiem creates a place of peace and serenity with rich, soulful melodies, featuring The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay. The vibrant energy of Lili Boulanger’s Of a Spring Morning begins the concert.These program notes include music excerpts.Masterworks 11 of the 23/24 SeasonPerformances April 26-28, 2024

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Program Notes: Saint-Saens’ Organ Symphony

Program Notes: Saint-Saens’ Organ Symphony

We’re taking a tour of France in the spring. Magnifique! Saint-Saens’ Organ Symphony – used so effectively in the 1995 movie Babe – is a lush masterpiece that builds and builds until … wait for it … the organ is let loose in the finale. Fauré’s Requiem creates a place of peace and serenity with rich, soulful melodies, featuring The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay. The vibrant energy of Lili Boulanger’s Of a Spring Morning begins the concert.These program notes include music excerpts.Masterworks 11 of the 23/24 SeasonPerformances April 26-28, 2024

Program Notes: Dvorak’s New World Symphony

Program Notes: Dvorak’s New World Symphony

Antonin Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony is as big a deal today as it was in 1893, when it premiered with huge fanfare at Carnegie Hall in New York. The Ninth was special. Major composer. Written in America. Inspired by African-American spirituals. No wonder it prompted one of the most elaborate music reviews in the history of newspapers, a 3,000-word essay. In Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola, the sublime middle movement is dipped in grief, but all sadness vanishes in the presto finale. The concert begins with Berlioz’s Roman Carnival Overture – full-throttled music, virtuosic and splashy – from a colorful composer who would make a delightful dinner party guest. These program notes include music excerpts.Masterworks 10 of the 23/24 SeasonPerformances April 12-14, 2024

Program Notes: Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony

Program Notes: Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony

This is the symphony that changed all symphonies, Beethoven’s monumental Third. No one had heard anything like it before. The work was originally called “Bonaparte” after Napoleon, but a disgruntled Beethoven hastily changed the title to “Eroica,” meaning heroic. Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 breaks free from oppression after the death of Stalin. The program starts with the evocative Chairman Dances: Foxtrot for Orchestra, composed by John Adams, one of the most performed American composers. A common thread links the three works on the program, each in some way stimulated by the politics of its time.These program notes include music excerpts.Masterworks 9 of the 23/24 SeasonApril 5-7, 2024

Secret Lives: Robin Hood of Fried Chicken

Secret Lives: Robin Hood of Fried Chicken

Cellist, conductor, Robin Hood of Fried ChickenFor TFO Associate Principal Cello Victor Minke Huls, his life in music started way before he was born. And it keeps getting better. From homework in the concert hall to conducting, salsa dancing, an Irish family band and his secret career as a counter tenor, the Florida native keeps adding to an amazing life. Dare we mention that unfortunate job in the school cafeteria? With. All. That. Food. There’s a lot to look forward to in his new role with The Florida Orchestra, but a big moment will be performing Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben. He’ll share the stage with someone very special.

Program Notes: Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto

Program Notes: Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto

A heroic concert indeed. Beethoven’s famed Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor,” composed when he was deaf, is a stunning example of Beethoven’s stubborn nature. He overcame his liability to create a work of unprecedented depth and expression. The adagio is simply sublime. “The concerto encapsulates the heroic struggle of the individual,’’ says TFO Music Director Michael Francis, “and how one determined soul can influence the world around him to a magnificent degree.’’ Rounding out the program is Richard Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben, or A Hero’s Life. In this case the hero is, well, Strauss. He was an enormous talent with an ego to match. The muscular work also is a great showcase for the orchestra. These program notes include music excerpts.Masterworks 8 of the 23/24 SeasonPerformances Feb. 23-25, 2024

Program Notes: Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue

Program Notes: Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue

This program is packed with American greats in honor of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, a smash hit since its debut 100 years ago. “I wanted to put it on a pedestal because it deserves to be there,” says TFO Music Director Michael Francis. The concert starts with jazzy fanfare Herald, Holler & Hallelujah composed by Wynton Marsalis before launching into Mason Bates’ Alternative Energy, which goes techno with a conductor’s laptop and monitors for the musicians, among other surprises. Bernstein’s Three Dance Episodes from On the Town follows three sailors on a one-day shore leave in New York. And serious Russian master Stravinsky shows his quirky American side with his jazzy, bluesy Ebony clarinet concerto, featuring Natalie Hoe. These program notes include music excerpts.Masterworks 7 of the 23/24 Season Performances Feb. 17 & 18, 2024

