Florida Orchestra mixes it up, collaborates with community in 2018-19 season

Andrew Meacham, Tampa Bay Times, 8th February 2018

Themes are useful sometimes. Right now, the Florida Orchestra is still enjoying the heart of its 50th anniversary season, which has been big and loud and celebratory.

At other times, maybe it’s best to just put a fine program together and let the public decide what to call it. Music director Michael Francis is taking the latter course in 2018-19, bringing world-class soloists in for Mahler, Beethoven and Brahms while highlighting new work and commissioning another piece.

The orchestra will continue its outreach into the Tampa Bay area in collaborations with the Florida Holocaust Museum, the University of South Florida and arts and theatrical organizations. The season will emphasize variety and partnerships, said orchestra spokeswoman Kelly Smith.

“This is more about moving forward into our new era together, and what do we want to be as an orchestra going forward?”

The season opens with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 (Sept. 28-30), the first time the orchestra has performed the symphony in a masterworks concert since 2010. An overarching metaphor of emerging from darkness into light fits Francis’ vision for the season, Smith said. Pianist Valentina Lisitsa, who soloed memorably with Rachmaninoff at Francis’ first concert as music director, returns to play Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2.

Francis has led the orchestra in two “Inside the Music” public tutorials each year. He’ll add a third in 2018-19, beginning with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.