Program Notes: Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6

Program Notes: Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6

Tchaikovsky packs a lot of emotion into his Sixth: “Without exaggeration, I have put my entire soul into this symphony.” Less than 10 days after its premiere, Tchaikovsky died. This symphony would become his requiem, a last will and testament of a composer whose music comes so directly from the heart. Barber’s Violin Concerto starts out lush and lyrical before finishing with a ride wild at breakneck speed. The program begins with an orchestral version of Valentin Silvestrov’s meditative Prayer for Ukraine. These program notes include music excerpts.Masterworks 6 of the 23/24 SeasonPerformances: Jan. 19 & 20, 2024

Program Notes: Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4

Program Notes: Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4

The word of the day is hurdy-gurdy. Which, in case you don’t know, is a medieval stringed instrument with an attached keyboard. And an inspiration for two pieces on this program written 200 years apart – Missy Mazzoli’s contemporary Sinfonia (For Orbiting Spheres) and Mozart’s charming Violin Concerto No. 4 – though in very different styles. The concert also takes audiences to the famous Fountains of Rome by Respighi and On the Waterfront Symphonic Suite by Leonard Bernstein. These program notes include music excerpts.Masterworks 5 of the 23/24 Season Performances: Jan. 6 & 7, 2024

Program Notes: Brahms’ Symphony No. 1

Program Notes: Brahms’ Symphony No. 1

Brahms was incredibly hard on himself. Plus, he couldn’t seem to shake the shadow of Beethoven and his incredible success. That’s why Brahms struggled for more than 14 years to complete his first symphony, which premiered when he was 43 years old. It was worth the wait –widely considered to be one of the most significant symphonies ever written. In contrast, Chopin composed his Piano Concerto No. 2 when he was just 19, yet delivered some of his most heartfelt melodies. Starting off the concert is Wagner’s Flying Dutchman Overture, which perfectly captures the turmoil of a roiling ocean and the fear of the travelers. These program notes include music excerpts.Masterworks 4 of the 23/24 Season Performances: Nov. 17-19, 2023

Program Notes: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

Program Notes: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

The concert that takes off “faster than a speeding bullet” with Michael Daugherty’s Metropolis Symphony, inspired by the adventures of Superman. Music Director Michael Francis calls it “Dvorak with a dash of Marvel comics thrown in.” Then you’ll instantly recognize Rachmaninoff’s painfully beautiful Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, often featured in romantic films and pop culture. The program concludes with Ravel’s La Valse, a passionate waltz that Ravel himself described as “a dancing, whirling, almost hallucinatory ecstasy.” These program notes include music excerpts.Masterworks 3 of the 23/24 Season Performances: Oct. 28 & 29, 2023

Program Notes: Copland’s Appalachian Spring

Program Notes: Copland’s Appalachian Spring

Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring was a breakthrough for its time. The music resonated across America like few works of its day, and not surprisingly, won Copland the Pulitzer Prize a year after its premiere. Also on the program are Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances, Op. 72, a continuation of his wildly popular earlier dances, which made him a household name overnight and helped pay the bills. Starting off the concert is a selection of American spirituals such as Were You There and Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child, with baritone Jubilant Sykes. These program notes include music excerpts.Masterworks 2 of the 23/24 Season Performances: Oct. 21 & 22, 2023

Secret Lives: No Angels Allowed

Secret Lives: No Angels Allowed

No angels allowed...Not for TFO Principal Harp Anna Kate Mackle. She commissions new music for harp and percussion with her husband, TFO Principal Percussionist John Shaw. Tune in as Anna Kate chats with Resident Conductor Chelsea Gallo about what makes the harp so captivating that people just can’t keep their hands off it. Plus, you’ll never believe where Anna Kate found their cat (which has the best cat name ever).Secret Lives of Musicians featuring Anna Kate Mackle, hosted by Chelsea Gallo

Program Notes: Holst's The Planets

Program Notes: Holst's The Planets

If you think you hear hints of Star Wars in Holst’s The Planets, you are not wrong. This cosmic experience has inspired composers and patrons for more than 100 years. The Planets is a suite of miniature, often turbulent tone poems of varying moods. The Percussion Collective starts off the program with Christopher Theofanidis’ Drum Circles, a sonic and visual blockbuster that has plenty of bells and whistles – for real. Think of it like a percussion concerto, in collaboration with the full orchestra. These program notes include music excerpts.Masterworks 1 of the 23/24 SeasonPerformances: Sept. 30 & Oct. 1, 2023

Program Notes: Wagner’s The Ring Without Words

Program Notes: Wagner’s The Ring Without Words

When was the last time you met someone who sat through Richard Wagner’s entire 15-hour Ring cycle? The full spectacle rarely appears outside the most consecrated of opera houses. Now there’s a version that lets you cheat. Wagner’s The Ring Without Words takes all the best parts of music – yes, Ride of the Valkyries – and condenses them into a digestible 70 minutes. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 is a powerful, dramatic work that perfectly sets up the journey through Wagner. These program notes include music excerpts.Masterworks 13 of the 22/23 SeasonPerformances: May 20 & 21, 2023

Secret Lives: Offensive Tackle Goes Orchestral

Secret Lives: Offensive Tackle Goes Orchestral

At 6-foot-6, heavily recruited Harold Van Schaik had a choice to make in college. Football or music? Now the secret life of TFO’s bass trombone player is filled with Wagner, sports and his three cats – who may not be the biggest fans of the trombone. And perhaps the best secret of all? What it takes to get into TFO’s secret society, the Order of the Skull. Thank you to The Scott at Cordova Inn for lending your library to us for the recording.

Program Notes: Mendelssohn's Elijah

Program Notes: Mendelssohn's Elijah

It might be called an event of Biblical proportions. Rainstorms, floods, droughts, fire from heaven. A child brought back to life. A cloak of angels. The coming of a Messiah and the promise of eternal life. That’s a tall order, but Felix Mendelssohn pulls it off in his monumental oratorio, Elijah. The visceral power of Mendelssohn’s music propels the story to a higher level of consciousness, and mirrors the great choral works of Bach and Handel.These program notes include music excerpts.Masterworks 12 of the 22/23 SeasonPerformances: May 5-7, 2023

Program Notes: Beethoven's Symphony No. 4

Program Notes: Beethoven's Symphony No. 4

Beethoven’s even-numbered symphonies often get a bad rap. But they shouldn’t! His Fourth Symphony is joyous and rhythmically charged and could easily be embraced as a best effort by countless other composers. As one of the few early composers of color, Joseph Bologne is often overlooked. One of the finest examples of Bologne’s style is the Symphony No. 2, composed in 1779 as a 10-minute jaunt. Vaughan Williams’ ethereal The Lark Ascending is one of the most exquisite creations in the violin repertoire, with impressionistic themes that don’t linger so much as evaporate into the air. In contrast, Ravel’s Tzigane is a virtuoso showpiece with a dazzling display of fireworks for the violin.These program notes include music excerpts.Masterworks 11 of the 22/23 SeasonPerformances: April 1 & 2, 2023

Program Notes: Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3

Program Notes: Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3

Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto is breathtakingly beautiful – but fiendishly difficult. Partly because not every pianist has hands the size of Rachmaninoff’s – his thumb and pinkie could span 12 inches, more than most NBA players – and could canvas nearly two octaves. Audiences feel like anything could happen, makes it one of the most thrilling works to watch live. For Carl Nielsen, his Symphony No. 4, “Inextinguishable,” was conceived as a “battle between the forces of order and chaos.’’ But his inspiration was the spirit of life. At the top of the score, he wrote “Music is life, and like it, it is inextinguishable.’’ These program notes include music excerpts.Masterworks 10 of the 22/23 SeasonPerformances: Feb. 24-26, 2023

Program Notes: Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2

Program Notes: Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2

Rachmaninoff wrote music that sticks to the ribs of listeners. His Piano Concerto No. 2 is extravagant and voluptuous from start to finish, and he would take pride in knowing it remains the single-most played work in the repertoire. Sibelius struggled to complete his Symphony No. 5. But the ending is worth all the angst – a triumphal, powerful finale described as “Thor wielding his hammer.” Sibelius’ tone poem The Swan of Tuonela is more peaceful, with the swan’s song played by the English horn. These program notes include music excerpts.Masterworks 9 of the 22/23 Season Performances: Feb. 17-19, 2023

Secret Lives: The Need for Speed

Secret Lives: The Need for Speed

In this episode, we talk to Principal Bass Dee Moses, who is “retiring” after 47 seasons with TFO. Well, more like “refocusing” his life to make more time for what’s important to him and his family. Even after more than four decades on stage, there’s a lot we don’t know about the man behind the double bass. Think motorcycle fanatic. Lead guitar rocker. In his own words, hear how he got his start at TFO -- auditioning in the music director’s living room. Hosted by Andi Tafelski.